The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-06-26
Great balloon TraveIingi

From the Adrian (Mich.) Expositor, we
take the following notice of probably the
longest balloon excursion ever made:
Mr.. w D. Bannister, now the most daring
and successful aronaut on this continent, if
not of the world, who left this city on Friday,
the 9Th inst, reached home on Thursday, the
14th, from the town of Red Bank, Clarion
county, Pennsylvania, where he landed in
Just four hours and tf0e minutes after cutting
loose from this place. The distance travers-
ed is ascerlained to be over three hundred
and sixty miles !-consequentIy the seriaI
voyager must have travelled at the rate of
nearly zinty miles an hour! Mr.. Bannster
gave an account of his voyage publicly, to
our citizens after his return ON Thursday
He states the view as he passed over this
city, to be beautiful beyond description
that language fails to tell the beauties of ma
ture as he pas ed through the air.
Just as he left this city, he discharged two
bags of ballast, which sent him up with great
rapidity to an altitude of two miles. He then
began to be sensible of the GOODNESS of the
ption above the clouds and put on his
overcoat and gloves. In thirty minutes he
passed Toledo, about two miles north of that
city, at a height of about two and half
miles. He then passed over Sandusky, and
at about II O'Clock he found himself south of
| Cleveland, near Akron or Rayenna. Cleve-
land was distinctly seen; and villages dotted
| the map beneath him in every direction
| About this time he judged that he had as
cended over three miles, and says the atmos-
phere was as cold as one of our coldest win
ter days-to which the condition of Mr.. Is
feet will testify, being badly frozen.
Mr.. Bannister says he felt some like COM
ing do IN, when south of Cleveland, but con-
cluded to keep on. About l O'clock, he
passed over bank of clouds which shut out
earth from his view. The scenery of these
clouds was magnificent, Their tops were
rolling and surglng in the wind like an ocean
of watery pillows, and lit up by the clear sun
above, were flashing and glowing in man
ner indescribably beautiful. During his trip
over these clouds, Mr.. Bannister had the
pleasure of looking down upon thunder
storm, TWO miles below him, and the flashes
of lightning lit up the crests of the cloud
waves with red glare of terrible beauty and
grandeur. The thunder was not so loud as
when one hears it upon the earth.
Soon after leaving this storm to amuse
others who could not run away IRON it, and
the red lightning lit pillows of cloud to roll
on only in the vision of the great Day God
which smiled bengnautly alike upon our
daring voyager and the angry lightning, the
9ronaut began TO be sensible that while he
! had been absorbed in the new and strangely
beautiful scenery around and below him, a
certain aged knave who has done a vast deal
of damage-one Jack Frost-bad stolen into
his basket, and began to devour himl-he
had frozen his leetI
1t was now near four hours since the bal
loon left Adrian, and with his feet frozen,
and an attack OF "sea Sickness" caused by
a counter current of air which at one time
struck his balloon, Mr.. Bannister wisely
thought it time to seek terra frma; and open u
ing the valve, landed in Red Bank, Pennsyl-
vania, some fifty miles from Pittsburgh, and
ninety miles from Ere!-Owing to a sudden
gust Of wind, the balloon was thrown into
the top Of dry oak tree, and himself sus.
perded some thirty feet from the ground.
He was discovered during his descent, by
j the people upon the farms, and twenty or
more persons were soon upon the spot gazing
with wonder upon The strange visitor from
the clouds.
Most of the people, having never heard OF
balloon, or at least not having any definite
idea with regard to one, were not little
surprised at the appariton. One old lady
thought an "angeP' was descending-others
thought it was a strange monster brd-and
two hunters actually followed some miles to
get shot at the monster! The "bird''
flew faster than they could run, and ''Iit'' be-
fore they arrived within shooting distance!
On account of his frozen feet, Mr.. Ban
mister could not leave that section until Mon
day, when he took teams for RE, and ar
rived here Thursday morning very early.
Taken all together, this is probably the
greatest balloon ascension of the age. Three
hundred and sixty miles in four hours, at an
average height o. two and halt miles, is not
on record, to our knowledge. One can hardly
realize the fact. The balloon with which
this trip was made, was manufactured by
Mr.. Ira Thurston, of this Cit, an old aro-
naut, and it was Of the best ever made. In
its Judgment in the tree, it was torn into
half dozen pieces, and nearly ruined. This
balloon and the mutations cost some ten
hundred dollars, which makes the fare for
the Eral trip to Mr.. Bannister about three
dollars mile!
We trust we may yet record more profit
able trips of this kind by this King OF Fro
nauts- Our citizens now satisfied that
J Mr.. Bannister has more than redeemed his
pledge, and that his former failures were in
no way the result of his ow action. He has
shown courage and infrxible determine
ton which has given him, in this ascension.
world wide fame.
SHOCKING CARELEssNEss.-In Levant,
Maine, recently, Mr.. and Mrs. Twombly
went out into field, and took with them
their child, in a cradle. They built fire