The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-07-14
The Great Balloon Trip,

The Great Balloon Trip.
Official Report.
Mr.. Hyde, the special reporter of the St.
Louis Republican. in the great balloon trip,
has returned safely to st. Louis, and has
published long account Of his balloon ex-
perence, in the paper mentioned. From ii
we make the following extracts, the remain
der having been anticipated by his cOmPan-
ions
LAKE ERIE. .
Twelve minutes after FIVE o'clock, we de-
scried in the east what at first appeared TO
be the reflection OF the sun on the sky. AT
last one of the party asserted that we were
not many miles from a lake and so 1t was.
What had at first seemed a briiliancy OF the
eastern heavens, was nothing less than en-
immense body OF water. The eronauts con-
cluded that it could only be Lake Erie; and
they were right, for tracing the shore and
observing the little islands, its contour cor.
| responded almost precisely with the map.
A subIimer scene never broke on human
view. Lake Erie, it will be remembered,
has a surface of 1900 square miles, and
though we could not behold the whole Of it,
the view lost none Of its mognifcence from
this cause. Its expanse, limited and bound
I ed only by the great zone where it blended
with the heavens, seemed an eternity Of wa
tiers, vast, measureless as the bending cano-
py itself. Groups Of white clouds, like
great puffs from steam pipe, fioated lam
guidIy on every side, unfolding their gauze-
like robes, and passing off in eddying cur
rents.
STORM BELOW.
At half past ten 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 near
ly mile. A terrible storm was surging
beneath us, the trees waving and the mad
waves dashing against the shore of Erie in
an awfully tempestuous manner, but above
the careeriug whirlpools and the laundering
breakers, swan the proud Atlantic, not u
cord displaced nor breadth Of silk disturbed,
soaring alot with her expectant crew, and
gaiiy heading for the salt crests which bound
our vast Republic. Now, like u gurgle,
comes the subdued roar of the glashing and
headlong cataract OF Niagara.
THE DESCENT.
Passing the western terminus Of the Fire
Canal, the balloon was borne directly to.
ward Lake Ontario. Our ballast was now
nearly exhausted, and to have determined on
| tbo IoE
sheer recklessness and hardihood. At this
point it was resolved to descend to the earth,
land Mr.. Eager and myself, in our stead take
sufficient quantity Of ballast, and again
steer for the Atlantic Ocean. The air ship
was lowered, but was Immediately 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. Mr.. La Mountain at
once threw over the buckets and their con.
tents, and the lift this gave US kept US from
being crushed in the woods. Like bullet
we shot out into the lake. The machinery
was got in readiness to be tossed out, and
eyery possible preparation made for keeping
out of the waves. For awhile we cherished
the hope that we would be able to cross the
broad .expanse OF the deep in safety, though
we knew that we had nearly one hundred and
ninety miles to traverse. But this hope died
cut in less than an hour, as the troopiDg
winds bore down on us, it seemed, with
greater and increasing terceness. We had
rot far out and there was no land in sight
A dreary waste of nearly seven thousand
square miles of water was before and around
Us.
At length we neared the dushing pillows
which were wildly fingiDg up their white
caps and chasing one another towards the
| North. east. Fer me, lifetime was con.
centrated in that awful, periIous moment.-
1t was the first time since | had set foot in
the boat suspended to the balloon that had
experienced fear as to my safety. looked
around at my companions !; they were calm,
but their countenances gave me no assur-
ance. Plunge, plunge, went the iron bars
of the machinery into the waves, now roll
ing ten feet in height And the Atlantic,
obedient to this magic control, again bound
ed upwards out Of the dark and hungry 'ele.
ment. There was great relief in this, but
! the coolest reason could not have seen in the
circumstance anything but momentGry en-.
couragement. l cannot recollect whether
it was at this point, or before, that Mr.. Ga.
ger climbed up into the car with Prof. Wise.
Whenever it WIS, he did SO as much for the
security of the entire party as for his own
safety, for there is no seIfishness in Mr.. Ga.
ger, see him where you wilt.
For time again our flying ship was buoy
ed up out Of the way OF hazard, but would
frequently dart downward as though intent
on burying US all. This movement was
promptly checked by throwing out some arti-
Gle as ballast, and thus, carpet sacks con-
tanning clothing, over. coats, bundles of pa
pers and provisions, were pitched out into
the lake, and still We kept in almost hope
less proximity. Mr.. La Mountain had said
he desired to take care of the boat, and ad-
vised me to get into the car, above, with
Messrs. Wise and Eager, which | hastened
TO do. No sooner had planted myself firm.
ly in the wicker basket, thun down, down,
down with fearful speed went the balloon
towards the lake. closed my eyes invol.
unfairly, but was quickly aroused by crash
and q luDge of the car forward. Three
times were there terrible clatter and splash.
One moment more of my life, thought f.
Looking around beheId a hat floating off,
and the same instant the balloon darted out
OF the water.
"Poor La Mountain" was in my heart to
say, for thought him gone but cheerful
call right, boys" stopped me and lightened
me of one grief. Now came test of La
Mountains bravery, and nobly did he stand
it. Taking a Ratchet which was handed
down to him from the car where it WEE
swung, he began loosening the planks max
ing the lining of the bout, which he senl