Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-10-24

visions, and sat dovn to N sEssllsst supper,
which he pastook Of vhiIs dsiyiaG theeaGh |
- ~ q The fsse o. gbout fity miiss On |
hour.
At five minutes past six he passed over |
Dayton, ct an elevation Of about ten thous-
and fsst He cas- overheard sevssal dis
patches, lat found that the wind was 20 |
strong that they were carried several miles |
from the city. Nothing could be seen Of
Mons GODDARD, and Mr. Steiner conciud,d
that he had taken the under current, and
gone south east He passed several towns
and sent down dispatches. but a. he could
hear nothing from the inhabitAnts, conclu-
ded that be vas unobserv ed, and kept on his
course.
THE lxsoSAuT GErs ASLEEP AND BRINes Up IN
TREE TOP.
About half past o'clock the rronaut be.
came very sleepy, ard found 1t almost i'm.
possible 70 keep awake. The cold was quite
benumb,ng. He Sung songs. overhauled his
traps in the basket TO divert his attention,
and finally sttAched about 5000 feet Of
a guide line TO his wrist, so that if he des-
cended, the drag rope would awake him.
He then threw out ballast and assembled to
an elevation Of about 900 feet, and unable
longer to keep himself awake. quietly re-
signed himself to comfortable nap
About ten o'clock the eronaut WAS
awakened by a crash, and found that his
balloon had descended SO low that the car
in which he was enjoying q sound sleep,had
stuck in the top of a tree in the middle OF
q small forest. The basket was nearly
ed over. and the sleeping @ronant was
thrown violently into the hoop to which
the ropes were attached which united the
basket with the balloon. The remainder Of
his supper was thrown out-his wine was
cast ov erboard-a part Of his ballast fol
lowed in the descent; his bundles Of his
dispatches and papers kept them company.
The shock war 60 great a. to split the seat
on which the GrOraut was taking o siesta
The basket righted in minute, and the
balloon being relieved Of o considerable
weight in the way Of cold chicken and
other walnut street House" preparations
for loug voyage, shot into the air with
great velocity, SO rapid that the aeronaut
opened his valve in order to prevent going
away up yonder" amongst the stars. Be-
fore being stopped the balloon reached an
elevation of 1900 feet, and finding the at
mosphere disagresbly cold, the .eronaut
commenced to descend.
Finding good current ct an elevation of
5000 feet, Prof. Steiner managed to keep
his conveyance in it, and proceeded at
speep of sixty mile an hour. when he dis
covered Lake Erie but a few miles ahead
The cement around his valve had become
broken in the collision with the tree, and
AZ he had already discharged considerable
quantity Of gas, he did no deem it advis-
able to attempt to cross the Lake The di-
rection in which he was sailing would have
carried him about north by northeast from
Sandusky to Long Point. on the Canada
shore, some 100 miles. With dense for
est for landing place, to escape which he
would have been obliged TO travel proba-
bly, 800 miles, he opened his valve and
rapidly descended
THE AERoSAUT GOES TO SLEEP IN CORN FIELD.
The balloon struck the ground about
500 yards from the lake, and dragged to
within 300 yards of the water before the
anchor took a firm hold. The landing
place about half mile from Sandusky city
in corn field, on the farm of Mr.. A. G.
Townsend. Prof. Steiner called loudly for
assistants, but failing to arouse anybody he
evaporated his balloon, and gathering
shock or two of corn stalks, he wrapped
himself in his blanket and overcoat, and
lay down by his pride Of the West" and
slept until daylight
After enjoying a refreshing sleep, Prof.
Steiner proceeded to the farm house, and
arousiDg the inmates, was carried by Mr..
Townsend to Sandusky. where he shipped
his balloon by express to this city, and
himself took the morning train.
REcAprrurATroS OF TINE.
The aeronauts started at 4:2l, and Mons.
Goddard landed at about twenty minutes
past ten-having been about six hours -
Prof Steiner landed at 1890, having been
in the air ten or fit cen minutes longer than
his competitor and having travelled in the
six hours aud ten minutes about fwv hundred
and thirty miles.
Both could have travelled considerably
further, but neither having kno Wedge Of
! the whereabouts of the other, and not feel
ing disposed to attempt to cross the lake
into Canadian forest, they descended, as
We have described. and returned to town
over the Hamilton h Dayton road last eve
ming.
THE RESULT OF THE RACE.
According to the stipnlations Of the race,
signed and witnessed before starting, it was
understood that the aeronaut who made the
greatest distance, without regard TO time,
was to be declared the winner, and is with
no little personal qualification. as We'll as
national pride, we announce the fact that
our Young American aeronaut has borne
off the honors.
Both Mons. GODDARD and Prof Steiner
| came into town on the same train, in com
pany, with the best feeling existing be-
tween them; and although the former had
been vanqished in contest unparalleled in
the history OF aernonauts, the honor is the
greater from tie fact that Mons GODDARD
has professional reputation hitherto un-
! rivaled in any country.
| We subioin brief statement Of his trip,
furnished to friend on his way down in
the train last night.
MONS GoDARDs STATEMENT.
| We lost sight of Steiner's balloon at 10
minutes before six. 1t was then north of
us and below us. We passed over Hamil-
ton at ten mi utes after six We passed di.
rectly over Dayton; then went in n north
easterly direction, near the line of the rail-
road, for about forty miles; then left the
railroad and floated out in the came general
direction. until % minutes after 10 o'clock.
when We landed in prairie or large open
field, near to Hunta Corners, about two
miles west of Monroeville. Our greatest
height from the earth was between 5000
and 5000 feet
Last Thursday night. snow fell to the
depth OF five inches in Martinsburg, Lewis
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