The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-06-28
Grea, Balloon ASCENSION.

Great Balloon Ascension.
The Adrian Mich. Watchtower gives the
following account of ballon ascension in
that town. by a Mr.. Bannister which is the
most extraordinary We ever read of. The
account of it is very interesting:
Mr.. w. D. Bannister, now the most DARING
and successful seronaut on this continent, il
not of the world, who left this city on Friday.
the 9Th inst, reached home on Thursday. tie
l4th, from the town of Red Bank. Clarion
county. Pennsylvania, where he landed in
just four hours and five minutes afser cutting
loo sc from this place. The distance traversed
Is ascertalned To be over three hundred and
sixty milesi-eonsequen1y the aerial voyager
mus. have travelled al the rate OF nearly niasty
niles an hour Mr.. Bannister gave an ac-
count Of his voyage publicly to our citizens
after his return on Thursday. lie states the
View a he passed over this city. beautiful be-
yond description-that language fails to tell
the beauties of nature as he passed through
the air. Just as he left this city. he dis
charged two bags of ballast, which sent him
up with great rapidity to an al,i,uie Of two
miles He then began 10 be sensible Of the
c0tdness of the reception above the clouds
and put on his overcoat and gloves. In lhir-
ty minutes he passed Toledo, about two miles
north of that city, at height Of about two
aud half miles He then passed over san
dusky, and at about IL o'clock he found him
self south of Cleveland, near Akron or Ra-
VIENNA Cleveland was distinctly seen, and
villages dotted the map beneath him in every
direction. About this time he Judged that he
lad ascended over three miles, and says the
atmosphere was as cold as one Of our coolest
winter days-to which the condition Of Mr..
B's feet will testify, being badly frozen. Mr.
Bannister says he "lelt some Ike coming
down." when south of Cleveland but CON
cluded to keep on. About / o'clock, he pass
ed over a bank Of clouds. which shut out the
earth from his view. The scenery OF these
clouds was magnificent. Their tops We're
rolling and surging in the wind like an ocean
Of watery billows and lit up by the clear sun
above. were flashing and glowing in manner
indescribably grand and beautiful During
his trip over these clouds, Mr. Baunister had
The pleasure of looking down upon a 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 gran
ieur The thunder was not 50 loud Il when
one hears 1t upon the earth. Soon after leav
ing this storm 70 amuSe others who could not
run away from il, and the red IyI4nin--G,
pillows of cloud to roll only in the vision Of
q he great Day God which smiled benignantly
Ii lightning. the seronaut began to be sensible
Ghat while he had been absorbed in tie new
and strangely beautiful scenery around and
below him, certain aged kuaee who has
done vast deal of damage--one Jack Frost
had stolen into his basket and began to de-
vour him-he had frozen his feet;
Il was now near four hours since tie bal
loon left Adrian. and with his feet frozen, and
an attack of sea Sickness" caused by coun-
Ter current of air which at one time struck
his balloon. Mr. Bannister wisely thought it
time 10 seek terra frma: and opening the
valve, landed in Red Bank. Pennsylvan;a,
some fifty miles from Pittsburr, and ninety
miles from Erie, Owing to a sudden gust of
wind, the balloon was thrown into the top Of a
dry oak tree, and himself suspended some
thirty feet from the ground He was diScoy-
cred during his descent, by 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 never having heard Of
be loon, or at least not having a very definite
idea with regard 10 one, they were nota little
surprised az the appartion. One old lady
thought au angel was descenIiug-ot
thought that It was strange monster bird,
and two hunters actually followed some miles
TO get shot At the monster, The bird few
faster than they could run, and liz before
they arrived in shooting distance.
On account of his frozen feet Mr. Banns-
Ter could not leave that section until Monday
when he took teams for Erie, and arrived 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 a. an
average height oi Two and a half miles, Is no.
on record, TO our knowledge. Oae can hard
Is realize the fact. The balloon with which
this trip was male. was manufactured b. Mr..
Ira Thslston, Of this city, an old ,efoaaut and
it was one Of the best ever male IL is lodg-
ment in the tree. ii was torn in hall dozen
places, and nearly ruined. This balloon and
the inAatons cost some ten hauIred dollars,
which makes the fare for the aerial trip to Mr..
Bannister. about three d0l{ars per rafis
We trust that we may yet record more prof
table trips of this kind by the King of zero
aauts Our citizens are now satisfied that
Mr.. Bannister has more than redeemed his
pledge, and that his former failures were in
no way the results of his own action. He has
shown a courage and inhexibie Determination
which has given him, in this ascension, a
world wide fame
A Coon JOKE a distinguished Ds.mocrat
living in the neighboring city Of Cosin-ton,
day before Yesterday, was clustering very loud
against the new platform adopted by the Know
Nothings at Philadelphia, and was particular
" severe upon that part whieh refers .
slavery. He was Interrupted b q gentleman
who was delegate 10 the Convention, Who
said to him that he had no. read tie night
one Now. said he, here is The real simon
pure, and took ont OF his pocket the Democrat
- ,,la-far-, aIan-eJ ut Ps1i1rnora IN 1914