The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-07-13
RAllOOnlnP.

Messrs. Wise and Lamo u~ntaine, the dis
tinguished aeronauts, have made their ex-
pertinent of travelling across the country
by balloon, though not SO successfully as
they anticipated. They left St. Louis at
six o'clock forty-6ve minutes on Friday,
and reached the village of Adams, in JEFF
ferson Co., n. Y, at twenty minutes past
two, of the following day, having Travelled
the distance of more than 100 miles in
less than 20 hours. 1t was the hope of
the daring travellers to reach New York
city, but they were borne to the northward,
passing over the whole of Lake Erie, and
Lake Ontario. The fearful termination
of the trip is thus related by the Utica
He, aid
1.-The wind swept the balloon with great
velocity over the lake, and before reaching
within sight of the eastern shore of Lake
Ontario, the aerial ship lost her ascending
power and rapidly sark down toward the
water. The ballast had entirely given
out, and the provisions, water supplies and
some Of the clothing of the passengers were
thrown overheard still the balloon
neared the lake with great velocity, when
it was found necessary to take of the pro-
pelling machine and pitch it overheard.
These efforts were unavailable to give
the balloon ascending power, when the
oars and seats of the boat we're given to
the waves. Al! hands then left the boat
and clambereG into the car sixteen feet
above. In spite of all exertions, the air
vessel skinned to within thirty feet of
the water, and actually dashed the boat
into the lake. 1t righted itself, however,
and the balloon went on with the speed of
two miles per minute, At this point the
propeller Young America, of Oswego, was
spoken.
Providentially the balloon reached the
shore, having travelled over fifty miles
just above the waves which were rough
and boisterous But a terrific peril now
appeared. The balloon rushed into a
thick forest and tearing down trees and
breaking branches pursued its resistless
course for upwards of a mile and a half
dashing the occupants of the car to and
fro against trunks and limbs, until at last
it caught in a tall sycamore and the silk
was rent into ribbons when the appara-
tus at once came to q halt leaving the
voyagers suspended thirty feet in the air,
Mr.. LaMountaine was slightly injured by
striking against a limb, but all the others
reached the ground in safety"
Notwithstanding the 'frightful ex-
p%erience here related, Mr.. Wise expresses
entire confidence of final success in aerial
navigation, though it is very difficult to
discover any solid foundation for such =
hope, derived from bis recent trip.
The New York Erening Post has the
following in regard to the aeronauts who
made this remarkable excursion
Mr.. Wise, now a man over fifty years
of age, has been engaged in aeronautic ex-
periments for some t%wenty-four years. He
is a native Of Lancaster, Pennsylvania,
and his manner, quiet and thoughtful,
seems to accord but little with the general
idea Of a visionary enthusiast, as many
honest persons believe every aeronaut to
be. He has recently made what he claims
to be a great discovery-the existence of
a western aerial trade wind, which he
proposes to turn to account in his projec-
ted transatlantic voyage. He has me-
morialized Congress in vain, and for lack
of funds has been unable to build a bal
loon sufficiently large to undertake such
extensive journeys. At a COW ntion of
aeronauts in this city held last May, how
ever. the preliminaries were arranged, and
Mr. o. A. eager of Vermont agreed to
furnish the capital, Mr.. La Mountaine to
Superintend the construction of the bal
loon, and Nr. Wise to conduct the ex-
detrimental voyages. The first of these
voyages has been a success, as far as can
be Judged at present, and will probably be
followed by a daring attempt to cross the
ocean literally on the wings of the wind"
CASUALTIES THE list of accidents,
many of them fatal, which occurred on
the Fourth is unusually lasge. We could
easily FIJI our columns with items of this
kinl which it would not be pleasant to
read, but which we would gladly spread
out if it would have the effect to deter
any from the c~aseless practices which lead
so frequently, to such melancholy results.
1t is hard to see how a person of sense
and sensibility can approach the period
of our national anniversary, without "a
feeling of profound sadness. Its victims
annually exceed the number of the slain
and wounded in the larger of the recorded
pitched battles. win the time never
come when the joys of this festivity will
not be mingled with the groans of the vic
tins of carelesspess and reckless folly2
"A small wooden building in Burling-
ton, neal the new French Church, caught
fire on Sunday of last week, but by the
prompt energy of both fire companies it
was ~extinguished. The house and lurni-
ture sustained considerable damage. 1t
suhspnuantlu oouoht fire. and Uae whollu