New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-07-11
The Great Balloon Voyage.

The Albany Argus gives the following brief ac-
count of the recent remarkable voyage of the balloon
Atlantic, from st. Louis to New York:
Mr.. John Wise, the celebrated aeronaut, arrived in
Albany at s. O'Clock, yesterday morning. He re-
ports that from ST. Louis 10 Medina Orleans county,
from which place the last e!egraphic dispatch, CON
corning its progress, was received, the voyage was
highly successful the balloon working to their entire
satisfaction, and justifying the hopes with which
they set out, that they would be able to reach the
seaboard east from this point. Finding that they
were somewhat out of their conrse, and could not
possibly make New York, being too far north, they
determined to proceed to Boston OR Portland
Before taking that direction it was concluded to
land at Rochester, there drop Messrs. eager and
Hyde and then proceed on their journey eastward.
In carrying out this intention they dropped down
gradually, and finally struck a hurricane perfectly
trightful in its force which hurried them along at
terrific speed towards Lake Ontario. They were
driven down to the very surface of the water where
the balloon was lightened in every possible way.
They were carried with fearful speed and violence
towards the shore and through piece of woods into
which they finally managed to land. This was in
Henderson township, Jefferson county.
The entire distance travelled was il5O miles, in 10
hours and so minutes. One Of the incidents of the
voyage was an oversight which came near proving
disastrous to Mr.. Wise He was in the wicker basket,
and being with fatigue, laid down and fell
asleep. The rest of the party in the boat below,
aud it being necessary to advise with him on the
course of the balloon, they called on Mr. Wise several
times, but receiving no response Mr.. eager went to
him by climbing up the ropes, and found him breath
ing spasmodicaIly from the effects of the escaping
| gas which was slowly suffocating him. He was i'm
| medately aroused by Mr.. Gager and soon recovered
his senses. The greatest altitude attained was two
! miles.
| Mr.. Hyde, reporter of the st. Louis Republican,
accompanied the party and publishes in that paper
particular account of the voyage, from which we
make the following interesting extract: ..-
There was now no doubt that what had at first
seemed brllancy OF the eastern heavens was moth
ing less than an immense body of water. The aero
nauts concluded that it could only be Lake Erie and
they We're right, for tracing the shore and observing
the little islands, its contour corresponded almost
| precisely with the map. submer scene never
broke on human view. Lake Erie, it will be remem-
| bered, has surface of $500 square miles, aud
though we could not behold the whole of it, the view
lost none of its magni6ceuce from this cause Its
eXpanse, limited and bounded only by the great zone
where it blended with the heavens, seemed an eter.
nifty of waters, vast, measureless as the Bending
canopy itself. Groups of white clouds, like great
pufts from steam pipe, foated langudly on every
side, unfolding their gauze like robes and passing off
in eddying currents. There was collection OF houses
huddled together where the Maumee river pours its
tribute into the lap of the lake and this was Toledo
and there in that great bend, dotted with specks Of
| land, Perry gained his victory in 1913.
| Seven O'Clock saw the gallant Atlantic parting
company with the shore, little north of Port Clin.
| ton, then making due East. We were low enough to
distinguish objects the size of men, and as the balloon
darted above houses, could plainly discern people
and hear their voices One apprehensive individual
beloved out, You'd better watch out, that's the
lake!' while another contented himself with the
exclamation "Hooe.e!" A small propeller did the
Atlantic the honor to blow her whistle as sautaton
| and Immediately hove to, her commander doubtless
imagining we were about to descend into the water,
where he would have to pick us out. considerable
quantity OF ballast now discharged and as at 1925
we swept by Sandusky City the barometer indicating
SO degrees. The balloon having reached the rari6ed
regions, expanded almost tots full capacity and again
it was found necessary to pull down the safety valve
and let off gas. BY this time we had sailed far from
the Shore and the bosom Of the lake appeared dot.
ted for miles with white objects, which we knew to
| be schOOnels.
Messrs Lamountain and eager had been asleep
| since O'clock but at hafpast eight Prof, Wise di
rected more ballast to be thrown overheard and they
awoke to see what the matter was. The alarm which
suggested this was soon over, however, and at nine
O'Clock the whole party were as merry as when they
were lifted towards the clouds at starting. At half
past nine O'Clock We overlook q steamer bound fol
Buffalo, the decks of which were crowded with per
sons, whose huzzas borne to our ears attended
by the shrill of the boats steam whistle We
waiting along not more than 500 feet from the
| Lake in northeasterly course, making decided,
| the fastest time on record At six minutes of tef
o'clock the steamer could be family seen on the hori
| zon, so rapid our flight. The balloon was the1
passing over Long Point, near the spot made famous
by the delectabe prize fist battle Of Molrissey ans
ueenan for the championship OF America Soon W,
had traversed nearly the entire length of Lake Erie
a distance of two hundred and fifty miles, accom-
plished in three hours!
AT halfpast 10 o'clock we had Lake Erie and LAX
Ontario both in sight.
CRors IN YAzoo.-The Yazoo Democrat of satul
day last says:
The almost universal and sole reply to all question
N,