Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-08-02
Balloon Ascension from siOnfpelicr,
JUIV lTh, 1871

Balloon Ascension from siOnfpelicr,
July 18th, 1871.
At an interview on the morning OF Mon
day, July Sd. with the Committee and Gas
Officials the latter gentlemen informed me
that they had supposed it would make no
difference whether the balloon was filed il
a couple Of hours or as many days; and as
but one Of their banks orrctorts was fred up,
it was absolutely necessary that part Of the
gas should be run into the balloon on the
afternoon Of the Sd. Although such course
was very Objectionable for many reasons,
(most of which were stated) yet, there being
no alternative, | reluctantly as-ented and
made Immediate preparations therefor. l de-
sire here and now to state, that no reflection
whatever is justly chargeable either to the
Committee or the Gas Officials, for the fact
that the ascension had to be made with a
partially filled balloon On the contrary.
everything in their power was done to the
very utmost 10 insure a successful exhibition.
On the evening of the ID at 6 O'Clock the
first flow Of gas commenced. and in a couple
Of. hours or 50 there were By estimate five
thousand cubic feet Of gas transferred t. the
balloon. From this time until about p. NJ
Of the 4th, the gas was alterna tely shut ofT OF
let on as required for Illuminating purposes.
At the last mentioned hour notice was re-
ceivcd from the works that we had exhausted
their supply, and that no more gas could De
furnished Mr. James Starkweathcr. my
very efficient c1-ldjutJr, upon whom, hy his
own election, the cxhausting hlJrs Of iuta
ton had wholly deyolved.i at 3.J5 T. NJ
announced everything ready for the ariaI
Il gFrt at this moment was more than ever
impressed with the hazardous journey before
me and a rapid summing up % tho conditions
Of "the situation developed the followin.
First the gas at our command instead % bc-
ing sufficient to lift two persons. together
with a liberal supply Of ballast as originally
intended, was found % be only capable Of
taking the pronaut and thirty five pounds
Of sand, quantity by no means adequate tn
insure "a safe landing in high wind OF
course il was necessary under these circum-
stances 10 leave behind everything that could
lie dispensed with, such AZ the barometer.
thermometer, field glass, oYcrcoot. etc.
Secondly, the wind, which hy estimate was
moving at the rate Of twenty-five miles an
hour. such "a wind. with ample means at
hand To regulate the motions OF the balloon.
would possess no particular terrorS 10 nm OK
perenced air navigator. but where the
means Of so regulating the motion are wholly
wanting, il renders a safe descent diihcuIt Il
not impossible. Now what was To be- done
either the ascension was ID he mad. fllu. III
the qualification Of the largest crowd ever
assembled in Montpelier, or they were H. Ie
sent away grumbling and dissatisfied j it bad
been postponed to a future day A. far MS
the assembled multitude could b. expected
to understand the case. there was nothing -
prevent Carrying out the advertised pro-
grammc And had pOstp0ncmeut been am
nounced, the disappointment. To say the east.
would have provoked many hard thoughts
and expressions, and perhaps something
worse For these and many other reasons
that would require too much space to -pc-
city, | decided % %, and accordingly, al the
appointed time, the last connection with
earth was severed, and the ascent beg.u l5
would be proper 10 mention here that the
place chosen tor the imitation was admirably
sheltered from the force Of the wind by 4
noble row Of trees and a high canvass screen
enclosing the ground As the balloon rose
above It's shelter it driven by the power
OF the wind into the tops Of the trees be-
tween it and the State House, momaurarilv
checking it, motion swinging clear Of these,
the basket struck heavily against a aml
post. It was evident that all the ballast
must be Immediately thrown Out u prevent
the apparatus from dashing into the walls of
the State House this being promptly done,
+ SO largely increased the ascenslve power, that
all earthly obstacles were cleared at a bound.
had hoped and expected to get away from
the ground without discharging the whole of
the ballast. With eight or ten pounds of the
same, a tOlerably safe landing might have
been made within few miles Of Montpelier.
But this was not to be, and for the first time
IN my balloon experience, was utterly pow
erless to control my descent, which must
take place whenever am wherever the gradu-
al loss Of gas should compel. Having no
barometer L had no means Of determin ing the
altitude, but should Judge that few min
utes after starting 1t must have been nearly
or quite two miles. The atmosphere was
generally clear, and with a good field glass,
/ should have probably been able to discover
many points Of interest invisible to the IN
assisted eye. Experts in the art Of balloon
ing, will readily understand the reason WHY
decided not % open the valve but for the
benefit Of others | will state, that such a
course would have added to danger already
sufficiently formidable; besides, it would
have been, to certain extent, taking nv
fate into my own hands, instead Of trusting
wholly in Providence, as | had mentally re
solved to do, when the desperate condition
Ol my affairs was fully realized.
At twenty five minutes past FIVE, it became
apparent that my final contact with earth
must soon be made. According to tie best
information | have since been able to obtain.
the balloon must have travelled at a rate OF
speed of about fifty miles an hour It, path
had evidently deyiated many times in either
direction from a straight line; (thc place OF
landing is said to be forty six miles from
Montpelier-) L confess that, within the lin
its to which 1 must here confine myself. | am
unable adequately to convey an idea ol the
tuInultuous character Of the landing. SuC
flee 1t to say, that the grapple caught for an
instant only TO be violently wrenched away
several times, until at last an anchorage was
securely effected, and | was enabled to ex-
plode tue balloon. Probably not more than
thirty seconds had elapsed from the first con-
tact, TIL the whole apparatus lay without
motion upon the ground but during this
short interval, it had been alternately thrown
10 the earth, and jerked, j know OF no other
word to express the motion,) violently IN