Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-07-14
MR.. KINGS ACCOUNT.

MR.. KINGS ACCOUNT.
| wish to express my gratitude,
through your paper, to the citizens of
Lamoille county who became so interest
ed in the welfare of a perfect stranger
to themselves, as to flock to the woods
in such numbers to search for me, and
feel the same gratitude towards them for
hunting me, (although they did not find
me until | was out of the woods), as l
should have felt if they had found me in
the densest forest in christendom; for
they manifested a feeling for hannah
besng that proves them to be a compassion
ate and tree-hearted people, who think
as much of another human beings life,
as for their own; and thinking that they
would be interested, by a short account
of my voyage in the air, and wanderings
in the wilderness, l have prepared the
following account which you can publish
if you see fit.
had finished filling the balloon at
about Lao p, and although the hour
set for my departure was not until 2
o'clock, as everything was ready, l
thought would make my ascension then.
| had at first three bags of ballast, my
overcoat, and lunch in the car, and sup
posed | had sufficient gas to carry it all,
but on starting found / did not rise from
the ground. [ then threw out two bags
of ballast and still did not rise. | gave
up my overcoat and then rose about six
feet and the wind carried me over the
course. | saw then that unless I threw
out my remaining ballast, l should come
down. [ threw it out, and then rose
about a mile, and few south until ]
came between two currents of air direct
ly over Morrisville, when the balloon
stopped and commenced turning round
and round. 1t hung in this position
about fifteen minutes, when the gas be-
gan to expand and l rose gradually
about mile-and half higher, the vino
blowing me little to the northeast.
The view was magnificent The coun
try below me looked like large plair
of green velvet, the woods being darl
spots in the velvet, and the building
looked like little white dots all over tn,
plane. The mountains and hills which
[ passed over had very level appear
; ance. | could look back to the Fai
Ground while was resting over Morris
vile and could see the people quit
plain, although everything had small
appearance. My view extended on tn
north about twenty miles beyond LAX
Memphremagog, distant view soutl
and from the White Mountains to tn
Adirondacks. The day was YER
cloudy, therefore the view was not nea
i as good as it would have been had
been clear day.
The higher / rose, the colder it grew
until from warm summer atmosphere
| gradually arose to one as freezing a
7 winter, and being without an overcoat,
/ suffered extremely from the cold.
After rising to my highest poin
(Which as before stated was about l.
miles) commenced to descend and cam
down until was within mile of til
! earth, where [ struck a smart thunde
e storm. | then rose rapidly and in les
r than five minutes found myself in
driving snow storm. The snow fell raj
idly and collected in such quantitie
J. upon the balloon that it descended agai
i quite swiftly and found was over a
Q immense wilderness numbering man
+ miles in extent Not wishing to CON
! down in the forest I threw out my lunc
in hopes that l should clear it, but til
snow was SO heavy on the top of tt
e balloon that it was impossible to stay
e the air, and. therefore descended int
e the tree-tops. As soon as the balloo
touched the tree-tops, l exploded it an
|. sprang for tree, caught a branch an
= slid down to the ground. The balloe
e after exploding laid over an adjoinir
It tree, while the grapple chung to I'll
: trunk of another small one. l was
busy attending to my landing and thro,
+ ing out my grapple that | did not noti
in which part Of the woods landed, ar
therefore hadn't the slightest idea VIII
m direction to take i'll order to clear Il
:. woods the quickest. I remained und
% the balloon about ten minutes. and SUI
f. y