Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-07-16
NJ | S & L i l. A N Y.
THE GREAT BALLOON VOYAGE.
AN ACCOUNT ny MIR. WISE.

Although it was intended TO have started on
this voyage on the 23d of June, we were delay
ed in our preparations until the lst of July
BY o'clock p. M, the air-ship Atlantic was
duly inflated, and while we were putting her in
trim with ballast and provisions, Mr. Brooks,
lessee of the st. Louis Museum, who had kind
ly volunteered to escort us over the Mississippi
in his balloon Comet, got ready for the occasion,
and upon a signal agreed assembled from the
ground. At 7:20 p. m, the Atlantic was ready
to sail. Messrs LaMountain and Gager, think
ing some difficulty might arise at the start if
they should attach the fan-whees to the shafts
and wheel gearing determined to omit that un-
til we should be fairly under way next morning.
Having had much experience in hard winds.
and the perils of landing q balloon under them,
we had constructed at st. Louis good wicker
work car (Which with good and strong con-
centric hoop, are life preservers in these perls,
which was suspended between the boat and
balloon, and about eight feet above the former
and within six feet of the hoop, that the
neck of the balloon hung in the baskct-car
whenever the balloon was fully distended. The
boat contained 600 pounds of ballast, one buck
ct of water, one bucket of lemonade, with an
abundance Of bread and wine, poultry and sand
wiches' besides deicacies 100 numerous 10 emu
merate' iurnisheu by kihd friends Mr La
MouhIiih ,ook coii'hihI' oi the ooa. anu oai-
iast' ana 'ooS MS p,ace on one ehG Mr Eager
TOOK the other emu ana 'ooA charge Oh inc
charts ana compass Nf iiyde' iocal eultor Oh
the ot' h?uis HePno''Gd"' TOOK ms scat IN 'iie
middle WIN hote-oooN ana pencil as historian
Al'housh hr iiyee was not III tne ori8'nai pro-
srainne, We UNANIMOUSLY "ereGd 10 let nm ac-
eo.ii'H"! u.s. ol,ucu At "ouiu ho' ih'erierS :,
wv" out u't''i'A'e uce'hni ""u ~ was arranged
t"'' uhcc1 any circumstances whph tne oa'lo3n
siiouiu iai'' 'hc ooa, win us occupants Shou!u
pe "isPoseu Oh, ann MyseH or Mr LaMouhtalh
sh4uiu ou proceed win the VOYAGE a'one' NJ
inc oaSAe' coh'dins 'oo POUNDS oi oaliast'
barometer, wet ana uty pulo' thermometer De,
sues qianl''y oi wines ana provisions ana
tooA III! Piace III 'iie oashe' ana charge Oh the
'sHe rope, anu, as director Oh the general pan
Vi '''e VOYAGE ny the unanimous consent Oh the
party ehSaScu IN TINS ipiS eGNlsea enterprise
must say mere tnat ir LaMouhtaln TOOK IN
charge part OF the programme, that none but
cool mead and most accomplished @ronaut
couiu NC trusted withi ana especialiy the m'ght
ealnhs' AT "Zc ?, M we set saii from wash
ington square oi ot, LOUIS ana our course al
starting was north OF east "hen we got up
anu over the Mississlppl anu wen under way
we saw MI bfooKs iahd III clear place about
suHset.
At S:3o ?. M, the shades OF the evening shut
Inc iatner OF waters, though Il continued hgh,
1hui aiter y. Mr. i'aMountain having suhered
rom sickness on Thursday, and beng 100 uh'
wen 10 WORK harc under burning sun at inc
ihh9tioh, lett much hard labor Tor me at tna'
work. L submitted the whole thing to his
eharge Tor the night, with the understanding tc
have me walked whenever he wanted the valve
worked and he took it with alacrity. Before
went to sleep we had mounted to hight al
winch the balloon had become completely dis
tended, and where we found the current du'
east Here 1t became chilly, and Mr. LaMoun
TAM as well as all OF US, suffered from thu
change OF air; and with all the clothing W.
could put on us 1t was still uncomfortable
though the thermometer stood at A. and tn,
barometer at 20 ana TINS was the lowest OF boti
the instruments during the whole voyage, ex
cept the crossing OF Lake Ontario.
Mr. LaMountam proposed TO take the lowe
current as long as 1t would take us but fev
points north OF east and told HIM to do a
he deemed best, and report his reckoning II
the morning. After bidding the party in tn
boat good night ana uod Speed coiled my
self up IN blankets, and iaid down as best
could and IN rev moments was sound asleep