Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-05-03

AhHiLLlNd ADVANTAGEOUS dali day ii
August, just after noon, balloon rose 10 the
air at the foot Of Coet Hills, on the western
edge OF the centre plain of England 1t was
Inflated with the lightest Of gases which chemi
cal skill could produce, and it rose with anna
zlng velocity. A mile up and it entered o
stratum OF cloud mere than a thousand feet
thick. Emerging from this, the sun shone
brightly on the air line ), the sky overhead
was OF the clearest aud deepest blnc
ana below lay cIoudland-an immeasurable ex.
panse OF white clouds whose surface looked As
Sohd as that the earth now wholly lost to view.
Lofty mountains, and deep, dark rayines. an.
peared below the peak and the sides of those
CLOUD mountains next to the sun glittrring like
snow out casting shadows as if they were
solld rock. Up rose the balloon with lremcn.
dous velocity. -Four miles above the earth a
pigeon was looSed; 1t dropped down as if it was
4 stone. The air was too thin to enable it TO
hy. 1t was as if barQue laden to the deck
were to pass from the heavy waters of the sea
into an inland unsane lake, the barque would
SILK at once in the thinner water. Up, up,
still higher What i silence profound The
nelghts OF the sky were still as the deepest
depths OF the ocean, where, as was found du.
ring the search tor the lost Atlantic cable, the
mud lies as unstirred from year to year as the
dust which !mperceptibiy gathers on he iurni.
turc OF deserted house No sound, no ic--
only the bright sunshine falling through sky
1t could not warm.
up-mileS above the earth higher than
the inaccessible summit of Ctimbarazo or
Dawaneltl:, Despite the sunshine, everything
freezes. Tho air grows toe thin TO support
lite, even for a few minutes Two mcn only
are IN that adventurous balloon-the one steer
ing the air ship, the other watching the scien-
tine Instruments, and recording them with
rapidly OF long practice. Suddenly, as the
latter looks at his instrument his sight grows
dim ne takes lens to help his sight, and
only marks from the falling barometer that
they are testing rapidity. Brandy is within
foot Of him he tried to reach it, but his
aims refused to obey his will. He tries to
call on his comradc, who has gone up in the
ring above, whisper in that deep sllenes
would sutice-but no sound comes from l:is
lips-he is voiceIes5. The steersman comes
down in the car he sees his comrads in
swoon, and ne feels his own sense failing him.
He saw at once that lille and death hung
upon few. moments He seized or tried
10 seize the valve, in order to let out the gas
He seized the valve with his teeth. it opened
a httle-once, twice, thrice. The balloon
began to descend. Then The swooned marks
man returned to consciousness and saw the
steersmau standing before him. lie looked
at his Instruments but now the barometer
was rising--rapidy the balloon was descending
Brandy was used. They had been higher
above the earth than mortal man or ans
living thing had ever been before. One
minute more of inaction-of compulsory iDao
tion-on the part of q steersman whose senses
were falling him, and the air ship with its
intensely rare6ed gas would have been float
ing unattended, with two corpseH. in tho wide
realms of space.
FEMALE SUFFRAGE.-Yhc St. Paul Press
prints long communication from n lady who
opposes female suffrage, aud who, in her en-
thusiasm, breaks into parodic poetry at the
close OF which the followingstanzas is specl,
men:
"The vote that all are praiSlng
Is not the vote for re;
Its claims are so amazing,
I'D rather far be free.
But there's vote in yonder crib,
A baby vote, clear, shrill, and glib,
That vote is worth the raising,