The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-02-08


Ided. We aQere rising, and gentle soptb
! east |iFd was bearing Us directly uudei
me BLACK archway OF, one Of the grea
clouds, which seemed gathering from
every q uarter of the sky II was a day
Fol intense summer heat below, and th,
cool calm air Of these upper regions va:
"a aieiu 70 body aud spirit. Soon Wa
plunged INTO he deuse, tremulous mis-
above. Anon cainetifted openings, grea
/ Gothic portals, through which we csug h
/ SlimPses of the green earth, the dietaui
MOUNTAINS, the blue sky. acd other cloud
Islands "a that infiaita sea. All was in
exPressibly grand and wonderful, aud m
spirit could only express itselGin Shout
ing song OF exulta,ion. CLOS
Ny laciturn companion sat quietly,
like oRe.aecustcmed 10 these wonders. :
/ Suddenly the air grew colder We
were entering different atmosphere.
was startled by loud roaring aud rush
Ing sound overhead a black, funnel
shaped aperture opened in the clouds
nearly above US, into which all things
seemed 10 be pouring with frighlful ra-
| pidIty. The aronaut snatched The rope
connecting with lie escsre valve, ex
fciaiming:
I'VE must go down; we shall else be
drawn TO the vortex
But The rope resisted his efforts Sw0l-
len by tie mist. it could not be drawn
through lie pulley. He pulled it again.
and again, with frantic energy. but IN
vain. Both of US applied our utmost
strength. Il broke short off in The pull
ley, nigh up. bsyound our reach, leaving
US the helpless prey of the tempest.
So the moment of possible escape pass
ed, aud we went piunging upv ard into
that naelstrOm OF pitehy blackness, in-
tense Geld. binding slett. and wldrlipg
cloud. The ascent see med ipteImiEable;
but at last blinded. stunned bewildered,
breathless, we were thrown cut into the
clear sunshine above he cloud, only to
plunge Thousand feet downward, and
be again dra wn up into that fearful heart
of the tempest, o
This was again and again repeated, be-
tore we could recover sense or breath
enough to take any active measures for
Escape. When we emerged the fourth time
upon the surface. the ae ronaut shrieked
in agony-"'God help Us il we travel that
road again! There will be Lightning soon.
He sprang into the cordage. climbing
desperately TO reach the top of the bal
loon, and so open the escape valve. But.
he was benumbsd with cold, and made
slow progress. Before be had assembled
half way, the balloon, which was swoop
ing downward ike some gigantic bird Of
prey, suddenly ceased its motion, aud
again rushed madly upward into the
vortex soc g. 4 sar se4a4 a-
No words of mine can do justice o
what followed, As | lay back in my seat,
with an awful, crushing ter
ror. I noticed that my fur garments were
sparkling with electric flashes. My han
stood straight on end. and the cordage
of the car. played upon by the wind, Ut
tered low musical vibrations. Another
instant, and the rising electric surge burst
upon us in one broad, dazzling. binding
sheet Of fame, with so awful reverJs
ration5GhatI was utterly paralyzsd and
powerless. But nay eyes were open; and
by that iLfernal glare, saw my compan
lone fingers relax their hold; he to2pled
heavily over, aud sank to destruction in
that chaos of fame and storm!
Hours had passed, when once more
awoke to life aud motion. Silence. as of
death, surrounded me, and every Eerve
was singing with intense frost, l was
gaspiug for a scanty breath. Blood was
trucking from my lips and nostrils; and
congealing upon my face in ghastly ici-
cles. The sun was glaring with sharp
white light, from aIuniverse of blaekness,
and the consultations were shining as II
it were midnight. Below me nothing
was visible but an ocean of motionless,
snowy cloud, stretching away into infinite
space. Into what strange realm OF won
ders had been translated2
Slowly thought aud reason resumed
their sway and | at length began to com
prehend my true situation. Freed from
the weight of my companion, the balloon
had risen above the cloud, aud, was
now floating almost upon the surface Of
the great air ocean. I had passed in safe
ty through the secret chambers OF the
tempest AMI whirlwind, where few may
look and live. Wssit ouiy to perish in
these unexplored upper abys-es? Ny
human spirit acbed and trembled at The
sublimity Of heaven; and longed with a
sick, inexpFessible yearuing. for the green
earth and homes of men. which, / knew,
lay somewhere in the depths of the Vapor-
Gus sea be!ow.-
But how was l to return? Help and
rescue seemed anattaina5ie Could
await the slow escape OF the gas. and the
consequent settling Of the balloon into
lower spaces /? Ny physical agony told
me too well that | could not live another
hour iG that thin lifeless, worse than ar
tic atmosphere. The escape valve was
beyond my reach. Ny benumbsd limbs
and slifened fingers were unabls to aid
me IN any attempt to climb the cordage,
felt as If doomed to erish.
Isuddenly remembered the vial OF al :
cholic cordisl in the car, and inding it,
drank copi5ls draughrs It went through
me like electricity, aud my blood circula-
ted with fresh vigor. i was once more
able to act. The car seemed to be mo,
tionless as a mountain. did not know
that5I had risen into the great Uppel
Current. the inner ciFcleof the vortex
which WhiTls our earth through inmens-
| ity 10 It's clasp-that I was that moment
driving eastward, over plain and river.
.CevenHes and Appehihes, at The rae Of
two hundred miles as hourl
1 climbed half way up. snd knife ia
hand, made a large cat IN the silk, and