Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-07-14
NM. WISE'S STATEMENT.


MIX. VINES olhAhfnAAzAsAs.s5-
,-..,v..r : Trans -Csnsinensa Air Voyage
1ro1 s.. Louis 70 Now York, suly l. 1888.
Although il was intsnded to have start
cd on this voyage on the 23d Of June, We
were delayed in our preparations until the
ist of July. By 6 o'clock P. N. the arr
shin aAtlantic' was duly inflated, and
while we were putting her 10 trim with bal
last and provisions Mr.. Brooks, lessee Of
the ST Louis Museum, who had kindly
volunteered to escort us over the Missis-
sippi IN his balloon aComet," got ready for
The occasion, and upon a signal agreed as
cended from the ground. At 7::2o P. M.
the aAtlanticr was ready to sail. Messrs.
LaMountain and Gager, thinking some diff
ficulty might arise at the start if they
should attach the fore-wheeis to the shafts
and wheel-gearing, determined to omit that
until we should be fairly under way next
morning. Having much experience in hard
wind, and the perils oflanding a balloon un-
der them, we had constructed at St. Louis
q wicker-work car (which, with good and
strong concentric hoop, are life-preservers
IN these perils,) which was suspended be-
tween the boat and the balloon, and about
8 feet above the former and within six feet
of the hoop, so that the neck of the bal
loon hung ia the basket-car whenever the
balloon was falIy disteuded. The boat
contained 900 pounds of ballast, one buck
ct of water, oae bucket Of lemonade, with
an ABUNDANCE Of bread aud wine, poultry
and sandwiches, besides delicacies, too nu-
merous to enamerate, furnished by kind
friends. Mr.. LaMountain took commsnd
Of the boat and ballast, and took his place
a. one end; Mr.. eager took the other end
and took charge of Tie charts and compass,
Mr.. Hyde, local editor Of the st. Louis
Republican, took his seat in the middle,
with note-b book and pencil, as historian
Although Mr.. Hyde was not in the origi-
nal programme, we unanimously agreed to
let him sccompauy US, provided il would
not interfere with our ultimate design; and
as It was arranged that, under any circum-
stances, when the ballast should fail, the
boat with its occupants should be dispos,
ed of. and myself or Mr.. LaMountain
should proceed with the 7oyage alone,
The basket contained $50 pounds Of
ballast, a barometer, wet and dry bulb
thermometer, besides a quantity of wine
and provisions; and | took my seat in the
basket in charge of the valve rope, and, as
director of the general plan of the voyage
by the unanimous consent of the party en-
gagged in this long devised enterprise.
must say here that Mr.. LaMountain tool
On charge q part of the programme, thai
none bat q cool head and most accom-
plished erenast could be trusted with; and
especially the night sailing. At 7:20 P
N. We set sail from Washington Square o
ST. Louis, and our course at starting wa
nerth of east. when We got eger tht
Mississippi and well under way, We saw
Mr.. Brooks land IN clear place, about
sunset.
AT $50 P. NJ, the shades of the exc
uing shut from our view the noble city o
ST. Louis, and the father of waters, though
il continued light until 8. Mr.. LaMosn
tain having suffered from sickness OF
Thursday, was too unwell to work hare
under the burning sun at the imitation, ane
left auach bard labor for me st that work
I Isubmitted the whole thing to bis charge
fer the night with the understanding t.
have rae walked whenever he wanted th'
valve worked, and he took it with alacrity
Before l went to sleep tde BALBOA mount
ed to height at which the balloon became
completely disteuded and at which VT
found the current due east. Here it be
came chilly, and Mr.. La Mountain, as wei
as all of us, suffered from this change o.
air; and with all the clothing we could put
on us it was still uncomfortable, though
the thermometer stood at 40, and the ba
rometer at 23, and this was the lowest o
both the instruments, during the who'll
voyage, except the crossing of Lake Onta
no.
Mr.. LaMountain proposed to take tn
lower current as long as it would take u
but few points north of east and | toll
him to do as be deemed best and repor
in the morning. After bidding the part.
in the boat good night and God speed,
cooled myself up in blankets, and laid dow
as best could, and in few minutes wa
sound asleep, and knew of nothing but re
pose until IL 80 P. NJ.
At this time Mr.. LaMountain agai
mounted for the upper current, being de
sirous of making little more casting. H
hailed me to open the valve. as the bal
loon became so tense, and the air was rush
ing from the neck with noise, but fud
ing no answer from me, he suspected tina
] was being smothered in the gas, and b
admonished Mr. eager to mount to my ca
by rope provided for that purpose, an
Mr.. eager found me breathing spasmod
cally, but good shaking and the removs
of the neck of the balloon from my faet
with plenty of pure cold air around me
soon brought me back to knowledge c
what was going on, and l resolved to slee
no more during the night.
At midnight I felt quite well, with a
invigorsted spirit of observation and iptel
est in our experiment. The whole dom
OF heaven was lit up with mellow, phos
pborescent light, the stars shown with
crystalline bfilliancy, and the milky wa
looked like an illuminated stratum of cu
mulous clouds. Whenever we crossed wa
ter the heaven-lit done was as visable BE-
low by reflection as above. So remark.
BE was the phosphorescent light of the a
mosphere that the balloon looked tran
lucent, and looked like light shinin
through oiled paper. We could ais
tell prairie from forest, and by keel
ing the eye for . moment downward v
IL 2all