The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-09-15
Would 90 In a Balloon.

The following article first appeared
in m English paper. It was given un-
der the head Of "Ballooning Extraor.
dInary," and will prove Of interest ut
the present time ga daring feat
was lately accomplished by q citizen Of
Gettysburg. Mr.. John Wise, the
American mronaut, had announced his
intention to make his thirty.ninth
balloon ascension, and was ready on
the day and hour promised, His bal
loon was inflated, his ballast, graphing
iron, &C., duly slowed, and ne was
about to step into the basket. At that
moment Mr.. John Mcclellan, n young
gentleman OF the town, inquired OF Mr..
Wise whether it would not be possible
for two persons to ascend with the
power then in the balloon. On receiv-
ing negative reply, MIR. Mcclellan
seemed much disappointed, said he
was determined to have ride, and
inquired the price at which Mr.. Wise
would permit him 10 make the voyage
alone. One hundred dollars, sir, said
Mr.. Wise, who did not appear to con-
slider the inquirer TO bo in earnest.
Il will give you fifty dollarsl' agreed
fork over 7 Tho joke was carried
on, and the cream OF it was soon trans
ferred to the pocket of the eronaut-
and his substitute was snugly seated in
the car, vociierating his direction to
cut loose Mr.. Wise thought that
matters had now gone far enough, and
requested his customer to get out, Ms
the time had arrived ut which no had
promised to be off. But he refused 10
do so, and insisted that he had regular
ly hired and paid for passage 9 in this
boat and go he would. Mr.. Wise
then let the balloon up short distance
by rope, thinking, probably, that rs
there was considerable wind, md the
air.horse consequently turbulent, TINT
his substitute would have his courage
cooled and give in But this was no
go-and thinking TINT he had as good
start Ms ever he would have, Mr. Nc
Clellnn cut the rope-and Wds Of!
After ho found that it was tho deter
mindtion OF Mr.. Mcclellan to go, Mr..
Wise had but time to give him n few
hasty and imperfect instructions in re-
gard to the management oi the balloon
and in q few minuteS the daring ANA
teur nronaut had assembled to a height
OF about two miles. Here he struck
current OF air which bore him dieectly
towards York. He said that the earth
receded from him very rapidly after ho
had thrown bag or two OF sand upon
it-that Gettysburg passed of towards
Hagerstown, and that he saw Carlisle,
Hanover, Abbottstown, Oxford and
Berlin, strolling about-and that soon
after, Just ahead OF him, he saw old
York coming full tilt up the turnpike
towards him, apparently taking an after.
Moons walk to Gettysburg. Having de-
termined to stop at York, and fearing,
from tho remarkable speed at which that
staid and sober town was travelling, that
she would soon pass under his balloon,
and give him the slip, he pulled the
string attached to the safety valve, in
order to let of q portion OF his gus.
The valve is so constructed that when
the rope attached to it is pulled, the
valve opens to the interior and again
closes by the force OF the gas when the
rope is let go. I'm ortunately, however,
tho inexperienced aeronaut pulled toe
violently at the valve rope, tore the
valve door completely off its hinges,
and brought 1t down into the carl When
this occurred he was more thas q mile
high, and he Immediately, and with
fearful rapidity. descended, or rather
fell, to the earthl When the valve door
came Of, the gas, OF course, escaped
rapidly, but the balloon caught suf1i.
cient air to form parachute, by which
the fall was moderated, and We are hap.
py to say that the voyager reached the
earth, about five miles from York, en-.
tirely uninjuredl he says that as soon
as the valve door came down upon him
he knew that something had broke
loose, and Just then remembering that
Mr.. Wise had told him to be sure when
he descended to throw out his graphing
iron, he was preparing to get at it,
among the numerous things in tho
basket, when the earth bounced up
against the bottom OF tho carl The es-
cape OF tho gas was distinctly seen from
York, and as the balloon neared The
earth it had lost its rotundiiy and ap-
peared to the gaSers to come down
heavily like wet sheet"