The New York herald., 1872-07-15
BosroN, Mass, Jv.ly "a, 1872.

Numbered that on the Fourth of July Professor King
the distinguished Boston aSronaut, was to make an
ascension from the common In his lately con-
structed mammoth. balloon Colossus that after
tho monster air snip was inflated and while an
aApfeciative HERALD correspondent and dozen
other individuals were preparing for the aerial
voyage there came up violent hurricane,
regular cyclone IN TACT which rendered the strong
ana formidable air ship unit for immediate service
On this trip 1t was arranged that Of the Signal
CORPS oficers should be passenger, and special
accommodations were provided to enable him to
make meteorological observations in region
hitherto uncxplored by men OF IN exclusively SCI
,entiic education. The fierce raging OF the ele-
ments and consequent unforeseen catastrophe to the
Colossus the 4th has, probably not deprived, but
rather delayed for a while, the results of expert
mental observations among the clouds under the
auspices Of the government, and the reports which
win come from these sources will be awaited with
anxious interest. This intended ascension on the
lt although under the auspices Of the city Of Bos
ton and feature OF the days celebration was In
tended to be In part a preliminary ascension to
others under the immediate control Of the Weather
or Signal Service Department. OF the government
and The unavoidable accident was, therefore, par
tcularly unfortunate.
THE ASCENSION YESTERDAY.
After the bursting Of his large balloon, which, by
passengers than any other in the worlds history
Professor King imme ediately, got into order
smaller So balloon al made which sa s @ ana Ss
Common yesterday afternoon. On account Of the
comparatively Liliputian dimensions uf this air
ship the Professor could only take at the most one
or two passengers besides himself, and when he
ready to start he found IT necessary to 60 with
was Luther L. Holden Of this CITY, who has now
numbered his nineteenth aerial voyage with the
s wa Of 81 soms
thousand people assembled on the Common
to see the yoyagers or ana wish them q
mundane sphere. band Of music was also
present and enlivened the occasion with some
sion were going on, and when the ropes were
Snnanae9 It gave that very appropriate air Of Up
united their vocal strains % It was al s just
minutes past three when the nameless little air
ship, containing % 900 cubic feet Of gas slipped her
cables and assembled toward the cloudless sky amid
the shouts of the assembled multitude. Besides
the usual stores for thirst ana hunger the voyagers
took along barometer and the necessary instru-
ments to record the height temperature, &c.
AT TIE START
the balloon rose almost vertically to height OF five
hundred feet when it struck current which bore
It trine to the southeast, over fremont and
Boylston streets and finally South Boston All this
time they were rapidly ascending and at the end
Of the first minute had attained an altitude Of
about eight hundred feet; The atmosphere was
ana Mss smos RSns S% % s nUen MS
couple 1 Of friends SS driving % out On the brighton
road and verified hls belief when he saw them
height objects below were no less distinct but Of
course diminished In size human being, for In.
@ & tho hSFs vsoSs aoa passsnser
railroads, looked nke SO many yellow snakes with
fluctuations OF an upward and downward nature,
iset @ e She then 'I took downward Course, and Mr.
King had to throw out some of his ballast to pre-
away Of one or two bags reversed the course up:
ward to an altitude Of about $500 feet at
4sel S % sonS soS aang s s
nnpleasantiy visible beneath their probable
ever each one believing in the pluck and genius Of
the other, and they very philosophically con-
LET THE OLD THING WORK.
The breeze took them along over TnSmpsons ms
scending to perhaps within fifteen hundred feet OF
the earth. While passing over the vicinity OF
wsn sssU Kng SusT sS s
Tong, knowing If they descended In the briny deep
its ioating surface would SO tighten the
Saast sons, however and in few minutes they were
mouth and bingham, which latter point, distant
twenty five miles from the Common, was reached
rent the voySgcrs hovered over The little town Of
South Scituate where they concluded to descend
IN an open field Immediately beneath a. them; I they
zene with whom they conversed for a few moments
and entrusted some OF their weighty Ing
,jcaTney JOUR- u upward Upon rising the second time
Whey went almost directly northeast, but at an alt
COuntered which carried them due southwest
Sti1 ascending they reached height Of about five
thousand feet, when they again found themselves
VISIONS OF A DUCKING
certainly, and a watery grave possibly, caused
This moment was "blazingr Not, TO use common
and expressive term and the gas in the balloon be.
coming heated Its eieyatn5 % power nssnsyy was yary
sscIe sgs e auan1S aeT adVsnturers could
:. Eng in that direction, and although the briny
sa Ssn as now certain to receive them, to stay up
l py take rsea sdem n s Descent S upoS ss
aa Vino Sn c Hrly current, which would bring
him We'll into shore BUT having sone@ a he "a md
point where the currci. lie still continued to de.
scend however the balloon , g0,hIg rap,9y
In the direction Of Cape Cod am d. was out
The drag rope II should be rememberss. ne force
"nh when it struck the water nv
all this u,lu,, 49,. ''-'"''U lessened, anu =, :,
of the descent was very e,,~., os
liberally dlschargng ballast the voyagers w..
the time being Kept above the water. For on hour
or more they danced around over the ocean 10 THIS
the basket & SnTe t s ppng o9.
The aeronauts, TO better save themselves nom
wettinp crept up around the hoop ana netting
above the basket, and in that position took the
chances OF their aerial transport drifting inward
toward the shore. Several yachts cruising arohnd
I'm the vicinity attempted TO come TO their rescue,
but superior s q the M pa0Dn asysra Y9s soa oe
which the friendly yachtsmen started of for their
relief To all but the balloon passengers the sltua.
tion seemed critical but they themselves uecare
that not for moment did they douDt 'heir ul'ina'e
DRIFTING nELPLEssLY ABOUT
at the mercy of the waves, they espied small
Yacht directly In their course. Its crew consisted
only Of man aud some boys, but by daring ana
skill they managed to get hold OF the arag rope au
made IL fast TO their craft. By Mr. Kings Iequest
the yacht was then headed towards shore, tne pal.
loon all the while Keeping wei up In the ar, anu
serving as sort OF a tow IOr the little yacnL which
had come 10 its rescue. THIS was opposite WHITES
ferry in Marshheld, and the point OF landing whcn
was subsequently reached was between Darrath