The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1859-07-22

up the stays of the boat TO the basket, AM
found MIR. Wise fast asleep, with the neek-pip
hanging upon his breast. His unfortunat,
lethaFgy had nearly made mischief As it wa
it cost us loss OF gaS amounting to about twt
hundred pounds Of ascenSive power, which wa
no insignificant item. Mr.. Wise being shaker
roughly, said he was very tired and had beer
draining. He remained awake few minutes
and then fell asleep again, continuing so, witt
my two other companions, at intervals during
the night, My desire to keep constant watch
Of the progreSs Of the trip and guard against
all possible contingencies was such that | could
not close my eyes MIR. Wise being more
veteran aud experienced eronaut, and not hav-
ing the advantage ofsuftring from bilious
fever, of course the case was different with
him.
ACOUSTIC PROPERTIES OF THE AIR.
Nothing else OF moment occurred, save tie
throwing overheard of about two hundred pounds
OF ballast 10 compensate for The loss OF gas; un-
til about one O'Clock. AT this time we passed
over a town, which as we were crossing, not
more than two or three hundred feet above, was
clearly visible. ! do not know the name OF The
place, but conclude it must have been DoStown,
as myIfrst shout for information as to'our where
a5ouis aroused fray, Blanche and Sweetheart
in chorus of canine vociteralion that seemed
to prevail from one end OF the hamlet to the
other. got noresponSe from human voice.
Our course at this time was northeast half east.
I may remark with regard to sounds from the
earth that at the highest altitude attained
during the night, / could distinctly hear the
song of the whip-poor-wlll and hear the bark
ing of small dogs. As we descended lower,
the croaking of the smaller vocaists, and the
chirpng of crickets, became audible. We
three or four times got so low that | saw fire.
flies fitting N their gorgeous raimentS OF mellow
light, past the car IN which / was seated.
CROSSING INDIANA AND ONO.
From one O'Clock until sunrise, at about half
past four | kept the balloon within four or
five hundred feet of the earth, using, during
that time, but three pounds of ballast, which
considered little remarkable. During this
period all three OF my companions were fast
asleep-the atmosphere being very warm and
gfsSsPRt ggbfS at he IN nv voyage and
varied my reflections At halt past one we
crossed a canal river and another town,
which now think was Baltimore, Indiana
My opinion is that before we passed over Hi
nois on the line OF Danville, and perhaps this
place was my responsive Dogtown. Several
lights were visible at Baltimore and along the
line OF the canal. Or course was then E. n.
f. As we proceeded we crossed and recrossed
the Wabash several times, its route being tor
tuous and ours on gpometrical straight line.
Here | noticed that the wind was quite fresh,
/ as heard ii whistling pleasantly through the
trees. could also tell that we were traver-
! sing Indiana, from the fact that immense undu-
!, Iatng prarleS were left behind, and the coun-
TRY densey wooded. We lost sight of the
/ wabash, riually, at lafayette, striking on a
/ northeasterly angle across Fountain, Tipneca-
! noe, Carson, the southern part of Cass, Miami,
the center OF Wabash, Huntington and Allen
counties, and striking the State of Ohio al the
edge OF Pauding county, passing near the town
OF Harrison. About 80 minutes past O'Clock
the balloon lowered Suddenly. so as TO almost
touch the tops Of the trees Threw ont three
pounds of ballast, and heard the saud strike
npon a roof-top, probably in a town 10 Cass
county. This small discharge elevated rs so
that we passed Clear OF an ugly pIece Of woods
stort distance ahead. called out always on
pas SIG house, and was invariably answered
by lhe bark or howl Of a dog.
THE DAWN.
At this time daylight made its appearance,
heraldrd w faint glImmering in the East,
quickly fol. owed by the most beautiful auroraI
phenomena, a1t a brilliant illumination of the
whole vista Of the space in whch we were
moving. Again the veil seemed to drop over
US, hung for Shorl time between the balloon
and the earth, and then disappeared, as il its
particles had decompofed and iloaled away
As if by magic, all was glowing in vernal beau
ty, and splendid panorama Jay spread out be-
meath us, the yellow fields of grain, the wooded
patches, and the tortuous ,vndings Of the
streams, being clearly distingHishable. The
rising OF the sun clothed all these in glorious
robes OF living, sparkling light. IT seemed as
II every tree top bore a coronal, and every
field OF grain was headed with a cabinet OF
gems, while the surface of the waters shone
with an untold magnifcence, | could not re-
IRAN Iron eXclaimIng aloud in wondering ad-
mIraton Of the glory OF natures God. Nv
who We're awake by this time,
joined with me in feasting upon the ravishing
Splendol OF the view.
We passed over, or nearly over Fort WAYNE,
as the sunlight first reached US. The noticea.
5le feature here was the perfectly level appear. /
ance OF the country. As the warm beams fel, I
upon our globe, the gas expanded considerably,
giving Us an increased buoyancy that sent Us
up 10 considerable altitude. Pursuing our
course, we struck the Maumee
at Defiance, passed mile and three quarters
over II, and preceded across Defiance and
Henry counties. In few minutes we lett the
Maumee, our altitude giving US more eastery
direction.
LAKE ERIE.
Lake Erie, which was over sixty miles dis
tant, now becaWe visible, at first looking near