Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1863-01-22
Perils in the Air.

gentleman mas VentureQ upon Sclentlnc expert
ments at higher attitudes than any timid per.
son would care to be, and although bis last ex-
pedition nearly proved fatal to him, be has re-
turned safely with a remarkable chapter on
aerial experience to narrate The London
AthenGum justly remarks that in his hands the
balloon is restored to its old,rank Of phosoph,
ical agent. Gay Lussac has shown the men of
sc ence how to use the balloon for scientific
purposes bat Mr.. Glasher, by bis successful
ascents, is adding largely to our knowledge of
the higher regions of the atmosphere
The September ascension was made in Mr.
CoxwelPs great balloon, and the highest point
reached was five and three quarter miles Mr.
Glaisher's interesting narrative of this voyage
thus describes the effects of the atmosphere at
different attitudes:
When we attained the height of two
miles, at lh. 2lm., the temperature had fallen
to the freezing point we were three miles
high at lh. 2Sm., with temperature of Is
deg; at 1h. 39m., we had reached four miles,
and the temperature was s deg, in ten
minutes more we had reached the fifth mile,
and the temperature of the air had passed be.
low zero, and there read minus deg, and at
this point no dew was observed on Regnault'S
! hydrometer when cooled down to minus 30
deg. Up to this time | had taken the obser-
vations with comfort | had experienced no
difficulty in breat i g, whilst Mr.. Coxwell, in
| consequence of the necessary exerton he had
to make, had breathed with difficulty for some
time.
AT 1h. SLIM the barometer read IL 05 inch
es, but which requires subractive correction
of 025 inch, as found by comparison with
T I.ua L.
fore starting, both by his Iordship and myself
which would reduce it to 1913 inches, or at the
height of about IA miles, | read the dry
bulb as minus 5 deg in endeavoring to read
the wet bulb | could not see the column OF
mercury. | rubbed my eyes, took leus, and
also failed. | then tried to read the other
instruments, and found | could not do so, nor
could I see the hands of the watch. l asked
Mr.. Coxwell to help me, and he said he must
go into the ring, and be would when he came
down. [ endeavored to reach some brandy,
which was lying on the table at about foot
from my hand, and found myself unable to do
so.
My sight became more dim looked at
the barometor and saw it between 10 and III
inches, and tried to record it, but | was unable
to write. then saw it at 10 inches, still de-
creasing fast, and just noted it in my book
its true reading, therefore, vast at this time
about 3-4 inches, implying height of about
5 34 miles, as change of an inch in the read
ing Of the barometer at this elevation takes
place on change of height of about $500
feet. felt that | was losing all power, and
endeavored to- arouse myself by struggling and
shaking. l attempted to look at the barome-
ter again, and my head fell on one side
struggled and put it right, and it fell on the
other, and finally fell backward
My arm, which had been resting on the ia.
BILE, fell down by by side. | saw Mr.. Coxwell
dmly in the ring. 1t became more misty, ,aud
finally dark, and l sank unconsciously as in
sleep this must have been about Oh 54m-
| then heard Mr.. Coxwell say, What is the
temperature Take an observation; now try"
But | could neither see, move nor speak
then heard him speak more emphatcall, take
an observation, now, do try" | shortly after
opened my eyes, saw the instrument and Mr..
Coxwel very dimly, and soon saw very clear
ly, and said to Mr.. Coxwell, Il have been in-
sensible ;" and be replied, g. You have, and l
nearly"
| recovered quick, and Mr. Coxwell said
/" 1 have lost the use of my hands; give me
some brandy to bathe them" HIS hands acre
nearly black. l saw the temperature was still
below zero, and the barometer reading inch
es but increasing quickly. [ resumed my OBJ.
servations at 2h. I'm, recording the barometer
reading l.53 inches, and the temperature mi
nus deg. | then found that the water in
the wet bulb thermometer, which | bad, by
frequent disturbances, kept from freezing, was
one solid mass of ice. Mr.. Coxwell then told
me that while in the ring be felt it piercingIy
cold, that hoar frost was all around 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 mo-
tionless with quiet and placid expression of
the countenance. He spoke to me without
eliciting reply, and found was insensble
He then said he felt insensibty was com
ing over himself that he became anxious to
open the valve that his hands failed him. and
that he seized the line betlCeen his teeth and DULL
ed the Valre open till the balloon took q turn
dOaonmard This act is quite characteristic of
Mr.. Coxwell. / have never yet seen him with
out ready means of meeting every difficulty
as it has arisen, with cool self possession that
has always left my mind perfectly easy, aud
given to me perfect confidence in his iudg-
ment in the management of so large bal
Icon.
Mr. Glaisher is convinced that the balloon
Containing only himself and the arnonaut
CoxwelD finally reached an altitude of orer
sir miles, but of this he is not positive, as his
ability to read the instrument ceased at the
height of five and three quarter miles On
this point he says
On asking Mr. Coxwell whether we had
noticed the temperature, he said he had not,
as the faces of the instruments were an to-
ward me, but that he had noticed that the
centre of the ancroid barometer, its blue hand,
and rope attached to the cor, were in the
same straight line. If so, the reading must
have been between seven and eight inches A