Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-01-07
SCIENTIFIC DARING.

One dull day in August, just after
noon, a balloon rose in the air at the
foot of Clees Hill, on the Western
edge of the central plain Of England.
1t was inflated with the lightest Of
gases which chemical skill could pro
duce. and it arose with amazing We
looity. A mile up and il entered a
stratum of clouds moro than thou
sand feet thick. Emerging from this
the sun shone brightlyon the air-sbip;
the sky overhead was Of the deepest
and clcarest blue, and below lay en-
immeasurable expanse Of cloud whose
surface looked as solid as that Of the
earth now wholly lost TO view. Lofty
mountains, and deep, dark ravines
appeared below; the peaks and sides
Of these cloud-mountains glittered like
snow, but casting shadows as black as
if they were solid rock. Up rose the
balloon with tremendous velocity.
Four miles above earth a pigeon was
let loose it dropped down through
the air MS fit had been a stone. The
air was too thin TO enable it to fly.
Ii was as if a ship laden to the deck
were TO pass from the heavy waters
of the sea into an inland unsaline
lake; the bark would sink at once in
the thinner water Up, up, still high
er. What a silence profound ! The
heights of the sky were as still as
the deepest depths of the ocean,
where, as was found during the search
for the lost Atlantic cable, the fine
mud lies as unstirrcd from year 10
year as the dust which imperceptibly
gathers on the furniture of a deserted
house. No sound, nor life-only the
bright sunshine falling through q sky
I il could not warm.
Up-fve miles above oqrth-higher
than theinaccessible summit of Chin
borazo or Dwangiri Despite the
sunshine everything freezes. The
air grows too thin TO support life
even for a few minutes, Two mel
only are in that adventurous balloon
I-the one steering the air ship, tn,
other watching the scientific instru
ments and recording them with ra
pidity bred Of longpractice. Sudden
/ iv. as the latter looks at his instru
mont, his sight grows dim he take
a lens to help his sight, and onl,
marks from the falling baromote
that they are rising rapidly. A tlasI
of brandy lies within foot Of him
Ihe tries to reach It, but his arms re
fuse TO obey his will. He tries Z
call on his oomrade, who has gone u
TO the ring above; whisper in tina
, deem silence would suihce-hut N
, sound comes from his lips-he
I voioeless. The steersman comes dow
into the car; he finds his comrade ]
a swoon, and feels his own sense
failing him.
i He saw at once that life and deaf
hunrupon a few moments. He seize,
or tried TO seize, the valve, in ord'
:, to open il and let out some of the ga
y His hands arc purple with Intent
oold-they are paralyzed, they vi
9 not respond to his will He seiE'
, the valve with his teeth il opened
p Httle-onco, twice, thrice. The b'
!, loon began TO descend. Then q
f, swoonod marksman returned to co
= soiousncss, and saw the steorsmi
standing before him. He looked
y his instrument; they must have be-
y nearly eight miles upj but now q
" barometer was rising rapidly - .
balloon was descendng-brandy W
used. They had boon higher abo
y earth than mortal man or any hvi
I. thing had bocn before. Ono minu
y moro of inaotion-oi compulsory
~ y action-on the part of The stoorm'
" whose senses were failing him, o
y the air ship, withits intensely rari6
lo gas. would have been floating un
M NJ tended, with two oorpses, in The vi
as realms of space.