Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-09-19
THE BALLOON BUBBLE.
How the Bubble Eurst--ProfcSS0r
Wise's OpinioH--H Money
Making Affair.


How the Bubble Observation-Disclosures
Vise's Opinion--A Money
Making Affair.
The New York papers of Saturday
are filled with details of the collapse of
the great balloon bubble. How the
bubble broke is thus told by Tribune
reporter:
TIE BUBBLE BREAKS.
By four o'clock the crowd had in
creased to great proportions, and all
watched eagerly the rounding bulk,
which rose and enlarged so slowly that
its advance was almost imperceptble.
The great volume of imprisoned gas
tugged at the lines that held it down,
and the enormous globe swayed gently
in the moderate breeze. The throng
around the guarded ropes pressed
thickly, and from without the i'll
closure, from windows and hOusetops,
and cOigns of vantage from many
milo around, tens of thousands of eyes
watched the uneasy air ship. All
seemed going on well. Without
single warning sign Of rain, without
any marked increase III the easy wind,
without n movement or noise to an
nounce collapse, suddenly rift opened
in the crown of the balloon, close by
the valve The gas, struggling to get
free, Immediately expanded the gap,
and, with running sound OF tearing
and ripping, bat with no explosive
outburst, the great balloon split from
the top downward, fell in and north
ward, collapsed in :liI instant, and lay
if h-ata1 Il fi.rn,1 hmm
bred thousand feet of gas were spilled
in ali instant There was one great
shout from the multitude, and then a
rush for the PROSTATE balloon. The
ring WAS broken i'll and the crowd
made room for itself cverywhcre.-
The police soon partially clear, q the
| roped-in space, and thea Mr.. Steiner,
Messrs. Good cell and Donaldson, who
| for the moment had run aiinlcssly to
and fro when their calamity came upon
| them, gathered together, conferred,
and made explanations.
Messrs. Good sell announced that
the thing would not be given up So
| The burst balloon should be imme-
diately examined and, if possible, re-
paired. If it could not be made to
serve, a new one should be made, of
silk if necessary, and completed at the
earliest possible day. The broken
balloon had not failed from inferior
material or want of care in construo-
ton, but from the enormous pressure
of the wind on so immense balloon.
PROF. wIsE's STATEMENT.
Prof Wise publishes letter. giving
his view Of the matter. He says:
The Graphic Company agreed TO
furnish me with n well-constructed,
gas-tight balloon. They did not do
50, and that the proposed expedition
is Il failure is their fault and not mine.
The Graphic balloon was not construct
ed of the material | suggested, nor in
the manner [ suggested. [ had no
control over it, my functions being
merely advisory. On the contrary,
my advice, based on many years prac-
teal experience rs an :eronaut, was
lisregarded at every point, and, al
though l have hoped against hope up
to the last moment, the unhappy finale
to what promised 20 be Il most inter
esting and important scientific expert
ment is exactly what I expected it
would be weeks ago. 1t is Il sad thing
for me, when | thought that the great
dream of my life w;ss about to be real
lied. to behold such an ingiOrious con-
ciusion; but [ feel that no blame can
attach to me i'll the matter, and that an
impartial public viii only blame me
for net having abandoned the enter
prise long ago. Perhaps [ am to blame
in this respect. but it was at least an
amiab!e weakness to hold on until the
last minute, in the hope that the bal
loon might prove capable of making a
crcditable start, even if it ended its
L. La
in the middle Of the Atlantic Ocean.
My faith in my theory of great east
eriy current is now as strong as it ever
was, for it is based upon positive scien-
tific facts. | am ready now, as [ have
been ready for the last thirty years, to
risk my life lii attempting to cross the
Atlantic. All | demand is n reliable |
air-ship. Had | possessed the means
l would have fitted one out long ago;
but the leanness of my purse, rather
than any lack of inclination, has COM
PEELED me to defer the enterprise as a |
private adventure. If | can be pro-
vided with gas-tight balloon of the |
proper dimensions | will start to-mor-
row, or next week, or next month, or |
whenever the air-ship is ready. I do |
not wish to undertake such an expert |
mcnt as an exhibition for making |
money; on the contrary [ am bitterly |
opposed TO even f.n appearance of char |
latanism III connection with what [ be-
hevc will test an important scientific
fact, and if another attempt is made to
start a balloon upon q voyage across
the Atlantic, [ most sincerely hope
that it will be done sobcr.y, advisediy.
and without any attempts to make tie
expedition Il money-making affair, since
mere pecIIniary enterprise must in
evitably cause embarrassment. which
will imperil the success of q scientific
experiment. JOHN WISE
MONEY MAKING AFFAIR.
Nearly all the papers view the mat
ter as a money making swindle, and
a'lege that the Graphic people re-
ceiyed from $4,000 to $50, 900 gate
money by the exhibition, whilst their
expenses were not over $1,000. The
Graphic expresses its sorrow over the
catastrophe, and IN its edition of Sat
urday afternoon makes this announce
ment:
The managers of the Daily Graphic
are in active consultation with experts
in aerostatics, with a view to the i'm
mediate construction of silk balloon
to replace the one injured by the acct
dent yesterday. The explosion of the
great balloon was so unexpected that
no preparation had been made for the
contirgen y of its failure. The man.
ayers OF this enterprise, however, had
pledged themselves to send balloon
on Il voyage across the Atlantic That
pledge will lie kept at the earliest pos
sible day. They have lost no particle
of faith in the enterprise, and Mr..
Donaldson ind his brave associates are
rs anxious IS ever to start on their
aerial voyage. In few days we shall {
be able to announce the plans for the :
new transatlantic expedition, and the
experience gained in the construction
Of the first balloon will go far towards
the success of the second. 1t