New-York daily tribune., 1865-10-03
flags waved above us bat the .t mar wa. in great dis

bottom OF tie DasKet ana n0idlhg on 10 tno 'hou'
pairs Of legs a. Tin peril Of falling upward. "but al
the authorities and experts agree that the safety OF
balloon conshts in watching your valyerope have
read something in that line, and would be very thank
ful to the conductor if h. would let me hold it,
A thin gentleman here emerged from the pile
Of legs and swallowed some alcohol Immediately. lie
said It was one OF the esdences of mans daring that
We could ascend into the smpyrean, ana began 70 eha
ter and grow palid at onc., and agreed with the ia'
gentleman that il was better view aud an equally
good sensation from the bottom OF the car
We shot straight up into the melting blue. swingng
like bird under STAR and growing litter to ourselves
we regarded each other; bus ihe only bree" tha'
stirred our cordage came from OFerheac. Becained
like bubble at sea- walked into the bright vault 81
the evening but the car hung like Mohammeds coffin
stirring only as the fat man breathed and once when
lie moved bis legs causing an instants trepidation
The Park lay beneath US like boys map, essening
but growing no whit more ipdstinct except when we
glanced at the sun in the west rising as We arose as IL
the day were inverted and she were going home to the
Orient like ripe and repentant daughter. A haness
fell upon the landscape the cliffs beneath us smoothed
their wrinkles and the lakes assumed the levo OF the
depressed hills; only the far nights Of Harlem River
the rolling bueness of the Long Island coast and the
peaks Of Staten aud Neversnk kept their outnes the
city was onIy checkered thing. remote or neie as
shadow or light fell upon its components; and she
crowd that surrounded the music stand at the head d
the Mall resembed some pepper and salt on pante
saucer We heard in a lesser was, the various noisee
and murmurs but they seemed reduced like softened
talk In the pauses Of lovers and 1t was labor to sepa
rate sound from sound for all the world both OF space
and echo was nDglng its emotions; II was the physi
cal aspect of agrarianism, with individuality fading
from the picture and only the Wilderness of life made
manifest the world grew larger and man fell TO mini'
ature; the horizon widened Il our balloon had
dropped into the air stone into denser fuid. and
every undulaiion reached further away1 The trees
were only shadows the grass tho roads were veins
In boodstone; hucs lay upon the lake, for the sun
shone only for us who had quilted the world and the
nearest clouds floating gracefully in the hush OF the
evening wore edges Of gold and mockedby their beau
.ifu serenity. the agitation Of US five people who
could no more appreciate our sudden elevation than
Mrs. Shoddy in brown stone
As for the thin man. he complained OF cold and sucked
bis bottle and paid much heed 10 the fat man, who was
once induced to get upon his knees and look over the
edge OF the car.
"I's beautiful - said the fat man with grim effort.
ii more than realizes ali my expectations; pity one
mus. climb so high to see so much"
Here the balloon caught touch OF wind. and shv-
cred. Bless my soul 80 said the fat man will no.
body look after that valve roper
The interior OF the car nov less q medley ofegs,
for three Of vs. were standing up looking at the
world and the sky between which swung rs II for
us exceptional creatures oil gravity were suspended.
aud the conductor who seemed to be tried navigsor.
put in practical explanation or two.
People say can't navigate the air; that's true,
but it Amt going TO be forever Whatever Is worth
anything grows and ii the truth don't keep UP to the
time we can't afford to tell 1t. don't earthly
reason why this ere air which floats gently.
should Mt have roads and teams In IT, II has its storms
and HgLrnings: 50 ias tho People will BE-
drowned. and other people will tumble -
(Here the Fat starts and looks toward the valve
rope) Bat IL don't to me that there's any more
genius required to make q balloon go agiu the wind
than there was to invent the original cart wheel.
day this air idea will strike somebody by mistake
and ell a, once the SKY will grow populou,. There's
many advantages the sky hiss over the earth as q
threaten Of travel 1t won't require a charter from the
Legislature TO build It's roads it won't take NJ with s
lines Of transit the ttlene Of the world which
TO be made to live and not 10 waste In laying out
streets there will bo less force required to dr a0ou.
poets saws The conductor the cad looking at who
are eating cheese mcanwhiIe-for poets who are
always waiting to qu, the world the balloon will give
them every convenience"
Its my impression that su this will happen" says
the fat man. when there's an improvement in valve
ropes II your valve ain secure you know there is
protection any more than II your winippe OF, Of your
control There can't be no safety into these balloons
.stt =. ,s.1 \ muir un
into en-
We all hear these things said with more charity than
we would hear them the solid ground. somehow
sympathy is begoten among us We feel even tnderiy
toward each other, and take the thin mans whisky
with more emotion than We commonly feel ~ the
courtesy.drinking nation beneath us. This old bal
loon, the Quaker City is veteran OF the war; II has
climbed above the pine tops OF Richmond higher than
the campfire smoke OF her defending armies; 1t Las
peeped into the mysteries Of many hidden ngzag OF
breastworks and shells have bust so close TO that;
is swny folds have shiveIed like shpwreck. Strange
is II not to sit in the over the shadosy re-
pose of the Park and look the mighty city TO the
mighter sea- All the is visible TO u.s. but grad
ualy deepening see 1t. and its sails are fading
into the shadows till by and by there ride the earliest
stars where the pilots were scuddng and 20 the moon.
far or though are very high. goes up ambtiousy
Now we tack and veer. and while the world, all
plunged in shadow grows mean in our esteem we pass
the limits Of the Park and the lake floats to the south
ward; and while the Lights OF New York start mp fit
fully and the aisles Of the streets become luminous into
pearl the sun falls TO tho horizon; We can
not 40 10 high but tha, she can evade u.s. IL
Is not a sunse, different from that. which every Bone
diet can SEQ from his honse.top flush Of colors. all
uddy and brok en- by bars of purple and these ni last