Volcano weekly ledger., 1855-12-15
Rocky Thompson in a Balloon.


/ Mr.. r. Thompson, Of his ascension in a bal
loon with Mons GODDARD at Cincinnati on the
18th inst II is quite interesting
The ballast being arranged, our terrestrial
friends on Ross Ill., by order, let go Of the
ropes, and gracefully we ascended in q north
easterly direction, when a panorama was
spread out before our vision, which, TO be de-
scribed perfectly, would require the pen Of an
angel (if angels use pens Beneath were
fields Of standing corn, and fields which gave
evidence that the harvester had gathered his
golden grain-towns, villages and hamcts,
forests, roads and rivulets, all appeared in a
dimnutiye form, and, as we attained higher
altitude, men seemed pigmies, houses toys,
forests shrubbcry, roads and riyulets threads,
and the noble Ohio, with its gorgeous water
castles, seemed almost as small as Ben Bolts
brook before it had gone dry
Our view, before the rising Of the moon,
was glorious but when nights mantle gath
cred over the earth, and her queen appeared
Illuminating the face Of nature. the scene was
so grand and beautiful to my mind as to com
pare favorably with my preconceiyed idea of
Heaven Look ns up from the car into the
neck of the balloon, with the moons rays
falling directly on the huge globe ii seemed
ball of fire, while the reflection from the
outer surface of the arial ship was equally as
brilliant as the reflection of a gas light from
q mirror
Never did happier party start forth in
pursuit Of pleasure than ours John Sharp,
/ Esq, went into fits Of ecstacy | clasped
! Godard's hands, and the mutual shaking came
near costing both their strong right arm
/ Bellman, whose experience in ballooning is
greater than any other amateur in this coun-
try declared positively that it was the grand
est trip he had ever made and our gallant
monsieur and his lady asserted that the last.
I the two hundred and sxty-seventh ascension,
was never surpassed in point Of sublimity and
grandeur
Several times during our voyage, we con
yersed with persons on the earth; in conyer-
saton proved to my mind conclusively this
fact, that it is a very easy matter to hear
with distinctncss, ordinary conversation from
the earth when one mile and quarter from
its surface
will state two or three facts more, viz !:
While over Mr. Ruifner's farm, near Car
thage, enquired in a loud voice, "Who lives
/ here y Some man replied, Mr. Ruifner p
3" Is it Marine Rufrner!" | then asked "No;
I Frank" was the response A female voice
then invited US down to supper, which invita-
/ tion we heard as distincly as friends can heaI
each other in common conversation Mons
GODDARD discharged small quantity Of gas
and we descended in a field near to Mr. Ruff.
ner's residence, as easy as a bird can alight
on a tree top
Another experiment bearing on this point
When half q mile above the earth NJ. God
ard let fall a small stone, which we heard very
plainly strike the ground
And still one more fact, and we are done
with this part Of the subject. At about the
same altitude Mons G. threw out handful
Of sand and earth, and when il struck, il
sounded precisely like rain pattering on a roo
where no ceiling obstructs the sound
After taking lunch with Mr. Rufiner',
kind family, Mr. GODDARD discharged more
ballast, and again we arose to enjoy the beau
ties of moonlight aerial ride. Far. far be
hind us the shadow of our beautiful ali
ship followed as faithfully as a mans shadow
at noon-day. Above US a ball Of fre-be
meath US, visible ten thousand fields their fen
ces looking like a sieve.
Dense forests, Immediately beneath and
over their topmost boughs We glided gently
for our daring Captain had invited us to wit
ness the perfect control which he has over his
balloon in fair weather, Then we asccnded
to the distance of 5000 feet, and after tray
cling, the Lord only knows where, changing
around with a score of different currents o.
air, we descended on Mr. John Coxe's farm
in Butler county, six miles from Glendale
after having been two hours among the clouds
in celestial regions.
- f.xt-t ...t ,, - pt t,,