The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-11-02
ASCENT IN A BALLOON.
By EMERSON BENNETT.


A number of years ago, when the
science of aerostation was confined TO the
comparatively few, I received the fol-
lowing note from Professor Colchester:
My DEAR FAIRcHILp Baum has dis
appointed me-he will not 60 up TO day.
There are only four besides myself-two
ladies and two gentlemen Will you
take BIS. place? Let me know positively
by three oclock, for another gentleman
has applied for passage, and my answer
70 him will depend on yours to me. We
are advertised for four, and shall certain
" cut loose by five. / give YOU the
preference of all others, but please de
eide as soon as possible l cannot fore
see the result. of course, but the dav
promises to be fine, and think the trip
viii be an agreeable one to all parties.
This note was signed and dated from a
well known garden in the suburbs of
London, and as has probably already
been conjectured, was special invita-
ton to make an ascent in balloon, then
a much rarer venture than now. 1t had
long been a wish of mine to see terra
firma from the clouds, and now l could
have nv desire gratified. The professor
had already made three ascensions with
passe ngers. and as this was announced
as his last for the season, lost no time
in az reeing to become one of the privi-
legged few for an aerial flight.
The day promised to be all that could
be de. sired 1t was clear without being
hot, nd there was little or no breeze
Betp5 cen three and four o'clock l was at
the Q arden, and saw the balloon in the
act o { being inflated. As a man sur
veved the ship in which he is about to
eInbai x for an uncertain, perilous voyage,
so did l examine my aerial vessel As
far as | could judge, everything was
right. 1t was a monster in size, made
OF the best lutte string silk, and required
forty thousand feet of gas to fill it. This
silk ras well covered with an elastic
coating of oil and India rubber, and
frrtb er protected by close net work of
tilia q hemp; but STILL as / looked up
at it, slowly swaying and rolling from
side to side, swelling out with gas and
tn ggTng to get loose from its fastenings,
1 thought how comparatively frail a
tn ing it was to carry humanity above the
cl oud and through the midheavens. and
shuldered at the thought of what
We puld become of us should any portion
of it give way IN the thousand different
st aims il would be put to in the ever
va rying strain of air. Attached to the
ba loon, by eight strong ropes, was car
of wicker work capable of containing
tw eIve persons-though, compared to
til balloon in size, it was pea suspended
bt low the point of a large humming top.
At fl We o'clock the Professor announc
ed that everything was ready for start,
lnI we passengers Immediately took
cave of our friends and entered the car.
+ 10,
,rying. according to the different states
Of ceiling and different views of the
rarions parties In one case a husband
md father was leaving his wife and chill
rem, who were not only present, but
!, gho CT ung to him with such fondness,
md SO piteouslv begged him not to go,
that h al | been in his place, | certainly
should have remained with them. He,
howev er. continued firm to his purpose.
and NJ ade so light of their fears, that at
length they began to smile-though I
shall iaver forget the agonized expires
sion Of his wifes face, as | caught a
glimp Sc of it at the moment when we
were bounding upward into the world OF
air.
sGive my love to the man in the
moon :" cried merry voice.
just put a hextinguisher hover one !
of the stars exclaimed true blooded /!
cockn ey.
"B ring us back chunk of chain light /
ning,' laughed a third.
s.Dont come down fast enough to butt {
a hole through the earth ~ shouted q
fourth
At exactly twenty minutes past five
the signal was given, the rope was sever
ed ad away we flew, amid the shouts /
~f ho
and next half of London, were in the /
streets looking at us 1t did not seem /
to US as if we moved. but as if we re
n,ained stationary and the earth was re- /
ceeding from us. EXPERIENCED sensa-
ton of gidiness and nausea, which at
first DESTROYED all my pleasure; and both /
of the ladies. almost fainting, threw 1
themselves down in the bottom Of the 4
car and clung spasmodicaily to what 4
ever they could get hold of. Fortunate
lv these disagreeable sensations did not
last long. and in few minutes we were
all on our feet, delighted with the mag
nifcent panorama spread out below US.
London had now become dense clus-
ter of little toy houses the Thames was
q mere silver ribbon; the bridges over it /
looked like twi gs; the shipping on it
were only nut shells cut in half; St Pauls {
Cathedral resembled snuff box with
fancy carving, and miles of country ap-
peared to be but few acres of variega-
ted scenery. As for the people, could
not distinguish them at all with the
naked eye. and through the glass they
seemed rather like the smallest ants, /
than human beings puffed up by worldly
vanity into ruling gods, performing
mighty part in the economy of creation /
Up up-stiIl highey-till London itself /
could scarcely be distinguished by the |
naked eye The air had now become /
SO cold that we were glad to envelope /
ourselves IN our cloaks and overcoats, 4
and so rarified that we could only breathe 1
it with great difficulty, and there was
pain about the temples, pressure in the
eyes, and kind Of roaring, cracking
sound in the ears The gas, too, was
- 81 \ ~. L .