Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-10-15
M | S c L i L A n Y.
THE PERlLS OF AERIAL NAVIGATION.
Inst Voyage of the Grcnt balloon "At-
lnutic.'
INTERESTING NARRATIVE BY Mr.. HApDocA

From the Wdferfown ReJormcr, E1tra, oct 8.
Nearly every one in this locality is aware that
the second ascension of the atlantic was adver-
tsed for the Goth of September. The storm of
that and the following day obliged the postpone
ment of the ascension until the 22d (Thursday.)
Every arrangement had been made for Il sue
cesstul initiation and at thirty-scven minutes be-
fore T. VI. the glad words "ill aboard" were
heard from Mr. La Mountain, and myself and
that distinguished gronaut stepped into the car.
Many were the friendly hands he shook-many
a fervent God bless YOU" and "llappy vow
age" were uttered-and many handkcrchiefs
waved their mute adieu Just as | stepped in
my good friend Fayel stripped off his overcoat
and pressed it upon me- saying that, as Mr. La
Mountain had no outer garment, we would need
more than we had. | took it, and it did me
good service, but | was never able to return it.
Mr. Burnett, of the American, in the kindest
manner supplied us with some catables and
drinkables. "Let 90 all" and away we scared
the horses on the square ''reared and pitched"
good deal at the novel sight, but in an instant
all minor sounds of earth had ceased. and we
were lifted into silent sphere, whose shores
were without an echo, their silence equaed on.
ly by that of the grave. Not the least feeling
OF trepidation was experienced-an cxtraordi-
sitting in my own room at home.
Two or three things struck me in looking
down from an altitude Of half a mile: The
small appearance of our village from such
hight, and the beautiful mechanical look which
the straight fences and oblong square fields of
the farmers present The buildings in the vii
lage do not, from such hight, appear to cover
tenth part of the ground. The poor old
Courthouse looked like pepper-box standing
on ten-acre lot, and the first church-spire bare
ly equaed in size respectable May-polc
As we rose into the light, teecy clouds, they
looked between us and the earth like patches of
snow we sec lying upon the landscape in Spring
time; but when rose a little higher the
clouds completely shlt out the earth, and the
cold white masses below US had precisely the
same look that a mountainous Snow-covered
country does you look down upon it from
higher mountain. Those who have crossed the
Alps by the Simplon Pass-or have stood upon
one OF the lofty SUBMITS of the Sierra Nevada,
and gazed down upon the eternal SHOWS below
and around them, will be able to catch the idea
| am trying to convey. In six minutes we were
far above all the clouds, and the sun and we
were face to face. We saw the time after that
when his face looked very fair to us. In eight
minutes after leaving the earth, the theimome-
ter, kindly loaned us by I. ii. Camp X Co.,
showed a fall of "a degrees 1t stood 81 when
We left. The balloon rotated good deal, show
ing that she was ascending with great rapdity.
At j:4S thermometer stood at ~ deg, and
falling very fast. At $50 we were at least two
miles THERMOMETERS "a deg. At this
point suggestion made just before starting, by
Judge Clark of Plessis, was found to be a very
good one. lie had advised the taking along of
some cotton, with which to fill the ears when at
great nights, and my father had procured me
| hn u,,ln rin ba1
now become painful, and filled both ears with
cotton. This made my head feel a good deal
as very large hollow pumpkin may be suppos-
ed to, with a humming-bird buzzing upon its
suIface-a comparison with which, doubtless
many who read this account will hardly quarrel
At 552 we put ON our gloves and shawls-an
extra pair for Mr. La Mountain being found in
friend Fayel's oyercoat-thermomete 32 deg
The wet sand bags now became stiff with cold
they were frozen. Ascending very rapidly
At 5;54 thermometer 2S deg, and falling
Here we caught our last sight of the earth b,
daylight recognized the st. Lawrence TO the
southwest of us, which showed we were drifting
nearly north. At 6 o'clock we thought we wer,
descending little and Mr. La Mountain direct
ed me to throw out about twenty pounds o
ballast. This shot us up again-thermometel
26 deg and falling very slowly. At Goo
thermometer % deg-my feet were very cold
The Atlantic was now full, and presented mos
splendid sight. The gas began to discharge it
self at the mouth, and its abominable smell, a
, it came down upon us, made me sick. haC
been trying some of friend Burnett's "sinews o
war;" but everything that would come up lef
my poor stomach in flood A moments vom
iting made me feel all right again. La Noun
tain was suffering a good deal with cold.
! passed my thick shawl around his shoulders
and put the blanket over our knees and feet
' At 6l0, thermometer Is deg, we drifted alon
until the sun left us, and in a short time there
! after the balloon began to descend. At 6;3C
thermometer % deg.-rising. Threw owe
about five pounds of ballast. We must hay
been, before we began to descend from thi
hight, l-2 miles high. At 1-2, thermome
ter 23 deg.--rising. We were now about sta
tionary, and thought we were sailing north c
: east. We could, we thought, distinguish waite
Q below us, but unable to recognize it. At 6:3
we threw over bag of sand, making so lbs. {
). ballast discharged, leaving about 100 lbs. o
!, hand. We distinctly heard dog bark. Thel
mometer 2s deg.--rising rapidly. At 6;4i
thermometer 33 deg.
: At $3.50 it was dark, and | could make n
'f more memoranda. | put up my note-bool
pencil and watch, and settled down into I'll
basket as much at home as though at my pO