Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-07-15
SAILING In THE AIR. =
The Ballesn Voyage from the m ,ssissippi 4.
Lake Ontarfo-Excitinx De<cripti..s

SAILiNo
The Balisen yeyase from the m ,ssissippi to
Lake Misunderstanding Descriptions.
Mr.. Hyde, the reporter of the st. Loui, Re.
publican, who was one-of the voyagers in the
: balloon Atlantic, has written for that jourDal
a narrative OF the voyage. We select the fol-
lowing extracts
ELEVATED EMOTIONS.
livery vestige of st. Louis had now vanished
from our sight, and we were drifting at q won
nation i do not think ever before expert
enced such exhilaration of spirit-such real
JOY Our motion was perfectly steady. There
was no rocking Of the boat or car. no rustline
of the silk; nothing, indeed, but the recedin4
forests and fields beneath, to tell us we were
not poised between earth and sky in dead
calm. To have been apprehensive of danger
would have been next to impossible-to have
felt fear would have been, not cowardice. but
Puslllanimity. My feeling was that balloon
ing. besides being the most pleasant and swift.
was tho safest mode Of travel known Steam
ing down rapid current in a boat on a lovely
evening. with sublime bluffs, romantic caverns
ana green foliage on either side, glistening
waves below and a mild sky above, is grand
and delightful. Sailing on an unrufied lake.
parting the placid waters, and skimming like
gull with gentle feetness, Is ineffably glo-
rlOus But these enjoyable methods of travel,
felt, yielded in point Of dainty pleasureable.
ness to the bird-like grace and impressive sur
roundings Of erial navigation With us no
breath Of breeze was stirring. The buoy.nt
down Of thistle, released from the willow
car, would have fallen to the boat by its own
specific gravity. In all this calmness our mon
ster bubble fOated through the clouds Tvi-
light was on the earth, and gave to the color
OF the soii the appearance Offrozen lakes. By
this time the sun had set to the inhabitants of
the earth, though to US it was four or five de-
grees above the horizon
THE AIR CURRENTS.
While this was going on, the noble Atlantic
had found the current that the eronauts had
declared was always blowing in the upper re-
glons from the occident to the orient and WAS
now travelling towards the very star which they
had picked out In the armament as the beacon
Of the course they wished to take. The discoy-
cry was one weh calculated to perfect the res
toration Of senses in Professor Wise, so hanniIv
begun by Mr.. eager. There broke from his
lips a little cough, and saying, Boys, let's
sing, he struck up the stirring national an
them, Hail Columbia," in which We all
Joined and carried through with great deal
Of vigOr and very little tune, as the frigidity
Of the atmosphere put quite damper on pat
rlOtism and melody. We kept along in this
west-east current only little while, however,
as, from experiments made, it is i'm portant to
say here, at the sacrifice of both gas and sand
Ut seemed that the lower currents were blowing
a good deal north Of east and il was deter
mined that the increase Of our comfort yould
more compensate for the loss Of time in making
the coast by lowering the vessel q considerable
distance. 1t was some time before it was as
certsined what amount Of the ascending power
IT would be necessary to discharge in order to
depress the balloon to the proper point. and
not until quite large quantity of ballast had
been expended, it being no longer light enough
TO make any instrumental observations.
THE EARTH BENEATH
At lOt 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
attained an altitude of nearly a mile. A terri
BILE storm was surging beneath US, the trees
waving and the mad waves dashing against
tie shore Of Erie in an arfully teinpestuous
manner But above the careening vhirl-
pools and the laundering breakers swan
the proud Atlantic, not q cord displaced.
nor breadth of silk disturbed, soaring aloft
with her exPectant crew. and gaily heading for
the salt erests which bound our vast re-
public. Now, like q gurgle, comes the sub
dued roar OF the FLASHING and headlOng cata-
Tact Of Niagara. At III o'clock having skim
med over the lake shore, still bound eastward
ly, the balloon brought US in sight of Buffalo
and Niagara Falls, as also of the celebrated
Welland canal. We had reached A height of
=
inches. At IL o'clock, we were nearly between
the falls and Buffalo inclining rather to the
left Of the latter. Here we had A view Of the
great cataract O-ni-su-ge-rah, "the thunder
gt the water, as the Indians call il, General
Brooks monument, Queenstown, Grand Isl
Snd, 81 Catharines, Gravel Bay, Lewiston,
Black Rock, Fort Erie, and other celebrities
OF that locality. The famous falls were quite
insignificant seen from our altitude There
was 10 US descent Of about two feet: and the
water seemed to be perfectly motionless. The
spray gave the whole an appearance as of ice,
and there was nothing grand or sublime about
II. Passing the western terminus of the Erie
canal the balloon was borne directly towards
Lake Ontario. Our ballast was now nearly or,
hausted, and to have determined on crossing
the seeond lake would have been sheer reck
lessless and hardihOod. At this point il was
resolved to descend to the earth, land Mr.. Ga.
ger and myself, and in our stead take in A ,uf-
ncient quantity Of new ballast and again steer
Tor the Atlantic Ocear. Could this have been
Zone there Is scarcely doubt Of Mcssrs. Wise
and La Mountains reaching their destination.
lhe AIR ship was lowered but was immedi-
steiy caught in the hurricane which was then
raging, and carried very near the tops of trees.
which were bending and swaying to and fro
by the force Of the wind
THE TERRIFIC DESCENT.
Mr.. La Mountain had said he desired In take
care Of the boat, and advised me 10 get info
the car above, with Messrs. Wise and Eager,
which L hesitated TO do. No sooner had I
planted myself firmly in the wicker basket
than down, down, down with fearful speed
went the balloon towards the lake I closed
my eyes involuntarily, but was quickly aroused
bys crash and a luDge of the car forward.
Ihree times were there terrible clatter and
splash One moment more Of life, thought +.
Looking around beheld a hat floating of.
and the same instant the balloon darted ont Of
the water. :. Poor La Mountain. :" was in INV
heart to say, for l thought him gone; but a
cheerful all right boys" stopped me and
lightened me Of one grief Now came |. test of
La Mountains bravery, and nobly did he stand
1t Taking hatchet, which was handed down
to him from the ear, where it was swung. he
began lOOseBing the planks making the lining
OF the boat, which he sent overheard ut eyery
Indication of another descent. When he had
gone AS Tar rs possible this way, he unscrewed
me nuts which had been placed in the side of
tne boat by which to fasten the machinery
"Atherlng all articles. Of no matter how little
weight, together. he sent them with the rest.
Inc oars went over next, and ut last there was
nothing In the boat. He had taken of his coat
To 1T, and worked till the perspiration ran from
NJ IN b. rasr Ill a.