New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-07
THE GREAT BALLOON VOYAGE.
NARRATIVE OF MR.. LA MOUNTAIN.

wss our sscensiye momentum, without warning ten
feet from perpeId oular lnethe brosd square, with
its thousands who we're gazing hesvensari to watch
our cour-e, remaining sill. beneath our feet After A.
anil this attitude, the balloon struck the northeast
ern current, and ded along With il a. about the
rate Of twenty five miles an hour, and still ascending
very rapidly. mis- current of great depth, as
although We vert up 10 the hight Of three aid half
ui!es we did rot lose it. Afer reachiug an altitude Of
three miles and half, took still more ess,erly
course. Az some journals have argued, Judging from
the point at which landed. that the esstery clnen
IL not always reliable pause here TO remark that
never found 1t more go than on hat Tnuradsy ser
thought then, aud still continue 70 think, that
had maintained an altitude OF two and half miles,
could have crossed the ocean in thirty six hours and
without any more ballast than Ia making an ordinary
local ascension II must be remembered tina. it
when left this reliable stratum, and descended
into the local currents that we were carried in north
erly cou:fe.
We rem aimed 8. 81 altitude Of three miles aud half
about half an hour. At this hight we were going
almost due east. AT two minutes past O'Clock the
Thermometer indicated 81 having fallen Is after
departure from the earth. Here my friend HsddOck
who bad get all uncoDcerned 10 the bsske taking
cOolly ss though In bis comfortable sanctum at
Wa ertOwn began TO dscover that it was rather too
cold weather to propel pencil with any degree Of
coUfoIt. lie therefore provided himself With the over
cost bis friend had fur sbed him at the moment Of
departure and fOrtuGately found in the pockets
ira par Of gloves for me-nIne having been dropped
from my pocket on the squae.
here ste the frs. meal fer three dsys-hsving been
unweI during that tue-snd the last II to be my
good fortune 10 enjoy during the four days to come
We had but little provisions on board, and 1t did not
take Ong 70 exhaust these, the ride and the bracing
atmosphere having given US vOracous sppetites. Un-
fortunately for Mr.. Handbook the balloon commenced
blowing off soon after, and this, with the attendant
rarefcstOD Of air which had caused it. decidedly dit
composed be stomach. The result was that we're
somewhat hghtened. had eaten none for three days
previously be lost about all he had eaten. We were,
therefore, neither of IN the very best condition for
the somewhat peculiar experiences inst were soon to
befal us.
At $50 we were stiu about three miles aud half
above The earth, which the clouds entirely shut out
from view and It'll going almost due east. We con-
tuutd in this course for fey minutes, remaining al
most in equilibrium when the sun left us, and a. the
gas became somewhat more dense, we commenced to
cesctnd After getting far the top Of the clouds,
supposed that had left the es.terly current and
we're travelling due north at the rate Of about twenty.
five miles hour. | did not think We had iouroeyed
more than twenty FIVE miles north ward of WATERFOWL,
and if the current going in the direction sup
poeed, by keeping il q little while, we would have
crossed the S. Ls9repce leading near the line Of the
Grand Trunk Railroad, on the direct route for Kings
ton where my Ie1t ascension was to have taken place.
Mr.. UsddOck very anxious to keep up longer,
but had already s'aid shove longer than ] antci'
pated, and the number Of my engagements ahead i'm
pressed with the importance Of making safe land
ing before dark.
We remained upor the surface Of the clouds floating
op them az Il ship does water. opened the valve.
The sun had but iust left Us above and it hardly
early twilight above there. Bat az we went down, it
became deneey, impenetraby dark, "a darkness that
4" one might almost feel, ard cut with a knife. HE
illusion t0st the clouds dense body upon which
we had been sailing therefore borne on. by the re-
sembance in our then present condition to foundered
ship, ceavDg the waters on the way to the bottom OF
the ocean. To be sure, there was no difficulty IN
breathing, ard the atmosphere was quite wsrln the
Only sensation Of oppression being that caused by the
awful oaIkness. a. we were passing through the
G, uds We heard roaring a. Of great cataract L
supposed al the time 1t was some one OF the 81 Law.
renee rspds My impression now Is that 1t Was one OF
the falls of the OTTAWA short distance above By-
towp. We fifteen minutes in passing through the
coud strata.
After we got clear Of the Clouds we found to as
toIibmeut that We not more than 800 feet above
the earth, and it was exceedingly dark This last fact
all the more singular, because when we lett the
upper regiOIs it light enough to read fine print
On tearing the ground we cav ginmeTlDg lght, ap-
parenly iCm q house at some distance, but-tor rea-
sOI have before gyen-we could not tell IN whlch
d econ. Bot directly under US and as tar "a the eye
could reach, was one unbroken, unpeopled wild. We
were able to tell that were over woods, and not
water very readily, because we settled down until so
the tops OF the trees, that when threw oul
small quantity Of Sand, could hear It rafting among
the leaves ard dry branches. II was at this time
about y oclOcka perfect calm. Hardly bresth OF
air was stirring and the balloon did not sway IN any
direction. could have made landing at thls tlme
with perfect ease--but there are always many ooJec
tions TO coming down amid timber, aud had no dispo-
sition TO run the risk of damaging my spendd bsoon
The result proved that did not calculate rightly but
human reasoning is very apt to be based upon iase
premises when moving 10 the dark.
We held " consultation which resulted IN the
cor cuson that We were mistaken.hat We had not
Travelled as fast a. far as We supposed, and hsi
settd over the northwest corner OF the famous John
Brown tract If this the case, by tlroT wing out
ballast, and going short distance further, we should
pass the woods ard reach a cleared district. re-
quested Mr. llsddOck TO discharge some sano Whch
be did and we very quickly into the CLOUDS again.
At this time il raining very slightly aud 1t was
interesting to observe the changing phenomena as we
passed up above the point waeIce the shower was de-
sceLding and reached an altitude where the CLOUDS
seemed nothing more than thin vspors or fogs The
rain had effect whatever upon the balloon, aud dla
rot affect is asceIsiye power IL the least
Weuace Six attempts to land after this, atiutervas
ten or eeen uinu spart.he object being to sscer-
tam whether We had passed the woods az yet or not
On the third descent we came down upon the oo'oui
OF little lake, shut IN amid the almost impeneIaole
extent Of trees around. The car even touched tue
water and we had hfepreseryeIs ready Tor emer.
gences but the discharge Of very small quantity OF
ballast charged the course OF the balloon, and quickly
rose again. On the fourth attempt, We came down
beside very high tree and caught hold OF It's
branches for nomeut TO look around but there were
woods til as far the eye could reach IN the dark
ard right before fIogning mountain raised us
beetlipg head, uut il seemed lost in the clouds. So
I'D We went again, iourneyng for few moments very
cose TO the ree.tops On the sixth attempt We csne
down very near the top Of tail tree, Of which Mr.;
Haddock caught hold l reached out my hand and
felt of II. II was spruce very messenger OF evll
iidipRs No spruce grew in the New.lork wilderness,
tia, knew, and the hardy tree was native only OF
colder elm tes We must therefore be Canada.
II this co. We were above the great wilderness.
This knew was almost uubour debts only known
limit beiIg the Arctic circle. Therefore il there we
were the sooner we stad where were, the better.
So made fast to the Top Of the spruce and We com.
ed ourselves az well SIS possible for anigh, OF rest
-crawlpR down in the bottom Of the car, and going
TO sleep.
DAYLIGHT came-none too coon to satisfy the two