St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-10-25


bile OF Il distant railway train. We
were travelling at the hight of Il mile or
more. and Immersed wholly in the
clouds aS we were. We could discern
nothing below us. That We were travel
ing ut il very rapid rate WAS rendered
certain 10y our quick approach to Il
region of perfect quiet. The sound of
the waves hrcamc fainter and fainter
and soon died away altogether. We
listened in vain for Il recurrence of the
music of the dancing streams. made 50
familiar to Us through the liVclong
night. tor it had never been stillrd till
now. but no sound reached our ears.
.Am intense and most painful stiffness
rcigncd around us. while the cold and
trcachcrou> waves rolled StcaiihilN he
low. Mr. King pulled the valve cord
for the first time since starting. allow
ING Hnt only the gas to escape hut also
Il shower of water which had collected
upon the top of The waive to come down
through the balloon upon uuI heads.
The sound. although accompanied hy
an Involuntary shoWcr-hatl. WAS vel
come in the terrible stiffness. which
was broken 10y naught else save our
own Voices. Tn" escape of the gii> soon
brought us down through the thick mist.
and then the good services ofthc guide
rope again came into play. The mist
seemed wet and chilly. whereas in all
orn previous approaches To the surface.
we had encountered II warmer and more
comfortable temperature. We soon he
came conscious through Il peculiar hiss
ing sound that the end of the guide
rope was being drawn at Il lively rate
through the water. Indeed 10y taking
hold of the rope. Mr.. King had a>ccr-
tanned when II touched. and 10y the
steady resistance. AZ we'll ~ he peculiar
sound referred to. that it WAS dragging
in the water and not over the tree tops.
The entire length of the rope WAS about
two hundred feet. and u half of il proiI;t-
hlN rested in the water. W" were
doubtless at times within twenty-five
feet of the waves. hut the thick fog en-
Nclupcd u> like Il cloak. and We could
not see them. At no time had We en-
c"umtcr"d such dense and imp"nctrahlc
ml>tS. 1t WAS period "t terrible >u>-
pcm>c. We were surely hcin" driven
over the water. and III all probability
far ont to sea. only one fate Could
await u> under such circumstances. tur
our chance of falling in with Il vessel
at Il great distance from the coast. even
if We should hc able to keep the balloon
above the waves until day light. was
imiimitcsimal. The best of acronautic
skill and this was certainly vested III
the person of the commander OF our
trail little craft could avail but little
ont at sea after the balloon cnuld no
l,,,,r..,. ,l,.
where were We! There seemed Il strong
probability that We had dlittrd nom
the wilderness far south and over the
coast OF Maine but what point had We.
reached If this was the case We
might pn>~ihl> fall in with some vessel
plNiuy hctwccm the | uitcd States and
the provinces. OF Europe. hat ON "p-
poltuuiti,> in this direction. with Il
heavy t"g and a ~titl breeze blowing.
vtIt. one in Il Thousand. The only real
mi>hap which occurred daring the whole
voyage hctcll Mr. King while We We're
nl,t uNcl the water. Ii Wis the loss of
his hat. After pccIing IN vain into the.
murhN mH>> below he drew in his head
and the hat was knocked oil hN coming
IN contact with the ropes.
\ ~IEN\GE HUT WELCOME >IGul.
We We're conscious of being over the
Wutrl from twenty minutes I" halt an
hour. when Il strange hut welcome Ni>-
ion IIo~' before ON eyes. II Was ~ II
the misty curtain had suddenly been
rent a>umdrl disclosing a >rcuc "f m">t
intense hlackucs>. which. in fact. stem
eel Ia Ice within ou very reach. hr
line of foo WAS H. clearly defined IT. il
drawn With mathematical precision. In
Il m"mcmt more Nh Kin" pr",laimcd
the i"ltuI ti,iu"> that the rope Mas
dIawgiu" nNci he tIcc tops. We knew
then that W" had escaped from the cold
embrace of the waves. and the wilder
ness of Trees which had been "ul terror
through the Ion" weary watches "t tn,
night. became Welcome and ho~pitahlc
Within - >huIt time after reaching th'
shore. having mr"uw hIlc a>ccuded
again uc;Irl la the clouds. the hallonIl
once more settled nNarl the tree tops
and il WAS allowed to do 50. Nlr. kIH4
rrlNiug upon the drag rope. ~ ou othcl
ncc;>iun>. to save H. trum sudden con
tact We were resolved 10 land IT {;
suitable place presented itself ami re
tain the balloon for tmthcr II~c III tn,
daylight. 1t WAS Il rough and UmpIra>-
ant country in which to alight. aud
withal. excessively dangerous on ar-
count of the high trees. II had grow
much lighter. and We we've able to st,
that ii was Il little past t"ur O'Clock
int Vet we were unable to detect tia,
magnctiZed end nt the compass ucrdl,
from It's opposite. - that We were IL
much my>tiiicd as ever in regard tn tn,
direction in which we might he moving
We p"ndcrcd much as /" where ",
might hc. and came To the same con
/ clusion that we didn't know. We NIGH
have crossed an arm of the ocean an,
/ reached some large island Mount DrS
/ crt. for example. At I'LL events. it he
came eNpedicnt To leave this particular
/ locality. wherever it might he. for til,
! balloon was in imminent danger of he
ing torn in the trees. and throwing oU
IL little ballast. we lifted the rope from
among the branches and again mouiitc,
into the upper regions. This time ",
went to IL very considerable hight. pro
badly two miles or more. the balloon
becoming completely di>tend"d again
through the lessemed pressure of th'
atmosphere. The temperature also bc
came extremely cold. We did not Ion!
remain AT this altitude. as the hallool
lost some gas from overflow. As w
were running down toward the cart
we again heard the solemn cadences q
the hreakers as they dashed upon th
beach. 1t was needless To open tn
valve to accelerate our descent. for W
were on down grade and feared
smaSh-up or Il wetting. We were stil
in the clouds when we first heard tn
sound of the surf. and when we ha
descended below the upper mists it WA
! vet 80 dark that we could not clearl
tell the patches of lower clouds fr"l