The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-11-08
THE PACIFIC
Commercial AOOertlstr
SATURDAY. NOVEMBER ,
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.

NV YORK, September 10th. iS73.
The great balloon has gone up, dgura,ivcly
speaking, not as Its projectors desired or ~prcsessei 10
wish. but IL predicted By a skeptcal public. The
10th was fixed as the date OF ascension, but "a strong
wind blew and when partially filed the bag became
unmanageable, and - was cut and 800 worth 81
gas escaped in a Whit. The public however were not
informed IN time, ami thousands of people focked
over 10 Brooklyn IN the afternoon 70 b. disappointed
and disguised But the rent was repaired. and IL
became generally known that another attempt would
be made on Friday, the 18th. IL was q glorious day.
hardly a breath Of ar stirring, and comfortably
warm; the imitation began ~ O'Clock in the morn
ing, and by ! in the afternoon, was nearly completed
BY that time a vast crowd had assembled, and thou
sands had paid the admission fee Of fifty cents and
were on the grounds near the balloon. on one side
was the life boat, Chicago, all ready for its long
~voyage-possibly aerial, but probably on the ocean.
The scene was most interesting. In the centre OF
the open space from which the multitude was ruped
out, was the monster itself, piled up about eighty
feet high, Juggling ~ the net work by which il was
tied to the ground. 1t was nearly circular in shape.
a little fattened on the top by the weight Of the
valve, 4 dull yellow in color and seemingly as elastic
as india rubber, and buoyant as cork. y crowd Of
men, under guidance of Prot. Steiner, walked slowly
round and round, gradually letting 90 the hold Of the
netting; policemen were stationed on all sides 10 pre-
vent ingress of the crowd, and all was quiet and or
Derby within, while the constantly increasing assem-
blage without was feverish with excitement. Suddenly
those on the south side observed 4 small spot near
the top and heard a loud kissing sound; the spot de
veloped into Il long assure which relentlessly tore
open the bag, and the gas rushed ont. The balloon
1uivered, shuddered, and suddenly collapsed, bury
ing beneath its ruins several of the attendants; then
such a shout and yell rent the air rs one seldom
hears. The crowd seemed absolutely mad-frantic
with excitement. In the enclosure they first ran
away, then surged back in Il dense wave, but were
kept off by the police. The boys began climbing the
fence from without, and soon an amusing spectacle
presented itself, a sort of waterfall of men and boys
of all ages and conditions pouring down from the
fence and rushing toward the fallen monster Then
the crowd without broke down the fence in one place
and Il closely packed river Of humanity surged in.
All was excitement and wonder. Mingled feelings
swayed the first, others doubted-One stout Irishman
shouted "Be jabers =" He'd paid his fefty
cents , and would stay there till the balloon went up
But no use, that bubble has burst, and no cotton
balloon will cross the Atlantic this year. But the
Daily Graphic has a character to sustain, and Il
save itself from the-prObably ncorrect-charge Of
fathering a mammoth swindle, will soon construct
another balloon of q more substantial character. In
fact, it has notified the public that n silk balloon viii
at once be constructed, and that Prof. Donaldson viii
make the trip, by which it appears that Prof. Wise
has been dropped indicating truth in the rumOrs o.
trouble between himself and the Daily Graphic
When the silk balloon goes up the ADVERTISER shall
be duly notified. 1.-THE mail of Oct, 18th brought tel
egraphic information Of the ascent of Professor
DonaldsOn.-ED. L. G. A.