Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-07-22
GREATEST AERIAL VOYAGE ON
MR.. wIsB's AccoUN

Mn WIVES AttOUNI.
Although it was intended to have started
on this voyage on the Esd Of June, we we're
delayed in our preparations until the lst of
July. BY six o'clock z. NJ. the air-ship At
lantic was duly inflated, and while we we're
putting her in trim with ballast and provs-
IONS Mr.. Brooks, lessee Of the ST. Louis
Museum, who had kindly volunteered to es-
cort us over the Mississippi in his balloon
Comet got ready for the occasion, and, upon
a signal agreed, asoended from the ground.
At 30 p. NJ. the Atlantic was ready to sail
Messrs. LaMountain and eager. thinking
some difficulty might arise at the start il they
should attach the fan-wheels to the shafts and
wheel-gearing, determined to omit that until
we should be fairly under way next morning.
Having had much experience in hard winds,
and the perils Of landing balloon under
them, we had constructed at st. Louis good
wicker-work car, (which, with good and
strong concentric hoop, are life-presetvers in
these perils,) which was suspended between
the boat and balloon, and about eight feet
above the former and within six feet Of the
hoop, so that the neck Of the balloon hung in
the basket-car whenever the balloon was fully
distended. The boat contained six hundred
pounds of ballast, one bucket Of water, one
bucket Of lemonade, with an abundance of
bread and wine, poultry and sandwiches, be-
sides delcacies too numerous to enumerate,
furnished by kind friends. Mr.. LaMountain
took command of the boat and ballast, and
took his place on one end Mr.. eager took
the other end, and took charge of the charts
and compass Mr.. Hyde, local editor of the
St. Louis Republican, took his seat in the
middle, with notebook and pencil as histo-
ran. Although Mr.. Hyde was not in the
original programme, we unanimously agreed
to let him accompany us, provided it would
not interfere with our ultimate design and
as it was arranged that, under any circum-
stances, when the balloon should fail, the boat
with its occupants should be disposed of, and
myself or Mr.. LaMountain should proceed
with the voyage alone.
The basket contained $50 pounds of bal
last, barometer, wet and dry bulb thermom-
eter, besides quantity of wines and provis-
ions and took my place in the basket, and
had charge Of the valve-rope, and as director
of the general plan of the voyage, by the
unanimous consent Of the party engaged in
this long devised enterprise | must say
here that Mr.. LaMountain took in charge a
part of the programme that none but cool
head and most accomplished aeronaut could
be trusted with, and especially the night sail
ing. At 7.20 p. NJ. we set sail from the
| Washington Square of st. Louis, and our
course at starting was north Of east. When
we got up and over the Mississippi and well
under way, we saw Mr.. Brooks land in clear
place, about sunset.
At $50 P. NJ. the shades of the evening
shut from our view the noble city of St.
Louis and the father of waters, though it con-
tinued light until after nine. Mr.. LaMoun-
tain having suffered from sickness on Thurs
day. and being too unwell to work hard un-
der burning sun at the imitation, left much
hard labor for me at that work. | submitted
the whole thing to his charge for the night,
with the understanding to have me walked
whenever he wanted the valve worked, and
he took it with alacrity. Before | went to
| sleep we had mounted to a height at which
the balloon had become completely distended,
and where we found the current due east
Here it became chilly and Mr. LaMountain,
as well as all of us, suffered from the change
/ of air and with all the clothing we could
put on us it was still uncomfortable, though
the thermometer stood at 40, and the barom-
eter at 23 and this was the lowest of both
the instruments during the whole voyage,
except the crossing of Lake Ontario.
Mr. LaMountain proposed to take the lower
current as long as it would take us but few
points north of east, and l told him to do as
he deemed best, and report his reckoning in
the morning After bidding the party in the
boat good night and God speed, coiled
myself up in the blankets and laid down as
best could, and in few moments was sound
asleep and knew Of nothing but repose until
l.3O p. NJ.
/ A. IL. ,,,
ed for the upper current, being desirous of
making little more casting; he hailed me to
open the valve, as the balloon had become SO
tense, and the gas was rushing from che neck
with noise, but finding no answer from me,
he suspected that was being smothered in
the gas, and he admonished Mr. eager TO
mount to my car by a rope provided for that
purpose, and Mr.. eager found me breathing
spasmodically, but good shaking and the
removal of the neck of the balloon from my
face, with plenty of pure cold air around me,
soon brought me back to knowledge Of
what was going on, and / resolved to sleep
no more during the night.
AT midnight felt quite well, with an invig-
GRATED spirit of observation and interest in
our experiment. The whole dome of heaven
was lit up with a mellow phosphorescent
I
/ liancy and the milkey-way looked like an
4 illuminated stratum Of cumulous Clouds
Whenever we crossed water, the heaven-lit
dome visible below, by reflection, as
above. So remarkable was this phosphores-
cent light of the atmosphere that the balloon
| looked translucent, and looked like light
shining through oiled paper. We could also
tell prairie from forest and by keeping the
eye for moment downward we could see the
roads, fences, fields, and even houses quite
distinctly ut any elevation not over mile.
and even at the greatest elevation we could
discern prairie from woodland, and from wa
/ ter
Whenever we halloed it was followed by
distinct echo, and even this served as diff
/ ierential index to height We always found
a response in numerous bow-wow- vows, and
these, too, were always indicative of the full
ness and sparseness of the habitations below,
as we could hear them for many miles around
us. Mr.. LaMountain remarked that nobody
lived in that country but dogs, or else the
peoped barked like dogs, he having got a
little out of humor because nobody would
tell him in what State we were sailing, and
gave up the inquiry, with the remark that il