Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-09-29
=" Up in a BalleOB."

Miss Thurston recently made balloon
ascension at Watertown, n. Y. The fol.
lowing graphic description of her journey
is from the Watertown Times
~ AT half past four in the afternoon Mr..
Squire assured me that my air. ship was
ready for its trip to the ETHEREAL regions
| stepped into the car, and when he had
adjusted the ballast and severed the last
cord which held me to earth, started on
my journey heavenward. The first bound
of the liberated monster caused a stiffness
in the crowd below. 1 could discern
many pallid face watching the seemingly
frail cord which held my Car suspended
beneath my favorite steed that, with wild
: haste, was so defiantly blowing its way
towards the ETHEREAL blue. I rose upward,
still upward, till reached Just the right
altitude to appreciate those lines of Camp
bell, That distance lends enchantment
to the view." The earth seemed moving
like panorama beneath me. At q GER
tain height the landscape appears like a
gigantic picture painted by a master hand
the hillsides were clothed with an en-
erald mantle the leaves on the trees glis-
tened in the sunlight, the streams of
water appeared like threads of silver wind
ing IN and out among the meadows, and
finally losing themselves in the shadows
of the woodlands. The crowd beneath
me presented the appearance of an army of
Lilliputians. To the west lay Lake On
tario, its limpid waters gsyly rejecting the
sunbeams
al passed directly over the beautiful
city OF Watertown, whose numerous spires
seemed like tiny fingers pointing out to
the world my upward fight. The houses
reminded me OF editices was in the habit
of erecting when a child with the assist
ance of blocks. The whole picture was a
consistent one-a miniature world inhabit-
ed by a miniature people. l noticed a
train of cars crawling along beneath me-
so minute were they that l could hardly
realize that they were not toys. tighten
ed my balloon by throwing overheard a
small quantity OF sand, and continued my
upward course-eyery thing beneath me
became more and more indistinct; the
hills subsided into the valleys, and all ap-
peared like one great plain. Then every
vestige,Of earth gradually disappeared as
I entered the bank of apparently impena-
trable mist, after which emerged through
a feathery archway INTO a dazzling white
- vi sunlls ut, more glorious than my read-
ers could ever imagine. l was now solitary
and sl.ne, at least three miles above the
earth. had reached an elevation where
1t was intensely cold, and the ringing
sensation in my ears was decidedly un.
pleasant. The scene at this point was as
sublime as il was terrible. l could but re-
call those familiar lines,
" 1 am monarch of all 1 survey"
and Gaze upon my vast esta'e. Far be-
meath me fiOated numerous Clouds like
billo 6y ocean of molten silver. while above
me still remained the blue dome of heav-
en-, in all its cloudless splendor 80 ell
,.chalted was l with the ever-changing
scene as I sailed away through the track.
less fields of air l wondered if should
be content to return to that busy hum
drum lile that beautiful, yet tantaliziDg
world, where the joys seem so small and
the grief so large where disappointments
crowd so fast upon each other, and the
realization of anticipated pleasures is so
slow in coming.
~ nile lost in contemplation ofscenery,
the grandeur and majesty of which thrill
cd my whole soul, / suddenly remember
ed that miles away multitude were anXi-
ously awaiting my return Reluctantly
opened the valve, and allowed a portion
OF the buoyant element to escape. l de-
scended gently toward the misty vapor,
and discovered it had undergone trans
formation as sudden as it was marvellous
The clouds, as If touched by the wand Of
an enchantTess, now appeared like snow
were sparkling i'll the sunlight. So dense
were they that l almost unconsciously
reached forth my hand to grasp them, and
found they were only an "ignus fatuus Z"
which continually eluded me.
f. after passing through the last strata of
clouds which separate me from earth,
found myself passing over a small villal e.
This, l afterwards learned, was Redfeld
Square, Oswego County. l held out my
flag-it tloated above me, and knew that
1 was still descending. could hear
voices cllling to me, dogs were barking,
poultry cackling, and cattle scampering in
every direction, as if they were fearful of
swift and sure destruction from the serial
steed which seemed about to alight in their
midst.
After reconsideration concluded that
was not very far from Watertown, and
made up my mind not to alight. Over
board went more ballast, and my noble
Atlantic was soon above the clouds again.
In about twenty minutes l came down to
find good landing place, and much tony
surprise, | found that / was passing di-
reetly over what seemed to me an intermin-
able forest; the sun was fast sinking in the
west, night was approaching, and as far as
the eye could reach was to be seen but
one unbroken wilderness The balloon
Wab lOoluR DOWCl biOWiJ Dul
surely; it descended till within short
distance Of the tree tops, when l threw
out sand, keeping myself afoat just
above them ] now had no thoughts
TO give the scenery-my meditations
were not at all of a pleasant nature
with the prospect of spending the
night, and possibly more than one, with the
fabled panthers and bears of the North
Woods, without food or fire. / was try
ing TO consider what was TO be done in this
dilemma, when, to nay great relief | saw
a small clearing some ways ahead of me
aud was in hopes of reaching it. But {
counter current drifted me back into the
woods. BY this time the gas had become
SO condensed that the balloon commenced
to settle, and descended into the forest
landing in the top of a tall birch. Ont
side of the net became entangled in th'
topmost branch, holding the basket in al
OhliQue position, obiging me 10 rest upoI
It's edge. climbed upon the hoop abov,
the Car and tried TO shake the netting
loose. It was held so firmly could moi
cousoled myself by thinking that wa
doubtless safer suspended in the air, thar
/ would be in the depths of a forest, and
calmly resigned myself TO my late. TAX
ing the empty sandbags for pillow, m,
shawl aud the canvas for blankets, mad
myself as comfortable as possible. wa
Just falling asleep when | thought that
4 IA