The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-02-15
Chr seelforl Gazette.
UP IN TEEE CEOUDS.
4 Tale of an Air Voyage.
BY J. +.
BY J. f.

the comparatively few, received Cne
following note from Prof. Colchester
"MY DEAR FAIRCHILD: Baum has
disappointed me-he will not go up to-
day. There are only four besides my
self-two ladies and two gentlemen.
Will YOU take BIS place? Let me know
positively by three O'Clock, for another
gentleman has applied for passage,
and my answer to him will depend on
yours to me. We are advertised for 4,
and shall certainly cut loose by 5. |
give you the preference over all Others,
but please decide assoon as possible. |
cannot foresee the result, of course, but
the day promises to be fine and / think
the trip will be an agreeable one to all
parties"
This note was signed and dated from
a well-known garden in the subul bs Of
London, and, as has probably been
c0njectured, was a special invitation to
make an ascent in a balloon, then a
much rarer venture than now. 1t had
long been wish of mine to see terra
Jfrn,G from the clouds, and now | could
have my desire gratified. The profes-
sor had already made three ascensions
with passengers, and as this was an
nounced as his last for the season, l
lost no time in agreeing to become one
of the privileged few for an aerial
fight.
The day promised to be all that could
be desired. 1t was clear without being
hot, and there was little or no breeze.
Between 3 and O'Clock | was at the
garden, and saw the balloon in the act
of being inflated. As man surveys
a ship in which he is about to embark
for an uncertain perilOus voyage, SO did
/ examine my aerial vessel. AS far as
I could judge, everything was right.
1t was a monster in size, made of the
best lutestring silk, and required 10000
cubic feet of gas to fill it. This silk
was well covered with an elastic coat
ing of oil and india rubber, and further
protected by close net work of Italian
hemp; but still, as l looked up at it,
slowly swaying and rolling from side
to side, swelling out with gas and tug
ging to get loose from its fastenings, |
thought how comparatively frail a
thing it was to carry humanity above
the clouds and through the mid-heav-
ems, and I shuddered at the thought of
what would become of us should any
portion or II give way in the thousand
different strains it would be putt to in the
ever-varying strata Of air. Attached
to the balloon, by eight strong ropes,
was car Of wicker-work, capable of
containing twelve persons-though,
compared to the balloon in size, it was
a pea suspended below the point of a
large humming-tOp.
At O'Clock the professor announ-
ced everything was ready for start,
and we, the passengers, Immediately
took leave of our friends and entered
the car. There were some laughing,
some crying, according to the different
views of the various parties. In one
case a husband and father was leaving
his wife and children, who clung to
him with such fondness, and sopiteous-
ly begged him not to do 50, that had l
been in his place / certainly should
have remained with them. He, how
ever, continued firm to his purpose,
and made so light of their fears, that at
length they began to smile-thOugh |
shall never forget the agonized express
glimpse of it at the moment when we
were bounding into the world of air.
"Give my love to the man in the
moonp cried a merry voice.
"Just put a heXtinguisher hover one
of the stars!" exclaimed a true-blood-
ed cockney.
"Bring us back a chunk Of chain
lightningn' laughed third.
"Don't come down fast enough to
butt hole through the earth - shout
ed a fourth.
AT exactly 5:20 the signal was given,
the rope was severed and away we few,
amid the shouts and plaudits of the as
Sembled crowd, and next to half of Lon
don, who were in the streets looking at
us. 1t did not seem TO us as if we mo-
we'd, but as if we were remaining sta
tiOnary and the earth was receding from
us. | experienced sensation of gid
dineSs and nausea, which at first de-
stroyed all my pleasure and both of
the ladies, almost fainting, threw them
selves down in the bottom of the car,
and clung spasmodically to whatever
they could get hold of. Fortunately
these disagreeabIe sensations did not
last long, and in a few minutes we
were all on our feet, delighted with
the magnificent panorama spread out
before us.
London had become a dense cluster
of little toy houses the Thames was
a mere silver ribbon; the bridges over
it looked like twigs; the shipping OH
it were only nut-shells cut in half; st.
Paul's Cathedral resembled a snuff-bOX
with fancy carving, and miles of cOun-
try appeared to be but variegated a
ere of scenery. Asfor people, could
not distinguish them at all with the ma
ked eye, and through the glass they
seemed rather like the smallest kind of