Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-12-29

lenville, Ulster county, this State. He
says:
| There wss q large crowd of spectators
within the Pleasure Grounds, and their
qualification at seeing the erostat soar
away heavenward found rent in shout
after shout, and the music Of the band
followed us on our upward course. 1t
was seemingly but moment-though
rising very neutrality-suspicious. the village
and the fields were sunk far below us.
Meanwhile, as we assembled, the view
rapidly expanded, showing us the entire
valley, and, finally, as we rose higher
still, the whole of Ulster, Sullivan, and
Delaware counties,
THE CATsKILL MOUNTAINS,
the boundaries of Pennsylvania, and
much more, were brought into view. My
companion was delighted, his exclama-
lions were enthusiastic, as he drew my
attention from point to point.
Our course below the clouds was to-
wards the northeast. This direction bore
us over the Shawangunk mountains,
which, as we approached, doomed up be-
fore us till we seemed almost to climb Its
steep sides. A little sand thrown out as
sisted US in clearing the summit at con-
siderable elevation, but did not hinder us
from examining its rocky surface. Three
fourths of the way to the top of the noun
tain we noticed long, steep precipice,
and when we reached the loop, we found
there a wide plateau, on which was
pond of water,
A VOICE WAS HEARD BELOW Us,
but we were to much engrossed with the
panorama below and above us to heed
what was sald. We oroeaad the plateau.
and were about a thousand feet above
the mountain top, when its brow began
to lap over the easternmost end of the
village we had left behind. Scarce had
we noticed this, when all further oppor-
tunity for observation was cut short by
the
BALLOON ENTERING THE CLOUDS,
seven minutes and a half from the time
of our departure, and we were out of
sight.
Up to this time we had not noticed any
difference of temperature, but in the
clouds the cold was singing, and our coat
collars were turned up to protect our
ears. The cloud was seemingly quite dry
and light. We were about five minutes
in passing through it,during which time of
course nothing could be seen above or be-
low us, except the balloon. 1 told my
companion that l should
RISE ABOVE THE CLOUDS,
for the purpose of showing him the grand
est sight he ever beheld, and when at last
we broke as it were from our close con-
fnement-from comparative darkness into
the most glorious sunlight, the clear deep
blue sky above, and the dazzling white
clouds beneath our feet-his rapidly re-
peated CALCULATIONS,
Hon OH!
expressed to almost painful degree his
wonder, admiration and awe at the sub
lime scene we beheld. On all sides
lowered mountains of snow-white clouds,
so brilliant that the eye could scarce gaze
upon them. Between these, dark CULTS
and long and deep ravines. In keeping
with the rest the temperature rose to a |
genial warmth, so that it seemed like a |
sudden transition from winter to summer
Over against one of the mountains of va
por we have portrayed remarkable pie
ture; the sun, which is low
CASTS THE SHADOW OF THE BALLOON
H,t
yet leaving it quite distinct, car and all
From the car of the shadow radiates
halo in rainbow colors, forming a circle
larger than the figure of the balloon itself |
1t was altogether a very beautiful and
singular phenomenon. But the balloon
feels the rarifying power of the sun, and
from this cause bSgins to mount more
rapidly, soon
LEAVING THE CLOUDS FAR BENEATH
Us.
AS re rose, the extent of our view in
creased. There were more mountains.
and dark Swallowed valleys and chasms as
the eye could reach. At these heights
we found different currents of air the
clouds were moving east above them we
entered a swlfter current, running in the
same direction. This was so rapid as to
make the cloud appear at first to be NOV
ing towards point of the compass exact
ly opposite of that to which we were sail.
ing, and we were inclined to believe for
awhile that our course had changed, and
that we were returning over the noun
tain. A small opening in the clouds how
ever permitting US to see the earth be-
low, set us right again; for, with compass
in hand, we found, that like the clouds
we were travelling to the eastward. But
this did not last long, for at still greater
elevation our course changed again, and
we were moving southerly at right angles
with the course of the clouds. As we
passed in the neighborhood of the Wall
kill Valley Railroad,
WE COULD HEAR TRAIN OF CARS.
passing beneath, though of course we
could not see them. Through an opening
we deserted large fire, apparently that
of a farmhouse and out-buildings.
Through anotherl opening we caught a
glimpse of water, but water it was we
could not determine, though it may have
been the Hudson, for again we heard the
train of cars, which we thought had the
peculiar roar of the Hudson River Rail
road, lying on the river side. AS our
course lay across the clouds, we would
sometimes be over those parts
on which the sun shone SO brilli-
antly, and, at other time, over
those in shadow. When over the former
the temperature was much higher than
when above the latter. We were this
lime much lower than we had been for
some time previous. Our descent was
caused by the overflow of gas, which
takes place as the balloon ascends into a
rare atmosphere. At the highest, we
were perhaps about
TWO MILES ABOVE THE EARTH, Il
as I judged by the appearance of objects
seen through the opening in the clouds.
third railroad train below seemed to
inform us that we were in the vicinity of
'he Harlem railroad, and Just after this
break in the clouds revealed, to the south
west, the Hudson river at Crenger's Point. ,
We had evidently crossed the river at
Newburg. Losing sight of the Hudson
liver we were once more lost in the clouds,
'ut this did not last long, for soon there I
was general breaking up of the clouds, l
md we found ourselves travelling over a I
beautiful country
COVERED WITH FARMS AND VILLAGES. !.
As we sank below the clouds the sun ,