The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-10-20
Professor KIuss Ascension.


Another PsriIous Voyage from Ply
mouth, N, H,-Three Miles Above tn,
White Monntains-Tho Upper Air Cur
rents Tested-An Interesting Account o
the Tri
It will be remembered that Proiesso
King, the aefonaut, made IN ascension
from the Pemigewasset Trotting Park
the ascension being the closing even
Of the Grafton County Fair. The bal
loon left the ground at 3.17 r. NJ, and
six minutes later was. lost 10 the sight
OF the assembled spectators, from the
density Of the clouds into which II
passed. Nothing was heard OF the bal.
loon until three days after, although O
landing was made after trip Of two
hours aud half. 1t was feared that
the ballon had followed the course taken
last year, upon the occasion OF the as.
cension made from the same locality,
when landing was made, after series
OF dangerous experiences, in the woods
OF Canada.
Mr.. King reports that when he reach.
ed the regions above the clouds every
yestige Of the earth was hidden from
his view except long dark mountain,
which appeared TO be ten or fifteen
miles north or northeast OF him. This
was, doubtless, Moosilauke. All the
other mountains were covered by clouds,
the upper surfaces Of which seemed to
conform TO the mountains and valleys.
For time he seemed TO be drawing
toward the mountain which lie first
saw, but as he assembled higher he
probably took a different direction, for
the mountain faded from view or was
lost in the clouds. II had been Mr..
Kings intention not TO ascend above
the clouds, but 10 avail himself OF the
surface current and thus journey to.
ward the Passumpsic River Railroad,
over which he might be enabled 10 take
the night train, and reach Lowell early
in the morning. This plan was fristra-
ted by trihing circumstance. As the
balloon was only partly filed with gas
ut starting, the lower section was drawn
up on one side. Upon attempting to
pull the valye.cor1 he found that II was
retained by the cloth or by entangle-
ment with the collapsing cord, and as q
disturbance of the latter was not par
ticularly desirable, he deemed II the
better course TO let the gas distend the
balloon and thus free the cords.
At3I the barometer indicated only
fifteen inches, or height Of IL, 022 feet
above Plymouth, which has itself an
elevation Of 4SS feet, making m altitude
aboyn the sea level OF 1850 feet.
Fifteen minutes later the barometer
had sunk to 14.76, showing m altitude
about 1s, $50 feet, or nearly three and
three.fourtll miles. Mr.. King was ut
this time sailing high above the clouds,
and not far south Of the franconia
Mountains, although he had nothing TO
indicate the latter fact at the time. He
began TO realize that lie had reached o
cold region. An overcoat became de-
sirable, and there were other indica-
tons than o cold temperature OF great
altitude. For example, lie found that
the pulsations Of his heart were very
rapid and very noticeable, and there
were disagreeable sensations in the
head. The thermometer at 81 was at
twenty.six degrees, md II fell success
Siyelyto twenty-three at 4 o'clock, and
twenty.one at At, the balloon having
fallen TO about 1900 feet at the latter
reading. Tho wet bulb was covered by
o flm Of ice, and the mercury therein
condensed slower, marking successfully
twenty.eight, twenty-iour, and twenty,
while the dry bulb marked twenty.six,
twenty.three and twenty.ono respective.
". It afterward sank to nineteen,
while the dry bulb indicated twenty.
four ut 420, when the balloon had
descended 10 within 16, S24 feet OF the
sea level. At 4.25 the balloon was at
an elevation OF IS, TAT feet, and the tenn
perature was twenty-four, the wet bulb
still indicating nineteen. While the
balloon was at its greatest elevation,
the gas had expanded and distendetl
the envelope 10 its fullest capacity, al
though II lad not been hall filed at
starting.
Mr.. King gradually began to see
through riffs in the clouds, but napght
bnt forests met his view. He could
also see beyond the cloul banks in o
southerly direction. Not long after
leaving Plymouth, but after lie get
above the clouds, lie heard several dis.
charges OF cannon or rock blasting, but
no other sound came up to him in his
lofty quietude, the music Of the noun
tain rills and cascades, even, being
hushed. AS he descended toward the
clouds, lie heard q railload train be-
meath him, and, as lie passed through
the misty mantle, lie was brought d.
rectly over it, though yet OF consider
able altitude. It was n train on the
Grand Trunk Railroad, which was pass
ing through West Bethel, Me-, on its
way from Portland to Montreal. As lie
sailed oyer the valley, Mr.. King saw
the dark reflection Of the balloon in the
water OF the Androscoggin river. As
the balloon approached the ground the
drag.rope did good service, as the bal
loon itself was brought beyond the
cleared land and over the woods. He
decided upon crossing the woods and
landing in a valley he had preyiousl,
seen to tile east and northeast, leading
into the Androscoggin Valley, and &C
cordingly did so, the journey taking
him a further distance Of about tel
miles, and directly the top Of Blacl
Mountain in Bethel.
AT 5.43 o'clock lie landed the balloon
in little cleared space beyond the
woods, and found himself on the lane
Of Mr.. stillman Iittlehale in Riley
Plantation. Mr.. Littlelale's place Il
on the Bull Branch OF Sunday River
and there is no other clearing beyont
this for long distance. After leaving
West Bethel, the balloon took the south