Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-11-03
Iron The LOuisylIie Courisr.l
A voyage in the Upper DseR
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thefnOnth OF October. Interpretations wlthin were
anxious; theontsilers were DANGEROUSLY impatient |
'Alions,' shouts Mons. GODDARD. Let her co.
echoes his Interpreter. Immediately the lines
were cut loose, the sand bags thrown out, and up
and away the huge America sails, tile music play
ing the odd Folks at Home and the vast coll-
course shouting with their ten thousand thrnas. |
Mons. GODDARD climbs up among the netting, |
and his cOnpagnOns Gu UOyUge, five in number. |
wondering at their own temerity, shout back 10 |
the fast receeding EARTH wave hats in recognition
OF friends. and stared and stripped flags in demon
stratiou Of their patriotism. The house tops are
cleared. We have Iait open field before us IN
the clear expanSe of air. The pIiyacies of the
town are visible, for look down into back yards
and through open chimnirs. The Brook street
spire appears like the point OF bodkin, and the |
street thTouged with people dwindle into mere
threads. Approaching the nver we assembled
higher, and looking below uponthe placid stream,
we eau discover our grand ship mirrored on The
bosom of the distant tide. There but two or
three steamers at The wharf, ard they, to our
vision, seem like mere cock-bohis. Turning tol
the westward, Portland is distinctly visible with
five steamers at the landing, while New Albany
sits upon the opposite shore, immature city, as
II lis houses were but chl;dren'S toys. Far away
in the distance lSa line Of black s.LOke lowering
over the river, and Just in advance we deScry
steamboat pUughing the river. 1t, however, Is
soon lost to sight where the Ohio enters The range
Of hills commencing at the mouth OF Salt River
tlOVtTlIlS over JGHEISOhNlicp we see LHdl
sier frendS have become injected with the curiosi
ty, and are straining their necksand eyes 10 scan
the RraI wOnder
Here we ave time for retroSpectnn. But FIRST
a moment for thought. Our Individual prepara
ton for the voyage was so haSty, and our inten-
ton TO make the Trip formedso suddenly, that we
actually hal time to think Of the perilS that
might environ wanderer III the upper deep. An
overcoat borrowed, and an oral well delivered TO
] friend, and We had started of upon the journey
Nk 81
the whole scene, and the constant recurrence oil
new objects to he loUked al, banished all thoughts
OF our unusual position. We had no emporium nifty,
being so busiy eugoged Otherwise. 10 enivy the
sensations said TO be incident TO novIces in such
excursions. As matter of course, therefore, we
were deprived Of these emotives common TO de-
pr rture from this terrestrial sphere. Indeed it is
not necessary tfat We should gloss over the Truth
in denying The absence of fear. Swinging in hid
air several thousand ret above the cath, fail
basket the only bauer between safety ami destruc
ton, we were aStOnlshrd nj our own self posses
sion, aud that of all our companions.
Not to either our bravery or IeckleSSneSS dove
attribute this feeling Of security and culmmesS,
but rather to that rare purity OF the atmosphere
that prevailed every fibre Of the frame, that gave
keener vision 10 the eyes and acuter hearing 10 the
ears, and that while hiding the defurmites OF the
earth, which we were leaving, heightened It's man
fold beauties.
Looking back from beyond the river, Louisville
appeared drapei within bluelSh haze, through
which every building aud the course OF every street
were plainly visible. South of the city the coun-
try was spread out rs If it were an deliberately
drafted map. Fences and other division lines
were impalpable; the only recognizable features
of the landscape being the color of the Eelds and
the alienation of woods and pastures. The line
of the Nashville Railroad was stretched out until
it conveyed into nothingneSS, wEie the various
turnpIkeS, at first like bets Of white cloth, were
swallowed up in the distance. The Salt liver hills
were yelled IN the miStS Of Indian summer, and
beyond them rose other and higher mountains,
bounding the horizon. East o! the city Tie pros
pect was even finer, the county being di
verSifel by houses and farms. In the tar. off
woods, where the Frankfort ,allroad became lost
10 our sight, we thought we described Peewee
Valley. But doubtless il was only Suppostion.
Jener>onviile left behind, and we sped gaily on
mounting higher and higher Mons. GODDARD re-
iEved the balloon of ballast, which battered like
rain upon the Trees below. Then we attained our
greatest altitude, the O! jeclS earth dwindling
Into The utmost inSgnIhcence, aud the horizon
widening around us. The prospect at this time
was Ieally sublime, the grand circular panorama
spreading before with its varIegated scenes, its
forests and meadows and mountains, and the Ohio,
like a silver belt, winding amid all the prospects
lot lovelinesS. The balloon appeared to move
slowly, OF rather 1t had no perceptible motion TO
Those in the car. Above US was the grand Slken
dome to which our basket was pendant, HppaTenI-
Ily stationary. All was calm, and it was luxury
to SIT in the seemingly mo,ioulesS car, not breath
of air Stirriug, while we -werz waited by unseen
fundamentally it must have been, for tie
landscape Immediately below us was constantly |
changing, new features Icing presented every mo |
ment. The vast forests lying to the North and
East of Jellersonville were unusually beautiful in
tLeir autumnal robes, the bet Ch trees Haunting |
their golden liverieS TO every EretZe that sighed
amoug them.
| During all this time we had not noticed any
change in temperature, hnt now, ~ we ascend, |
there WIS percepble difference. Very sudden |
lY we encountered current Of air that seemed 10
belong to frosty mornImgin winter. But this S
only moment; ry Sensation, and we were again
in Il comparatively warm region, though the at
moSphere was highly rarified, and breathing it had
a wonderfully sxhlirating effect.
As the shades OF night were falling, and the rroS-
pet for making safe landing after dark in section
of country so heavily timbered that we were pass
ing over was but slight, Mons. GODDARD thought il |
best 10 prepare for descent All regretted the |
necessity of this course, for we had just learned
what luxury 1t was cOursing through the unframed
ed air The vave being opened, we commenced |
descending slowly, the Commander Of our cIalt be-
ing on the lookout for an open field where we could
make the landing IN safety Nearing the earth we
passed. over several farm houses, the inmates oil |
which hailed us with inquiries as TO our route aud
destination. The JiStinctneSS with which we heard
these calls was truly wonderful, considering our
great elevation. Finally, the proper spot was dis.
covered AMI the Monsieur babe us, in his best
French, sit perfectly still when we touched tie
ground. Down and down came, SO TapIy that |
we expected g-nnd smash up of the basket when
terra frnG should be reached. But such was not |
the case. Nous. C. threw out his anchor, which |
cathing in a fence, made fast and pulled the fence
alter us. This not proving sufficient anchorage, |
| it caught in stump, and we ere in moment on
the ground. But scarcely had we Touched ere the
balloon bounded in the air some fifty feet, and then
as if suhdued, sank quietly down. We had some /
trouble in eXricating ourselves from the basket as
ii had an inclination 10 upset, caused by the sway
ing OF the balloon. Finally all were out, by hich |
time the inmates of house near by had come up, |
attracted by then unsuaI visitor their land Short
ly afterwards other neghbors arrived, and in less
than fifteen minutes we were surrounded by over
twenty FIVE men I-om the various farms in the vi
cinity. All were delighted at the visit we had
unexpectedly paid them. and demonstrated their
pleasure by assisting in the labor necessary for
securing our monster vessel, Moretran an no IT |
was required 10 eXpel the gas from the ball, !, |
which interesting procedure required the combIn-
ed pressure of all hands present. This much be-
ing effected, the next stem was DFOcufinU conway.