The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-08-14
--. HIT eE9E efl.GtL
BALLOONING In A. THUNDER
STORM. = r. rig
The Scene as Witnessed Above
the Clouds. 'to
Fearful Adventure of Professor
Steiner.


Steiner.
ST.. PAUL August 8, 1868.
Tothe Editor Of the Pioneer:
Will you permit me, through your col
umns, to give short account of my adj
ventures in a thunder storm? 1t would
probably interest some of your numerous
readers, as few of the many adventures
of the .Eronaut are ever published.
1t was in the summer of 1858, at the
latter end of August, that I was engaged
to make an ascension from the city of
Camden, New Jersey. The day was beau
tiful; not cloud was visible, and every
thing bid fair for pleasant excursion.
At three o'clock everything was ready for
my departure, and stepping into my frail
car, l babe adieu to my friends that sur
rounded me. The word was given, let
CO." and the balloon mounted majestically
into the boundless ocean of air, and the
thousands that witnessed the ascent gave
utterance to their admiration by tremen-
dous cheers and applause.
/ rose to an elevation of 5000 feet,
when the balloon became stationary; the
mercury standing at 42o above zero.
From this elevation, the view presented
was beautiful. The city of Philadelphia
and Camden lay directly beneath me, and
the Delaware river, was visible for fifty
miles each way. The shipping on its
waters looked like mere toys; the Ferry
boats looked like turtles crawling over a
brook. To the east l could behold, away
over the Jerseys, the wide Atlantic ocean
swelling its pillows to the blue dome of
heaven. will not undertake to describe
the beauty of the ocean as it beggars all
description. My attention was now drawn
towards the west by sounds of distant
thunder, and could behold large banks of
black clouds, piled up towering towards
the heavens. Now and then flash of
lightning could be seen playing from
cloud to cloud. 1t was evident that
thunder storm was approaching me. l
had often wished that 1 could behold one
from above the clouds, and as the oppor-
tunity was afforded me now, I did not
shrink from the encounter.
I threw overheard some ballast and as
cended to an elevation of 10000 feet.
Here the atmosphere was very cold, the
mercury sinking to % degrees above zero,
while the storm appeared far beneath me.
was almost stationary. Hooked at my
watch-it was half past three O'Clock, and
at the rate the storm was moving it would
not take twenty minutes before it would
reach me. stood erect, silently contem-
plating the scene. The thunder became
more and more terrible, and thought
that / would descend before the storm
would ovsrtake me. / commenced to
look around me to see the nature of the
earth beneath, when / beheld that it
was too late to descend, as the storm was
already beneath me, a.hing the trees to
and fro and sending clouds of dust along
the earth.
The next thing to do was to keep above
the storm, threw over board every thing
ofweight that the Car contained, and so
managed for time to keep above the
gale. In few moments the whole face
of the earth was covered with boiling
spray. The thunder was terrific, but no
lightning could be seen. The sun shone
very bright was now some 5000 feet
above the storm, and 10000 feet from the
earth. Now and then the boiling spray
would be thrown into huge mountains,
their peaks towering thousands of feet in
to the air. They appeared like mountains
of snow, / cannot compare the move
ments Of these floating monsters to any
thing visible on earth. 1t is impossible to
describe the scene that was transpiring
around met was terribly grand. But l
was not allowed to view the scene longer
from this point, but must penetrate into
the very jaws of death, as it were. My
balloon commenced to contract from the
cold, and soon commenced to descend.
Now my heart sank within me, for it was
fearful scene to behold. t.
tried all means to keep my balloon
above the storm; threw overheard my
anchor and ropes; tore the trimmings
from my car and threw them over also,
but all in vain Down came the balloon,
and as approached the dark gulf beneath,
the thunder became more and more ter
Rises now would have given worlds for
one nag of sand it was like going from
heaven into hell-but down came into
utter darkness. ,.,i....,...... .,..,,'
I Gould not see the balloon that bore
me, save when the whole scene was illu-
minated with flashes of lightning, which
occurred every few moments SO power
fuirwas the light of those flashes that /