Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-09-20


The human uiud is SO co, - ulrl Lat
after expectation mas run high, any de-
appointment is followed by disgust, aRd
this was the frame Of mind In which the
public found itself Immediately after the
collapse Of the GrdDaid balloon. Under
he influence of this disgust, many thugs
aere said concerning the enterprise aud
Is managers, which, in cooler moments,
will appear foolish and unjust. To sup
nose that the Graphic Company, as some
have fooishly declared, neither expected
nor desired the great attempt TO succeed,
is to confess ones self one Of those
neanly suspicious people who are more
ready to believe in dishonesty than
honesty, though even this disposition
cannot Justify the folly Of believing that
The managers did not want the balloon to
succeed. when there was SO much of
honor, glory and profit TO be made by
success, and so much of humiliation to
nc encountered by failure.
We believe the Graphic people are, and
have reason to be, more sorry for the
failure of this first attempt than any one
else except, possibly, Donaldson, and we
nave no donbt that when their side OF
'he story is heard It will present the
matter in a different light from that in
which it has been made to appear by
Jealous rival journals, and by Mr.. Wise
since he has been seeking excuse for get
ting out of the enterprise. We can
scarcely believe that Mr.. Wise lacked
the courage to make the attempt, but
We do believe that he has felt Jealous and
dissatisfied with the prominence and
leorslcration given to DonaI dson, aud
i,uo; therefore h, has hoped for failure
for some time. We can scarcely bl ne
the old gentleman for feeling thus when
nc thought thu, there was danger Of
another obtaining the greater share OF
l he glory of realization Of his own Lie
ircam, but we are sorry tina. he las
Flowed his irritation and the promptiogs
Of interviewers to lead him into the utter
ances he has recently made public.
If the Grophie company proposed any
departure from his plans in the construe
ton Of the balloon which he believed
would imperl the success of the great
attempt. he owed ii to himself and to The
public to positively refuse his consent
But he consented to The construction Of 1
cotton balloon, and permitted the prepar
atoms to 20 with his implied sanction
and approval, if not his positive consent
] and for him then to come out in pubh
but few hours before tue perilous expert
ment was to be tried, aud publish hii
| dissatisfaction and doubt TO the world
cannot be attributed to any thing els
than desire to back out, and is more t.
his discredit, than his statements are T.
he discredit of the Graphic company
We believe they have acted in good faith
: and that they are sincere is sufficient
, attested by the fact that they will at enc
" commence the construction Of a new 81,
va loon of smaller proportions, in whic
ID Donaldson and his associates will auemI
the perilous voyage without the aid q
Il assistance Of Mr. Wise The first ba
st Don was too large, and that was til
F. cause of Its bursting, aud there is no ey
III l.nc. whatever that us material Was dl
fuctive or the least ut to M as v 4
j a -rl. We bo r ne "r.qt'c Con-
amy 5 pluck M n Sc, 4ul uo