New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-07-11
TIE GREAT BALLOON EXPERIMENT..
DETAILS AND INCIDENTS OF THE TRIv.
MIR. HIDES ACCOUNT.

fbd lsrced %" ea-ieTa shore 81 Lake tc'afiO
ea,y ia the sf.rtoJn OF he peIt ray. The public
a.ady acquainted Win the particulars 81 tue depart
NE. At h',ie s'te7 O'Clnck, Prot. John N!-e .;
Lancaster Pc. t0sk biz place 10 a large eicker basket
tusp eICeG 20 the Concentrating hoop Of the b.oDn
The top u which haskt Or car abol sixteen feet
from The b al. The balloon, thea being res.rAined
from d,r'iug into spare by huudied or more stout
hands suffered 70 rec sufficiently % o-lng toe
boat 10 Trim, whereupon NJ John Ia hoarisn OF
Troy, Y. Y, Mr.. q. 4. Gage- Of Bennington VI. and
the winter stepped 10. The aer0Eauts bad very kind
y allowed ~ accompany them, Oh condition that
at any time NY weight shOui prove an obstacle 10 ne
.ucces of the voyage, rss 10 be andsd-po, thrown
of IS ballast, OF conTse, bot brought safely 70 me
ground ard the av0.rinp0is thus pa; on exchanged
foT -ubstaIces o. lesser gTaytaloD-whie the Others
were 70 % on. To tbs arrangement there could have
been objection on my Psr and there wa nOoe a.
v.ry vel knew tha. aOft the v0yagers would no:
be likely ~ dogn uues5 for extraordinary Cause,
until hey had accomplished g. much as possible ol
theii journey fell, and eth feel earnestly graldtd
for II unusual privilege granted me by Messrs WISE
La Mountain ard Gsger, and although 1 nave fe'eraI
times told Il em thu II Is due 10 their generosity 20
make this pubic acknowledgment. More clever and
kind hearted nen never knew.
But am keeping the balloon from gong up, az did
also the crowd who pressed about MS in sCch manner
that 10 adjust the fsn-wGees OF the machinery intend
ed for ra!-iDg and depressing the ship without the as
charge Of ballast and gas was found to De Impractical
be. Thus the good people anxious 70 perform any
kind office e1cep; to step htle side, Geliyef the
ssceuslou somewhat and compelled the geTOnauts 10
relLGush sDy purpose he wheels might have served,
they could not be arranged in md-air without rsk-
ing he The cargo consisted Of 800 pounds of sand in
bags large quantity Of cold chickens, tongue, poted
mt sts sandwiches etc. numerous darkcolOred long
ched vessels, containing crampague, sherry, spark
ling b8, csret, maders orsnOy and porter
plentiful supply Of overcOais sbavs blankets and lIr
roves; & coupe or three carpet bag-, chock full q
what 10 expressed IN that convertible phrase IS
change pail Of ICED lemonade AMI bucket OF
water; compass, barometer Thermometer and chart;
81. ,,,.f -. Ionic
pres package directed 10 New-YOIk City; cards OF
Candidates for clerkships in several of the Courts
tumblers cups and knives, and perhaps other articles
which have escaped me.
Al The wOrd, tAoe who were holding on % the sides
of the boat snuar eonsly let CO. and the Atlantic rose
slowly and ejestically above the many thousands
who were gathered in the vicinity, and sailed fl IN
direction little north of north east. have seen
unI large assemblies but never any to compare IL
numbers with the throDgs who occupied W Washington
SQUARE, inside and OUTSIDE the inclosure, who black
eIed the roofs Of housesssn the tops of umberples,
and who ffd the streets. The applsudlDg shouts 81
the pe oIe reached our ears for after eft
the earth growing fainter and fainter "a We receded.
When we 10 logger heard their voices, we ceased
waving our hats took seats, and prepared ourselves
20 eriov the sublniy OF the varied scenery that pre-
.eeted it.elf for hundreds upon hundreds OF miles
around, ard Mr.. La Mountain announced thai Il was
6: 40 o'clock.
