Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-07-14
BY BALLOON TO EUROPE.

| BY BALLOON IO EChOPE.
The balloon in which Prof. Wise and his
adventurous party expect to reach Europe is
to be huge affair-the largest ever made, in
fact. 1t will be an immense spheroid OF one
hundred feet transverse and one hundred and
ten feet perpendicular and diameter, to which
will be attached a supplemental balloon of
thirty six feet diameter. This will give
lifting power of 10 900 pounds, a net carrying
power of $500 pounds, and disposable
ballast OF 800 pounds. 1t is estimated that
the supply of gas will last from ten days to a
fortnight, and as boat is provided in case OF
danger to the balloon, the aeronauts will not
probably run any serious risk. Prof. Wise
possesses supreme faith in the success Of
his enterprise, and as this faith is based upon
the conclusions of life time of aerial re-
search, it is not to be despised. Prof. Henry
of the Smithsonian Institution wrote Mr.. Wise
advising him to make a trip from the Pacific
to the Atlantic side of our continent before
| trying to cross the ocean, but Mr. Wise re-
| jects his advice and sticks to his original plan.
In his letter to Prof Henry in reply Mr..
Wise says;
l have encountered the water in lake and
sea, in storm and calm, and have received no
damage, which is more than can be said for
earth and woods. My experience over and in
the water in cases of adversely has welded
me more to its refuge than mountain range
and woodland. But we hope to avoid these
possibilities, in the belief that our air-ships
will serve us for ten days, and three should
take US across if we sail high enough to over
ride the cyclone region, for which we have
provided in the greater capacity of the balloon
to meet an expansion of gas in 10 200 feet
altitude, and cyclones rarely reach half that
altitude. The Gulf Stream in the air as
counterpart of that of the sea had considered
as u probable contingency to euable US to
reach the coast of Ireland, but as you point
out the little effect of its influence in the Sum-
mer time, we shall not expend any of our
power in seeking for that. Our main reliance
will be in rapid transit in such stratum as
shall serve us best, believing that it can be
done inside of seventy hours. We are fully
alive to the perils that ADLER heads than ours
surround it with, but we fail to realize them
in the emphatic manner in which they are
pronounced; and it is the faith that abideth
within us of its possibility that must excuse
our determination to do this thing. The I'M
pleasantness of being deemed reckless and
foolhardy is already discounted, as that is the
. baptism of our profession in the eyes of the
many and the few exceptions to this that We
= find in the sparser world of science outweighs
all that sort of agony, and the success Of our
= enterprise will compensate our good friend:
y who stand by us on scientific principles. Ant
= if we possibly should fail to reach the Other
= side high and dry, and be pumped into the
= sea, we paddle to shore, dry our clothes, anC
=. try it again, as we shall then at least have
y learned the desideratum in the matter. Blu
> you may smile at the self-complacency in
;, leaving no margin for illsuccess and risk O
- life. Pardon us for that weakness of having
! none to make, because we see only the sci
n ence in the thing; and the practice of aero
g nauts we understand tolerably well. For me
:. an old advocate of aerial travel across the sea
= and around the world, it would be shame L
. my life's profession to sneak out of the worlo
!. without trying to leave an honorable recort
q n as a memorial of its ultimate utility. l fee
- ~ earnestly impressed that this experiment mus
~ be made, and made successfully, and, with m
= good and faithful companion, Washington II
"A Donaldson, will try and make it so, thong
in we shall attempt it with paraphernalia ths
~ is comparatively as much behind what
." ought to be as were the puny caravals Of Co
n lumbus to what they should have been ft
ho his aim and object 1t comforts us great
~ to learn that scientific men-and those VIII
~ ~ look heavenward betimes-have faith in GU
~ proposition; and we will try to make theI
- feel not ashamed of that faith, by the effol
i we shall put forth. Allow me, again, to than
you for your kindly considerations, and tn
satisfactory answers to my Inquiries and be
:. lieve me as ever, your friend and fellow citi
% zen. JOHN WISE.