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

oil W Ho purpose, lOT uO SOunQ came up
to our ears in return. All was of death
like stiffness, save the notes of falling
water, and the solitary cry of loon,
which we heard out upon the lake.
..AND ANOTHER"
We had passed by the first light
little distance when we discovered an
other near the waters edge (or upon the
water-we were unable to tell which,
quarter of a mile, possibly, north of
the first one. 1t appeared to be moving
about, but whether in search of the loon
or of benighted wanderers upon the lake,
as they might possibly have thought us
in case they heard our cries, we had no
means of telling. The latter supposi-
tion was hardly plausible, for we should
have heard their shouts in reply That
they would see the balloon was vet more
improbable for the reason that it was
quite dark and we were floating just be-
low and sometimes in masses of clouds.
A third light sprung up somewhere east
of the stream leading into Umbagog from
the east, but all our shouting had no
effect and we foated onward toward the
wilderness. 1t would have been a diff
cult matter to have landed anywhere in
| ho h. 1o1 i
by dense forests, and we should surely
have had trouble in the tree-tops or in
the water. Mr.. King thought if occa-
sion offered he might come down in the
water and float to the shore, but this
course was POW wholly impracticable,
for lakes and rivers were being placed
between us and the remotest trace of civ
ilization, and We might be compelled to
wander for days and days before we
should be able to reach the opposite side
or encounter logging camp or hunt
ing party. Nevertheless we took the
precaution to note the position of the
lights in connection with our course, to
serve our purpose in case of a descent
within reasonable distance of them.
TAKING AN ACCOUNT OF STOCK.
We were inevitably drifting toward
the heart of the wilderness with the
prospect that the buoyant resources of
the balloon would become exhausted
long before the region was passed. That
we shonld be compelled to come down
in these wilds seemed almost certain
Under these circumstances we proceeded
to examine our own resources to ascer-
tain what we had at our command to
aid US in a prolonged sojourn in the
woods and to plan toward economizing
them as far as possible. In the first
place our provisions were limited, and
we decided to go without our supper in
!. order to make them last the longer. We
were going into a section aboundlng in
fish and game, but single fsh-line and
two pocket knives comprised all our i'm
plements of offence and defence. Fire
arms we had none, and yet the forests
of upper Maine and Canada are traversed
by bears and other wild animals. We
mustered four matches, and these were
all the means we had of creating fire.
The prospect was anything but cheer
full one, but we were determined to make
6 the best of it. Mr.. King had the inten-
tion of letting the balloon descend tc
the earth, and of retaining it there with.
out further loss of gas until a favorable
+ wind might arise to watt us backward
on our course or in southerly or west
q erly direction. All this could be effect.
q ed only in the event of our finding q
}. convenient landing place, and an alb
o sence of wind at the surface A forced
o descent among the tree-tops or rapid
&c movement of the balloon in our approach
4 to them might be productive of extrem;
i. danger. We had one attachment to tht
n balloon-the guide rope-which proved
of incalculable advantage to us on sever
+ al occasions when we approached th,
. surface, its gathering weight upon tn,
n tree-tops or the earth serving to checl
- the downward course of the balloon.
LONG AND WEARY NIGHT
% Night had now fully set in, and
dark, dreary, dismal night it was;
! night beset with hopes and fears, an,
II of incidents of most thrilling charac
,s ter. 1t was perhaps half past nine o
4, ten o'clock when the range of lakes an,
Mount Carmel faded away from our Wis
4 ion. The darkness prevented us fron
,s ascertaining the hour by means of ou
y watches. The storm clouds appeared t
settle lower, and we were frequently i
!, the midst of the rainfall which gradual
- ly wet US through and through in spit
" of the partial protection afforded by tn
Il umbrella, which we spread within tn
i, hoop over our heads. Without this pre-
:. lection we should have been thorough
&c drenched within half an hour after leay
of ing Plymouth. The greater part of th
! time we were in the clouds, sometime
: at very considerable hight-two mile
. or more. The temperature was mil
- near the surface, probably in the fftiet
10 but we were often in cold atmospheI
- which chilled us to the very marrow
/. our bones, wet as we were. Besides tb
.o11 for, f,,ro 4loro ,,,o,o IL o4l.~