The City Of s. Louis was an imposing and msgnit-
cent spectacle showing that, large a. knew her e1-
tia evidences Of commercial power and wealth, had
not from passing through her streets and viewing the
mighty arteries thrObbiDg with all the elements OF bn-y
life and trade, termed any adequate conception OF her
real greatness. As il you'd not b. easy 70 sketch on
carva correct view Cf city, as seen from above,
similarly difficult must be the undertaking when essay
ed upon paper From general appearance Of squat
hheSS-the word may not be very elegant, but is the
ony one suggesting itself which conveys the idea
objects gradually became less clearly dehned the
smoke from the foundries disappeared in the sky
daT k and finally the
faded into a spot. By this time the barometer had
fallen four inches, and the balloon commanded an ex-
tended view OF the Mississippi the M!ssond and Illinois
rivers Leaving the modest Of streams to the LETT,
had hD opportunity realize much as 10 possible To
a practical person, the meaning OF poetic dIeamers
when attempting TO portray the siIvery, gltterlng
sheen of the waters produced by the rays OF the decn-
ing SIM Nothing could he imagined more georgeously
bcaualnl We cracked bottle of lleidsich on behalf
Of the silvery, glittcrinc sheen.
Tie strips Of timber land nd fields fnewly harvested
gram OF that portion OF Ilus over which our si,ken
globe was gliding were nol gotesquely mingled as
they might be supposed 10 be when viewed from the
d,iaree but lay like foor of mosaic masonry rcgu-
Tor and square. To our vision there were no hills no
valleys, every Cljecs appearing set upon level
surface.
At ten minutes past o clock the barometer stood al
q and the The mOnetcr indicated 30. had now
the singular sensation about the ears which has been
described as the experience of all aeronauts on their
FIST voyage. II pleasant and annoying, but by
no means Uainfnl very much feeling one has "len,
while bathing these organs become stopped mp vi n
water, making the tympanuin CRATE rather haIshy q,
any sound. The monster vessel had expanded good
deal since the ascension AID had acquired more ro-
tund AID symmetrical appearance than that exhibited
mon starting. IN q few minutes gas was blown OF
G.n tie tube at the mouth OF tire balloon the signal
thai bad become inflated to lis fullest capacity Pro-
lessor ise who had charge oi the rope connecting
the valve at the top, promptly gave II pull ana Ion;
ucdiaiev thereafter quantity ot blush vapor Heated
cf! and cIcled upward This al H. minutes aior1
clock 4 quarIer Of Al hour later, the sr-ship had de-
-ceuded very cOns eraOy toe barometer indicating q
inches and the thermometer - Al this time the happy
Cuatete he'd been converting about the magulhceLce
If the scenery relating anecdotes and watching with
interest the progress of Mr.. Brookss balloon, the
" Comet - which had preceded US from Washington
SQUARE Every yestiCe Of ~. Louis had now vanished
from our sight, aud were drifting al wonGeiul
rate Of speed toward our far-Otf destination. DO not
think | ever before experienced such eNniai alton o
spr-suCh real Joy. our motion was perfectly steady
There was no rocking Of the boat or ear no rsthng
ii the SIX nothing indeed, but the reccQinE I1rest
and fields beneath iu tell u We rot poised between
earth and sky iR dead calm. II have been spprehen
sye If danger would have ben next ~ imposs.b.e-O
haze felt az would have been not cowarcice. but pu-
s.aniniiy. Ny feeling was that balooning beside
being the most pleasant and swift was the safest mode
of travel known. SteaMrg down a RAPID current 10
boat On a lovely evening, with sublime bluiis roman
tic and green foliage on either SIDE, ghstenng
waves below and mid SKY above, /, grand and delight
ful Sailing on Al unrued lake. parting the PLACID
waters aud sk.umirg IKE Il Gull with gentle hee,ness,
is laby glorious. But these enjoyable methods OF
travel felt, yielded in point Of dainty ples'Grab!e-
rCss to tie birdke rHre ana impre sve surroundings
Of aerial navigation. With no breath of breeze
sirl.pC. Tie buOysnt down OF thistle, reea ,ed from
be v How csr would Rave fallen 10 the boat by rs
own specific gravity. In al this camnes. monster
bubble fos,ed through the CLOUDS. Twilight we- on
,hc ea,h and gave the color o. tue sol the appear
sncc @: frozen .akc. ly this time the had to
the IL of the earth though To IL four
FIVE degrees above tie horizon. At - minutes sfer
W. ss~ our escort, the Comet which Looked Ike
mere bladder efectrg LANDING far 70 the northwest.