The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-07-16

on the horizon. so rapid was our hight. 1h
4 balloon was then passing over Long Point
near the spot made famous by the delecsa
Bile prize ass battle of Morrissey and Heenai
j for the championship of America, Soor
we had trsrersed nearly the entire length o.
i Lake Erie, distance of two hundred auc
/ fifty miles accomplished in three hours
/ LAKE ONTARIO sroRx-SIAGARA FALLS.
At half-pass 10 o'clock we had Lake Erie
and Lake Ontario both in sight, a spectacle
that could not be viewed without mingled
sentiments of admiration and wonder. The
! balloon had now obtained an altitude OF
nearly mile. \ terrible storm was surg
ling beneath US, the trees waving aud the
mad waves dashing agains; the shore of
Erie in an awfully ,,mpestuous maCner.-
But above the careerins whirlpools and the
laundering breakers SWAN the proud Allan
| tic, not a cord displaced. nor a breadth Of
silk disturbed, soaring aloft with her expect
ant crew, and gaily heading for the salt
crests which bound our vast Republic. Now,
| like a gurgle, comes the subdued roar of th"
| plashng and heailong Cataract Of Niagara.
| At Il O'Clock. having skinned over the
Lake shore, still bound eastwardly, the bah
loon brought US in sight of Buffalo and Nj
agara Falls, as also of the celebrated Well
land Canal. We had reached the height of
more than mile, the barometer marking
23.6 inches. At twelve O'Clock We were
nearly between the Falls and Buffalo, inclin-
| ing rather to the left of the latter. Here
we had view of the great cataract, ., nj
au- ga rah, =" the thunder Of the iCater,"
as the Indians call it, Gen. Brooks Monu-
ment, Queenstown, Grand Island. s.. Cath
arine's, Gravel Bay, Lewiston, Black Rock,
Fort Erie, aud other celebrities of that To-
cality. The famous falls We're quite in>ig
nigcant, seen from our altitude. There was
to US, descent of about two feet, and the
water seemed to be perfectly motionless.-
The spray gave the whole an appearance of
ice, and there was nothing grand or sublime
about it. Passing the western terminus Of
rectlv towards Lake Ontario.
LANDING AND RECEPTION by THE NATIVES.
Our landing, though SO hazardous, was
in one important respect fortunate one,
inasmuch as we fell among hospitable peo
pc, who treated US in spIri, of politcness
which nigh; be emula,ed by persons Of
more gen,eel pretensons. About twenty
women and young girls surrounded US, and
had a million of questions to propounI
relative to the extraordinary voyage.
| After the natives had somewhat recovered
| from their surprise, We were beset on every
side to accompany all Of them home, aud
take "smack of something to eat One
elderly lady insisted on our going home with
| her because she wanted to give us Il good
scolding for making such fools Of ourselves
as to undertake a trip Of the kind. We
| finally went to the house of Mr.. Justus
| Wayne, not great WAYS of, where the
women folks set about to get up a 'staving
| first rate dinner" And first rate dinner
! it was, whereat we sat down to nn excellent
cup of tea each, superior bread and butter,
lettuce, and other well prepared viands, in
cluding cherry and black berry pie. Having
! finished our meal, and being anxious TO let
our friends know Of our safety. We inquired
the way to the nearest telegraph station,
which was az Adams. ten miles distant, on
the Watcrtown and Rome Kalroad. Mr.
Wavue gCared up a n team for Mr.. eager
and /, While a ncighbor performed the same
service for Prof. Wise and Mr.. Lamountan.
| On the road to Adams, one of Mr.. Wnvne's
acQunintances met him and asked if he had
| heard about the air balloon which had
| aliEhted IN the woods. a glow of pride
and conplacency spread NIL over our drivers
honest phz, as he replied, with an atirma-
| tive shake Of the head, 'Yes, and here's
two of the men that was in ~ The foot
traveller felt Immediately that he had been
ecipsed.
Our arrival at Adams was such an event
as to deserve notice. We made our business
known at the telegraph Office without delay,
and sat down to prepare dispatches. A
half dozen loungers gathered about US.
and as they were clvIly answered, the news
spread like prairie on fire. We had
scarcely finished our messages when each
ono Of US found himself surrounded, and
had to go through the entire account.
One after another came up, ench wanting
US to repeat the whole narrative from the
| commencement. There was a dress parade
of military going on in the street. but it
| had to pale its Intellectual fire before us
"foreigners."
Some gentlemen remarked that it might
| be we'll for Prof. Wise to address the mul-
ttude on the subject, which seemed to agi-
tate them with many transverse sentiments
of faith and disbelief; and the Professor,
IN obedience. gave out that if hall could
be procured, he would relate n history of
what our party had done and seen: where
upon a meeting was c0ncocted on the spot.
| In half an hour the whole town knew Of
! Prof W's. promise. and in few minutes n
commodious room was iammcd full of ladies
aad gentlemen, anxious to hear "all about
! ir." So the veteran Wise, Mr.. eager and
myself (Mr. La Mountain had returned to
! look after the wrecked halloon) were trott"i
out on large platform, a President and
Secretary were appointed. and the assem-
| blaze being thus organized, Prof. Wise
proceeded to lay before his audience an
! interesting account Of the voyage from
point to point. When he had concluded
! Mr.. eager was called on, and made some
appropriate remarks relative to the cold
! shoulder that IS turned to projects of i'm
| portance in their infancy. Both gentlemen
stated their entire satisfaction with the
experiment made, and announced that they
are more than ever convinced that the
science Of prostation would yet amount to
something that would astonish the worll.
THE BALLOON CAUGHT IN STORM.
Our ballast was now nearly exhausted,
aud to have determined GU crossing the Sc
cond Lake would have been sheer reckless
ness. and hardhood. At this point 1t was
resolved to descend to the earth, land Mr..
| traGer anu mFssll, ID our skcau tahc u hniH-
cient quantity Of of new ballast, and again
steer for the Atlantic Ocean. Could this
have been done, there is scarcely n doubt "f
Messrs. Wise and LamountaIn's reaching
! their destination. The air ship was lower
! ed, bat was Immediately caught in the hur-
r.c4ne which was then raging. and carried
very near the tops of the trees which were
bending ami ssaYing TO and fro by the force
Of the wind. Mr.. Lamountain at once threw
! over the buckets and their contents, and the
! lin this gave Us ke9t Us from being crushed
| in the woods. Like bullet we shot out in
to the lake. The machinery vas got in
readiness 10 be tossed out, md every pos
sib!e preparation made for keeping ont of
/ the waves. For awhile cherished a hope
that we might be able 20 pass the broad ex-
Pause Of deep in safety. though we knew we
had nearly one hundred and ninety miles to
traverse. Bat this hope died GU; 10 less
than an hour, ss the tEoopIuG winds bore
! down On Us. j, seemed. with greater and in.
creaslng fereeus.s. We bad got far oct,
and there was no lanl in sight. / drHary
waste Of nearly seven thousand square mile.
of water was before Us aud around "a. A.
.sugEh we neared the dashpg bIiEnws, witch