The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-01-28
Slistellaneous.
UNPARALLELED ADVENTURE
OF ONE
HANS PFAALL.
lCOSTISUED.l ]

lCONTlNUhDI
In the sides of the covering thus adj
justcd around the car, had been insert
ed three circular panes of thick but
clear glass, through which l could see
without difficulty around Inc in every
horizontal direction. In that portion
of the cloth forming the bottom, was
lik ewise a fourth window, Of the same
kind, and corresponding with small
aperture in the floor of the car itself.
This ena bled me TO see perpcndicularly
down, but ha wing found it impossible
to place any similar contrivance over
head, on account of the peculiar man.
ner of cl Osing up the opening there, e,and
the consequent wrinkles in the cloth, l
could expect TO see no objects situated
dir ectly in my zenith. This, of course,
was Il matter of little consequences; for
had | even been able to place window
at top, the balloon itself would have
pre- vented my making any use oft
About foot below one of the side
windows was a circular opening, three
inc hes in diameter, and fitted with a
brass rim adapted in its inner edge to
the windings of a screw. In this lin
was screwed the large tube of the con-
denser, the body of The machine being,
of course, within the chamber of gum
elastic Through this tube quantity
of the rare atmosphere circumjacent
being drawn by means of rdcuun
Great ed in the body ofthe machine, was
thence discharged, in state of condcn-
sation, to mingle with the thin air al
ready in the chamber. This operation,
being repeated several times, at length
filled the chamber with atmos phere
proper for all the purposes of respira-
tlon. But in SO confined a space it
would, in short time, necessaril y
become foul, and unfit for use from
frequent contact with the lungs.
1t was then elected by small valve
at the bottom of the car the dense all
read lily sinking into the thinner atmo
sphere below. To avoid the inconven
ience Of making total uacuun at any
moment within the chamber, this puri
fication was never accomplished all al
once, but in IA gradual manner,-tht
valve being opened only for few sec
onds, then closed again, until one ol
two strokes from the pump of the con
denser had supplied the place of The
atmosphere elected. For the sake o
experiment | had put the cat and kit
tens in small basket, and suspended
: it outside the car to Il button at the bot
> tom, close by the valve, through which
could feed them at any moment wher
necessary. did this at some little risk
and before closing the mouth of til,
chamber, by reaching under the ca
, with one ofthe poles before mentioned
: to which a hook had been attached. a
= soon AS dense air was admitted in th'
!; chamber, the hoop and poles becam
unnecessary; the expansion of the en-
closed atmosphere powerfully distend
- ing the gum elastic.
BY the time | had fully completed
these arraEgements,a and filled the cham
ber as explained, it wanted only tel
minutes of nine o'clock. During IT,
n whole period ofmy being thus employ
\ ed, / endured the most terrible distrea
u from difficulty of respiration; aud bi'
of terly did l repent the negligence, o
rather fool-hardiness, of which ha