The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-11-08

resumed my observations at Q h. m, re-
cording the barometer reading 1853 inches
and the temperature minus deg. then
found that the water in the vessel supplying
the wet bulb thermometer, which had by
frequent disturbances kept from freezing,
was ohe solid mass of ice. Mr.. Coxwell then
told me that while in the ring he felt it pierc.
Ing cold, that hoar frost was all round the
neck of the balloon, and on attempting to
leave the ring he found his hands frozen,
and he got down how he could ; that he
found me motionless, with . quiet and placid
expression on the countenance. He spoke
to me without eliciting reply, aud found !
was insensible.
He then said he felt insensibility was
coming over himself that he became anx-
ious to open the valve that his hands failed
him and that he seized the line between his
teeth, and pulled the valve open until the
balloon took turn downwards. This act
Ia quite characteristic of Mr.. Coxwell. have
never yet seen him without ready means
Of meeting every difficulty as It has arisen,
with cool self possession that has always
left my mind perfectly easy, and gives to me
every confidence in his judgment in the
management Of 50 large balloon.
Mr.. Glashier is convinced that the balloon
Containing only himself and the aeronaut,
CoxwelD finally reached an altitude of over
six miles, but of this he is positive, as his
ability to read the instruments ceased at the
height of five and three-quarter miles. On
this point he says:
ION asking Mr.. Coxwell whether he had
noticed the temperature, he said he could
not, as the faces Of the instruments were all
towards me but that he had noticed that
the center of the aneroid barometer, its blue
hand and rope attached to the oar, were in
the same straight line. If so the reading
must have been between seven and eight
inches. A height Of six miles and half
corresponds to eight inches. A delicate self
registering minimum thermometer reads
minus IL deg. but unfortunately did not
read it till was out of the car, and l can
not say that its index was not disturbed.
The account Of the descent is equally in
teresting. Mr.. Glashier says:
On descending. when the temporal ure
rose to II deg. it was remarked as warm,
and at "a deg. it was noted as very warm.
The temperature then gradually increased to
57a deg. on reaching the earth. It was re-
marked that the sand vas quite warm to
the hand, and steam issued from it when it
was discharged. Six pigeons were taken up.
One was thrown out at the height Of three
miles extended its wings and dropped as
a piece Of paper. A second at four miles,
flew vigorously round and round, apparently
taking great dip each time. A third was
thrown out between four and fve miles, and
It few downwards. A fourth was thrown
out at four miles when we were decenGing !;
it few in circle, and shortly after alighted
on the top of the balloon. The two remain
ing pigeons were brought down to the
ground one was found to be dead, and the
other, Ga carrier,) had attached to his neck
a note. 1t would not, however, leave, and
when jerked off the finger return ed to the
hand, After a quarter of an hour it began
to pick piece of ribbon encircling its neck
and then jerked it off my finger, and it
few round two or three times with vigor,
and finally towards Wolverhampton. Not
one, however, had returned there when left
on the afternoon of the 9Th.
It would seem from this ascent that Eve
miles from the earth is very nearly the limit
Of human existence. It is possible, as the
effect Of each high ascent upon myself has
been different, that On another occasion I
might be able to go higher, and it is posi-
BILE that some persons may be able to exist
with less air and bear greater degree Of
cold but still think that prudence would
say to all, whenever the barometer reading
falls ss low as II INCHES, open the valye at
once the increased information to be OBJ
tained is not commensurate with the in
creased risk. q B@a
During the ascent Mr.. Glashier attempted
to take photograph Of the scene below,
which he described as being very beautiful,
but the immense velocity of the balloon du,
ring the ascent rendered this impossible.
The London Times, oommenting upon
this perilous enterprise, says:
"The aerial voyage just performed by
Mr.. Coxwell and Mr.. Glashier, deserves to
rank with the greatest feats Of our expert.
disooyerers and travellers. 1t
s true these gentlemen have not brought
down very comfortable or inspiring report
If the upper world into which they have
penetrated. Science and poetry are pnhap.
PLY rather at variance upon the subject Of
The air and the sky. Poetry points up tol
The sky with glowing rapture as the scene
# brightness and glory, and residence
here figures as the reward Of heroism and
greatness. Everything is happy and splen.
lid that is connected with the sky. But
science penetrates with it's material eyo into
.hess vast upper spaces, and simply reports
! great difficulty Of breathing there that
he blood stagnatos, the limbs b,come be.
aumbed, the senses eyaporate, and nature