Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-10-14

10 secure 1t there was the next task.
To reach this spot, and to escape from
running against some dead trees, Mr..
King had swung his craft around by at
taching the anchor-rope to a tree-top,a and
in so doing had been compelled to leave
the rope behind. This was small loss,
however, for there was no need to use
the anchor. and if there had been a
piece of the guide rope would have serv-
ed as we'll. Cutting off piece of the
guide rope, which was easily hauled into
the basket, it having detached itself
from the branches, Mr.. King succeeded
in tying it securely to the top of tree
upon one side of the balloon, while
held the machine down to the topmost
branches of another Then the tying
operation was repeated in another direc-
ton, and a few strengthening cords were
added all around.
GETTING DOWN TO TERRA FIRMA.
The balloon was now firmly fixed, but
the basket was yet about thirty feet from
the ground. The upper branches of the
trees were slender and we could by no
means think of trusting ourselves to
their frail support. The only remain
ing course for us to take was to descend
the guide rope hand-over-ha and this
we prepared to do. First letting down
the lunch basket Gas yet untouched) the
barometer and thermometers by means
of strings, to insure their safety, and de-
posting upon the ground in more I'M
ceremonious way the less precious arti-
cles, we made ourselves ready for the
downward journey The two ends of
the guide rope were fastened to the ropes
above our heads making two lines to the
ground, and we at first planned to de-
scend together, one on each rope 1t
was subsequently deemed best for Mr..
King to descend and to attach one of the
ropes to tree as an additional means of
securing the balloon from sudden rise
This desig was carried into effect, and
swinging himself clear of the basket he
brought himself to the earth in safety.
After he had made one rope fast to a
neighboriug tree, l put myself in order
, for the cloud-swing performance. The
| rain was still descending in torrents, but
f | cast my overcoat overheard for fear OF
/ carrying overweight. Stepping upon the
edge of the basket outside the supporting
cords with as much lightness and spright-
| illness as an amateur of one hundred and
l seventy pounds could be expected to dis
play, | threw myself gracefully aloo1
e from the car as closely after the manner
S of a Hanlon as memory and circumstances
t would command This part of the per
< formance was an entire success. The de
e scent was also success in its way, bu
: it was an exhibition so quickly finished
f that it could have afforded very littl
g satisfaction to the spectator. Itcertain
y ly afforded very small amount to tn
performer. Nevertheless all's we'll tina
II ends we'll, and we were both at the foo
1t of the rope safe on the solid earth, with
if out any i'll effect whatever from gu
n speedy change of base. The balloon ha'
l. come to stand-still among the tree-top
IL at five o'clock, and precisely two hour
le were spent in securing it there and i
t. preparing to leave it.
1t OUT OF THE WOODS.
s. We lost no time in starting ON GU
re tramp in search of road we had see
y while in the balloon, and in finding GU
IS way out of the woods.
- OUR WHEREABOUTS.
is After two or three miles travel "
in came to a log cabin occupied by Frenc
IL Canadians. They did not know what
re, balloon was and had never heard of on
n, but we cleaned from them that there W;
W a telegraph station only a mile furth'
Iy on, and that we had reached the Mat
he pediac road, few miles from the paris
we of st. Moines, in the county of Rimou
'ss ki, Province of Quebec.
ito OUR VOYAGE AND THE DISTANCE.
lis In the absence of maps of the regit
by it was almost impossible to estimate
to the distance travelled by the balloo
and in the Geographic report of our Ian
he ing it was very considerably misunde
an stood. When we landed we were ira
on cling backward on our track, and in t
he early morning hours we had twice a
as preached the coast of the Gulf of s
use Lawrence, once going far out to sea-
be From our landing place to the near,
fog point ON the St. Lawrence River, San
it'll Bay, the distance is ten to twelve mil
ent but we must have approached the shol
IL of the bay and not those of the riv
yer A northeasterly course, in which we h
We been travelling through the night, wor
of have brought us to the coast somewh,
ees in the vicinity of Matane, thirty-fve
the forty miles beyond Sayabec, and one
me the last parishes in the Province of Q,
bee. The whole distance travelled nj
have been over five hundred miles,
md which some eighty-ive miles were o.
the the State of New Hampshire, upward
hen two hundred over Maine, nearly two hi