The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-06-25
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
A Voyage Through the Skies.

L
Mons. GODDARD made his second balloon ascension
yesterday afternoon, this time taking his mammoth
balloon 6" America and several passengers. 1t was
our fortune to be one of the passengers. At half
past 8 O'Clock, the huge globe was announced to be
fully inflated, and those entitled to seats in the min
iature house attached to the balloon, invited to o-
cupy them.
We occupied q wicker car inside of the miniature
house,; windows, however, giving our visuals free
access to g all out of DOORS" For several minutes
the crowd gathered so thickly round the car, some to
shake hands with the passengers, and some out of
curiosity, that it was impossible to manage the bal
loon. 1t was with great difficulty the crowd was
pushed and kept back at a reasonable distance. Mons.
GODDARD soon ascertained that he had too much
weight. and invited Mr.. .Hipp to step out of the car
while he arranged the ballast. Having everything
arranged, he gave the command to @ let co." and
away we sailed, to the great modification of MIR.
Hipp, who had been left behind.
The pleasure we felt when the balloon, cut loose
from terra frmo, commenced gliding thrO' the air,
is inexpressible. The immense concourse of people
below seemed to be moving gently away from US; and
whatever fears or apprehensions we might have en-
tertssined previously, were all forgotten in the plea
sure of the moment. Our eyes were with rapture
fixed upon the city lot, with its thousands of upturned
faces, until attention was called to another point by
our fellow passengers. 1t was the grand, indescriba-
BILE view of the city, the river, and the scenery be-
yond. The city seemed like a well arranged set Of
toys, lined by q strip of silver lace. The passengers
were all in ecstacy, and were continually pointing
out new beauties to each other.
When we first cast our eyes directly below us, we
were sailing over the Eleventh Ward. Everything
had q miniature appearance. The houses looked like
playthings, and the people and vehicles in the streets,
like swarms plants running over the ground. Though
subject to dizziness, we here looked down upon
6 mother earth'' without experiencing the least un-
pleasant feeling; indeed, we were enraptured beyond
expression.
We passed directly over Mount Auburn, the house
here being lowered below the car, and giving us a
better view. The long steep road extending up to
| MOnnf VprnOO from Swear mora Sfrnnf looked nrociSa1U
like a broad chalk line upon level ground; and the
whole country was as fiat in appearance as could be.
As we hurried by we endeavOred to distinguish the
hill sides, but to our vision no hills were there.
While passing over the city we sailed quite gently,
but once up over the hills, we moved off at a speed
which Col. Latham good humoredly remarked, beat
railroad time all to pieces. Clouds soon shut the city
out from our view, and our attention was directed to
the exquisite landscape upon every hand. Our
height could not have been very far, for we distinctly
heard loud conversations below us, and, with the aid
of the speaking trumpet, conversed with those beneath
us.
Our course being north-northeast from Mount
Auburn, we moved towards Cumminsville, and then
drifted over towards the Reading turnpike, almost
directly above which we sailed until within the
neighbOrhOod of Sharon. At one time the villages of
Cumminsville, College Hill, Mount Pleasant,
Carthage, Lockland, Reading, Sharon, and three or
four others which we could not distinctly recognize,
were all within view. The whole scene looked like
an immense garden, with little streamlets running
through it; the vast forests and fields looking like
small enclosures. Indeed, as Mr.. Hoel laughingly
remarked, ga big farm don't amount to much when
observed from q balloon"
We conversed frequently with the people below.
One farmer invited us 20 stop and take a glass of hard
cider, another for supper, and another was anxious
to know if we intended to run all night We
distinctly heard the establishments and wonders
of a bevs of farm girls in a dairy yard, and their
horror when one of them exclaimed, 'Nwhy the men
in it are talking -
The party thus spent the time, now admiring the
fairy-like scenes which lay before US, or enjoying a
chit-chat with the folks below.
About halfpast 6 o'clock, when near Sharon, we
glided off into a northwesterly course. Mons. God
ard, pointing to a heavy dark cloud before US, said,
ssno good;'' and by gestures, (for he can speak but
a few words of English indicated there was danger
of our getting q ducking if we did not override the
clouds. He threw out a large quantity OF ballast,
and shot rapidly up, at the same time approaching
the frowning clouds beyond. A large village lay to
our right, but it was too dark for us to distinguish it.
We supposed it to be Lebanon. The earth was now
covered with darkness, and all we could observe
below us was the lights from the houses, which flick
cred like mellow yellow stars.
We seemed to float around and around this village,
until at last we penetrated the clouds. 1t then ap-
peared as if we were enveloped in a gauzy veil, and
the white fieecy appearance Of the clouds drew forth
simultaneously expressions of delight from the whole
party. While thus yelled in mist we heard it rain
ing below US. The sound was so much like the rat
ting of q railroad train, that we took it for that until
better informed.
Mons. GODDARD seemed anxious to override the rain
clouds. He cast loose the frame of q house which
surrounded the car, and let it drop. We heard it
flap, flap, flap until the sound died away in our ears.
More ballast was thrown out, and we assembled to a
height Of seventeen thousand feet The atmosphere
was still dump and very chilly. Whilst at that alti-
tude, we were very much troubled with a roaring
through the ears, sometimes so boisterous as to deafen
us altogether.
Soon after Mons. GODDARD had furnished the altitude
from his barometer, he gave us notice that we were
descending. BY gestures he ordered us to Law fiat
down in the bottom of the car when he gave the word
OF command, and not to jump out Of the car under
any circumstances. Just then we struck q tremen-
dOus gale of wind, and it was evident that we were
not only sailing furiously, but descending rapidly.
1t was so dark that nothing could be discovered, but
our commander mounted the side of the car, cast out
his anchor, and waited the result. He commanded
us to lie down, and we had hardly obeyed before we
felt the car crushing over the tree tops. The anchor
caught and held US for q moment, then we dashed
with furious speed into an adjoining corn feld-a
heid, however, that was full of stumps. Suddenly
the car was dashed with great force against e, tree,
then up we went, then down, now dragging on q
fence, again striking a stump or tree with great velo-
city, and again whizzng over the cornstalks at O.
lightning gallep. Every man laid close to the bottom
of the car except Mons. GODDARD, who stood up holding
upon the valve, all hoping that the monster would
soon be controlled, and we landed safely on terra
lfrmG.
Suddenly the balloon took u fearful leap, and
brought the car with a tremendous crash against a
stump, halfupsetting it. Mons. Godard's face struck
the fence and no a fbroun fo ~ o,cu1d AxxL1