The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-14
UP IN Il BALLOON.
A Woman Gives her Experience.

Mrs. Charles Wise, wife of the @ronaut,
made balloon ascension with him the other
day, at Lancaster. She writes:
When my husband announced that he would
sell the vacant seat in his balloon chariot, "Ju-
piter.n I resolved to be the highest bidder,
though it should be thousand dollars; when
he yery grayely suggested to me about the
nav having, as he he said, two cash offers OF
8fty dollars each. told him mine was hun
dred dollars-paid In advance by numerous
charges against him for darning stockings and
sewing on his buttons for ten years past. From
this he made no appeal, but said, "all right,
you shall 60"
day afternoon, Jupiter being sufficiently in1a-
ted, l stepped into the wicker car thereto at
tached and with throb of delight loomed up
over the centre of the city. The multitude
below. with upturned faces-the rattling
sound of martial music-the shouts of ap-
plause-and the earth with all Its life, gra-
duallv sinking down - down down-still
deeper down, excited me very much, and
invOluntarily began to wave my kerchief In
response to the happy salutations Of my good
friends below.
My husband handed me the talismanic flag
to wave, while he would throw overheard bal
last composed of bundles of business circulars,
and up, up we went at glorious rate. My
replies to his questions for awhile were only
"Splendid splendid !" My heart was palpi-
tating with Joy over the beauties spread out
beneath and around, so that could do nothing
but gaze upon the grand scene before me.
When we got beyond the built-up part Of the
city, ventured my head through the barrier
of ropes to look straight down, and beneath1
spied what seemed nice little Christmas gar
den, with little buildings in the middle, which
my husband told me was Franklin and Mar
shall College, and just at this moment milk
like yapor rushed down before and under
meath us, entirely obscurlng the world below.
All at once my Joy and observation changed to
feeling of mazement-amazemen most
profound. Oh, what solemn silence sur
rounded us. 1t was an awfully mysterious
thing to me, how this heavenly curtain of dew
drops could so suddenly wrap itself all around
u.s.
The big pufed-up globe above our heads,
scarcely visible, seemed to bend and stagger
with this load of vapor weighing upon 1t.
Presently cheerful, mellow glimmer of light
came from above, which cheered lis again into
conversation. Here Mr.. w. threw Overboord
q considerable bundle of business cards, and
as they scattered through this Illuminated
cloud they cracked like little t0rpedoes.
wondered what caused 1t. Mr.. w. said: "It
sounds like electric sparks" AS they hoated
about, they shone like silver and gold.
Presently we came out at the top of this
cloud and here again came new scene. How
beautifully strange up here-great big masses
of white. soft-looklng, heecy clouds below. On,
they looked as soft and silky as the finest
down, and they rolled about, as 1t were, In
wanton voluptuousness. "But, where are we
now-we are entirely partitioned of; how Will
we get ?" Mr.. w. said: ~ will take you
down now: but before we 20, let us eat bite
OF our provisions, kindly furnished us by our
friend .JOhn Sides
"No, Indeed" said 7, "this Is a feast of rea-
son; can only feast with my eyes" But, to
please him, l ate q few grapes OIL ounch
placed in the car by John Adams. which ne
was devouring with gusto that Indicated
keen appetite, as he also got out of the basket
a roasted fowl TO regale himself with. While
In this solemn stiffness was suddenly startled:
sIOh. what was that?" Mr.. w. said: ~ let OIL
some gas to 90 down." When the valve
snapped shut, it cracked like q gun, and made
me tremble for moment-it made such
strange noise up there.
Now we gently and softly sank down through
this f1eecy bed below; in its mist IL was more
dark this time, and as we came out gradually
below, | saw the city as behind thin gossa-
mcr curtain, and now came such Gathering
of iron wheels, and putting OF steam engines,
and ringing of bells, contrasting strangely
with the bright, silent world above the clotids'
Here we could see the beautiful Susqnehan-
ia, and here and there village peerlng from
behind q dark cloud, and the people Del0w
hallooing all around us, and heard voice
distinctly cry, "Charley, come down, down
come dOwn-cOmc down !"
We repeated these cloud scenes five or SIX
times, going up and down, and | was almost
led to believe that when we shall change from
mortality to Immortality, 1t will be our happy
destiny to soar through the realms OF space,
visiting, on spiritual wing, this globe for e tne
good book tells us that, "ln my Fathers mouse
when I was way up above the Clouds, that ! !
was in the house ofGod-it was so soemnly
grand and sublime.