The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-07-20
Pleasures of BallOOning,

Frof. Steiner left Milwaukee last Monday
in balloon, and had rather an adventur-
GUS time OF it. He went up two miles, and
encountered terrible thunderstorm when
over Lake Michigan. We condense, from
the Milwaukee News of the 9th, a portion
of the narrative
"With the repeated flashes of lightning
and heavy claps of thunder, rain began to
fall very fast. His balloon was soon satu.
rated, and the rain following the sides of the
gas holder down to its mouth, fell upon him
in streams, so that he was soon completely
wet through added to this the tempera-
ture of the atmosphere became very cold, and
altogether he was decidedly uncomfortable.
The rain increased the weight of his balloon
so much that it began to sink very rapidly.
The Professor thinks the weight of his bal
loon must have been increased, by moisture,
at least two hundred pounds, and upon its
rapid descent be was compelled to throw out
all the ballast he had on board in order to
keep the balloon from going into the water.
Thus lightened, the ship again rose. In
thirty minutes he had got clear of the
storm.
A little after six o'clock, when he had
been about two hours in the air, he encoun-
tered another violent thunder storm, the
atmosphere being very cold and the ther-
mometer standing at about IS deg. The
teeth OF the Professor chartered like pair
of castanets, in consequence of this sudden
change in the temperature, and the rain
falling heavily be was again made dripping
wet, while his balloon again commenced
rapidly to sink, from its increased weight
by water. He now gave up all hopes of
reaching the shore before the balloon would
strike the surface, but he still continued to
exert himself to the utmost and did all in
bis power to keep her afoat. Everything
was Immediately cast overheard graphing
irons, ropes and even his overcoat, but all
was of no avail. Down she came into the
water, but not until the storm had passed
so that he was enabled to determine where
he was. He found himself some ten miles
from the mouth of the Kalamazoo river.
The atmosphere had by this time become
almost calm. At o'clock and 5 minutes
be struck the waters of Lake Michigan
nine miles from shore! but still going to.
wards the shore at the very slow rate of
two or three miles per hour. This progress,
however, did not last great length of time,
as the wind suddenly hauled around to the
east and drove him further out to sea again.
81 knew" says Professor S., "that if l
could by any means reach an elevation of
5000 feet, l could again get the great east
ern current, but as everything had been
thrown overheard, 1 had nothing to cast by
means of which to tighten my balloon. lat
once got into the rigging of my balloon, and
cut away the car. The balloon immediate>
lysbegan to rise very rapidly. Thus cling
ing to the rigging l made the second ascen>
sion, and in three minutes l had attained
the desired altitude and struck the eastern
current, and in fifteen minutes more was
on the beach. l now pulled the valve rope
and made a rapid descent, but was caugh
by the under current and taken out into the
water about ten feet. With the aid of
few fishermen, however, l secured my bal
loon unipjured, and had it conveyed to the
Light House. Then I secured passage to
this city on the steamship Milwaukee, and
arrived here with the balloon and Car on
the night of Friday last, none the worse,
bodily for my trip. The Car drifted ashore
about IL miles north of the Kalamazoo riv-
er, on the morning of the 9th, but when 1
secured it it had been rifed of all its COM
tents. The voyage was lob miles, and &C.
cupied 2 hours and 30 minutes. Had not
encountered the thunder storms, greater
distance might have been accomplished in
an hour and a half"
Such is the fearful narration of this dar-
ing &rOnaut'S eightv>ninth ascension.