Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-07-20
The Atlantic Balloon Trip

The Atlantic Balloon Trip
The Troy daily Wing learns from Mr..
eager. one of the passengers by the Attain
tic, Who arrived in Troy on Sunday morn.
ing, With the following particulars:
Saturday, II P. NJ, st. Louis time,
were abreast of Rochester, over Lake On
tario, when the latitude was changed on
account of increased wind, which was
blowing perfect hurricane, unaccompa-
MED by rain. The supply of gas was small,
consequently the balloon did not reach the
altitude above the storm. The vessel was
Immediately headed for shore. When the
storm was highest the vessel was only
about thirty feet above the level of the
Lake.
"We reached land in a few seconds in
the town of Henderson, Jefferson county,
with all hands on board. We landed in
an edge of woods with the basket swing.
ing to and fro, making rapid evolutions
among the higher branches of the trees,
the passengers clinging to the rigging
The strength and general excellence of the
arrangement of the balloon basket, proba-
bly, saved the party. The balloon was left
in high tree, swinging above the boat,
and much damaged.
"The whole distance travelled is l, $50
miles: we started at $40 p. no. on Friday
from St. Louis, and landed at Henderson,
Jefferson Co., at 2:20 Saturday, p. m"
Mr.. La Mountain remained in charge of
the balloon, Mr.. Wise, Mr.. eager and Mr..
Hyde went on in the eastern train. A
grand reception was given to the parties
at the village of Adams, Jefferson Co.
Mr.. eager went to Troy, Mr.. Wise to
Albany, and Mr.. Hyde to New York.
The peril of the eroneauts over Lake
Ontario is thus described by Professor
Wise: --sssr
For while they were within sixty feet
of the water, and every particle of ballast,
mail, (papers from the overland route from
California, which had been made up fei
them) provisions, baggage, overcoats, in
struments, and even the planks of the boat
were thrown overheard, but despite this
, they struck the lake twice. The wave.
! were rolling high, lashed into fury by. tbs
! tornado, and the side of the boat was stove
in by them. The first time they strucE
, La Mountain was in the boat, and he wa
q at once drawn up into the basket. They
: then were fortunately raised some sixty feet
i at which altitude they were carried a
{ about fifty miles an hour, to the A
. merican shore, which they struck at the
town Of Henderson, Jefferson county. Here
f they were carried over wood, raking the
!, tops of the trees, and finally brought up il
!. one, some fifteen feet from the ground, tn,
boat catching in limb eight inches in di
ameter and of immense size. This fasten
" ed them but few seconds, when a terrifi,
/ gust whirlec them off, snapped the limb
and carrying it off with them Git weighe,
4 full 700 pounds !. and carried them u,
', several feet. Here another gust took them
i A few rods of fearful speed, and dow
q went the ship into an elm tree, the boa
m and car becoming inextricably entanglet
\. Mr.. Wise took observations, found it i'm
5 possible to get loose, and the party eonc!u
r ded to disembark, which they did by craw
n ing out and climbing from limb to liml
4 to the ground. In the meantime the spleI
- did balloon was torn to pieces By the to
a. nado. Messrs. La Mountain and GAGE
n were injured by the contact with the tree
~ The former in his ribs and the latter in h
Is face and hands. 1t is marvellous that an
q one OF them escaped with life.