The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-12-12
TuE DAILY GAZETTE.
,apIpIE BALLOON ASCENSION
p,n .nFlpplA, Nov. ID, 1855

From portor's sptrit oi tmat
u,op,pIEBALLOON ASCENSION.
p,mApElrplA, Nov. ID, 1856.
nr,a Spmr:-As ] before inform
i @ rnn 81 could raise enough of the
g "a ] r. MT a big note which became
w." G'a1 yesterday, and something over, /
u@1 '"njJ certainly take trip with Mons.
Go5arl in his balloon Canada iqf
~ nIace in particular, and that !
Tou'd give you a description thereof
basten to inform you of my sale ar.
,;yaI from Atlantic City, where US
iso1a,l at five o'clock twenty minutes
rssterlay afternoon, after ono ot the
mestparilous ascensions ever Inade ny
mortal man.
Rv dint Of considerable exertion, |
.necseded by quarter Of three O'Clock
n bGrrowing the wherewithal to pay
mg nate and the requisite amount to
~arsbase an ascension ticket, viz $50.
h alter going home and making 4
basty will, strobe up to Parklnsons
and purchased my ticket. Being Thus
6yeI out. | vas introduced to nay lei-
ow goyagers, FIVE in number, and at
trpminutes tofour precisely, stepped
rotho car, with feelings, musteon-
.s.s not quite rs buoyant as they
,en a few minutes before
What would | not have given a.
that momentto have been safe at homa,
Bgt there was no backing out before
such large assemblage, 50 up | was
ohiged 10 q. At just three minutes
past four the cords were cut, and we
were of, and before ! haa time scarce
" ior a second thought, the city was
10y shop,
How supremely magnificent nz.
claimed one Of the company
"Awtully superb said another.
Grand, heayesly, beautiful! said
third.
Behold said Mons, GODDARD, the
great city Of Brotherly Love, with all
lis wealth, its poverty, its palaces, its
hovels, its beauty, its fame. its Joys
and its vices, what is il. more
ahequer,board.
How | wished myself then ON that
rbequer board, moving in my humble
1sition as a man.
How utterly insignificant. con
iuued Mons. G., What is wealth,
.ame TO Mt'
"Yesl what would they be to us If
the balloon should burst!" SAID l.
"Ah! gentleman, no danger of that,
.ad Mons, II consider we are as safe
asifwe were inside OF church. feed
yselfperiectly at home, and hope
yea win endeavor to DO likewise. y
The day was cold for the season the
thermometer having been at II deg
when We took our departure, and the
sir had a very snowy feel The
clouds, which had been gradually
gathering from morning, now began
10 assume a threatening aspect, and
sure enough, in few minutes We
were in the midst Of a furious whirl-
wind Of sleet and snow. The wind
Thistled terribly through the cordsge
Of the balloon, as we rushed with
eariul rapidity through the binding
scud, and the vacillation of Our lenu
Gus globe was so alarming, that we
We're obliged to cling with the grasp
q desperation TO the cords, to. prevent
our being pitched headlong into the
abyss below. Again we were tossed
INTO an almost horrizontal position,
more go than at any previous time
ana that was our salvation, for every
thing movable but ourselves fell out.
sand bags included, AMI we arose with
aruSh above the storm. But We had
escaped one danger TO encounter an
Other, and more serious one. Il
vas now intensely cold, and the wet
snow which had accumulated around
ana on the top Of the balloon, became
Holen IN one solid sheet of ice, and
.'' inrther contraction might serious
Y endanger the safety Of the balloon.
" hat was to be donel Happily an
lea struck Mons. g., and quick as
Uonght he clambered Ike a cat up
Tie netting Of the balloon, near its top,
aoI with his cane (Which fortunately
4Aa been secured to the carr battered
away mantully until the ice she'll part.
Dl and fell in mass upon us, burying
Us Ike an avalanche We all fell TO
work and in few minutes the car
was cleared, and the balloon, relieved
u 'ts burthen, shot up again to fear,
iuI height, during which Mons. G
o|ered himself back to the car in
safety.
Ahat we were at a higher point than
ever man before attained, was plain
Ion the difficulty we experienced in
%s"Ihing. Our ears tingled, and the
very blood in our veins seemed to be
lung itself out of our ears, mouth
1"' hlger ends. To continue then
. %aVh longer upward would be Ger.
"'h destruction. "Let us descend at
TrH'e, Mons. GODDARD" we exclaimed,
Pon this, GODDARD Immediately pul
ro ,sG the valve rope, but horrorl the
ave was frozen fast, so hard that his
,'Illost strength was insufficient to pull
open. To increase our horror, we
%n. %nf' Just mounting into another cloud,
a4' fortunately this time of rain
gam we We're at the mercy OF the
tS;m Suu' and were carried hither and
sur %'ner as before, but not with the
,bo. n,o 9egree OF severity, until we arose
tn second time the yalye-rope was
G''u, but without success, and Mons.
w. w. % was too much overcome to ascend
co,,. 20" p"'loon second time. Still our
sar D"'se was upward but, strange to
Ivy Ia?' as We progressed we experienced
W. D'a ollhculty of breathing than when
Do "e must have been more than a mile
coi ns1Eef to the earth, according to G.'s
SSSQIatinn