Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1863-07-23
From the Milwaukee Wisconsin, July 9th,
The Balloon Ascension.

y
ably successful from beginning to end.
We described the balloon some days
since, and it is unnecessary to repeat,
except to say that its capacity is to hold
$4,000 cubic feet of gas. It is one of
the largest ever sent up in this country.
Mr.. Strickland, Of the firm of Strick-
land & Co., and E. D. Cole, ticket-sel-
Ter for the Detroit & Milwaukee Railway,
accompanied Prof Steiner on his aerial
voyage. The car attached to the balloon
is Of strong wicker work, and was SO
covered with oil cloth as to be water
proof They took up guns and fishing
tackle with them, in case they should
land in any out-of-the way place, and
also took some provisions.
They rose up beautifully, and Mr..
Strickland informs us that when they
began to rise above the buildings, or
rather when the buildings began to drop
from under them (for it did not seem to
them that they were moving, but the
earth seemed dropping out from under
them) he says he then felt a light sense
of "goneness, but it was soon succeed
ed by feeling Of admiration and awe.
His sensations are better described, how
ever, in his own language, as written by
himself.
A NOVICE IN A SENSATIONS.
Who can describe the sensations of
novice during his first experience in bal
looming?
Does the pen exist which can do JUS
tice to the tumultuous and conflicting
sensations Of the aerial voyager, when
he first realizes that all the ties which
connect him with the earth are positive
ly sundered that henceforth his own
volition must be surrendered, and he
must drift, drift, drift, at the will Of
power in which so strangely yet so con-
fdingly he is willing to repose.
In the first few seconds during which
the buildings and other objects are ap-
parently retreating, the novice will feel
some little trepidation all, is so new,
untried and strange. This feeling, how
ever, will last but few seconds; the
grandeur of the scene below, soon dissi-
pates all thought of self; and his whole
soul is entirely absorbed, in drinking in
its beauty and sublimity; and in analy
zing the immense variety of objects so
suddenly opened to his view.
That sea of ten thousand upturnod
faces, the variegated raiment of the
spectators, those streets which look like
narrow paths in a garden, those patches
of green verdue amongst brownish roofs
of buildings, that streak of FURNISHED
silver which he knows to be the Mil
waukee river that immense mirror, Lake
Michigan, that looking glass, Pewaukee,
that piece of rope laid across the marsh,
which he knows is the Chicago railway
track, that bed quilt, off to the south
west, known as fields and farms, that
brown spot called the city of Racine,
and many other objects can never be
erased from the memory of She novice
who sees them but once.
All these soon become DINNER and
DINNER, fainter and fainter as he drifts
over the lake and ascends some seven
thousand feet from its surface. Every
thing now is dim, hazy and obscure.
Oppressive, aactul stiffness reigns su-
premo; awe is the best word he can Sc
iect to define his feelings no'o. He will
want to sit in perfect silence; to do so
IS RAPTURE. If he speak, his voice does
not sound as if it came from his lips,
hut as though it were buried in his chest.
A strange voice, deep base, not his own
in any sense. The sound of his COM
rade's voice does not come from the Gus
tomarv place, bnt is located above twen
tv or thirty feet distant.
Asthe balloon goes higher and higher,
that buz, buz, buz in his ear, accompan-
led by dull pressure on the interior of
tbat organ, is very disagreeable. His
wish now, will be to descend and thus
rid himself of the annoyance. The bal
loon, which though somewhat tiaccid
1vben he started on the trip, is now full,
tant round and symmetrical.
" The line is pulled which leads to the
valve at the top of the balloon, and
,ort;on of the gas is permitted to escape.
soon that buz and disagreeable pressure
of which he has complained ceases the
atmosphere appears less hazy the shore
line of the lake, which had almost oeen
lost become palmer aud plalner' and he
80 : soon conscious that he is descending,
~ =, ,o,ob ou none of his senses have given
t,ou5 57.1.+os+ indication that there has
tne bnen si a1v motion, however small, except
tse pee4 fact ct that he breathes more freely
onG ond do does not now feel that buz in his
ear. ,,;+tod To descend
mil the car suspended beneath, struck
.ha Insis surface of the lake with considera-
toe suils ';nlence, causing decided rebound
1pSo 1le VioI current of air now acting on the
halIoon hd9 drove it at the rate Of some thirs r
tS Pr'IoSe miles an hour towards the shore Of