Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-10-13
THE BALLOON TRIP.

rising from earth and painting the panoramic
view that spread out below. The voyagers
left the Capitoline grounds at9.l9 and at 80
they were 1000 feet high. The first pigeon
message was despatched at this point. The
balloon soon drifted slowly over the Sound,
and now began to skirt along the northeast,
swimming over the towns bordering on the
Sound. When II mile high train of cars was
seen on the New Haven road, aud the roar of
the wheels could be heard distinctly. At
10 20 the balloon was going directly north
northeast, at an elevation of $3.50 feet. Then
the second bird was sent off. Instead of tax
ing its flight at once, it pitched upon one Of
the loops of the guy ropes. They "tried to
brighten it off by hallooing and by blast OF
the fog-trumpet; but, as Lunt remarked, 1T
didn't scare worth a cent Suddenly, how
ever, after duly surveying the situation, 1t
took to its wings, flew for briet half-clrcle,
and then sped directly up the Sound to Its
home at Rivercliff." They had now got up |
5000 feet. The sun was shining somewhat
less obscurely, and its warmth caused the gas |
to expand considerably, and the altitude OF
5000 feet, the greatest attained, WAS present |
ly reached At a quarter before IL, Mr.. |
Donaldson was very sanguine of passing over
Boston. There was not the least inconven
fence from cold. Although the temperature
fell to AZ, none of the party experienced the
slightest Inconvenience from the cold, and !
| Mr.. Lunt worked round in his shirt-sleevcs
| all the time. We ROW quote from Mr.. Ford
narratiye:-
The gas was now evidently beginning to
ioa1 its power, and we were coming down
rapidly. The appearances of the interstices
between the network showed that the bag
was getting fabby, and Donaldson considered
it advisable to throw off another sand bag
twenty five pounds. The balloon then rose
to 5000 feet. She sank again rapidly, how
ever, and at five minutes of eleven she was
4l5O feet high, the thermometer being thirty
seven.
Il have got to empty another sand bag.
said Donaldson, and ont went twenty fye
pounds more.
| Still, however, the gas was rapidly losing
power, and we soon sank TO 100 again But
this elevation seemed to be somewhat of Il
permanent one, for we foated on very tran
gully abreat number of miles, without any
, perceptiblc difference in the barometer. Lunt
called my attention to the magnihcencc of the
autumn foliage in the woods below us. One
of the woods looked like parterre of tulips.
). We were now getting into rather unpleas
, ant proximity to the earth The drag rope.
which is 600 feet long, was kissing, humming,
/. booming q hardly know how to describe this
: extraordinary sound) among the trees and
across the fences. We had left TIE margin
y of the Sound and were far from it in the in
y terror of Connecticut. At one moment il
n seemed to be but few feet above the tops o!
the trees; but, by judicious sacrifice of bal
> last, Donaldson saved us from dashing mos,
J. dangerously against formidable looking
n stone fence three feet below us.
Lunt didn't like the sound of the drag-ropc,
II nor the experience recorded above; but Dom
/ aldson said, II came down just expressly to
t try the powers and capabilities of the balloon.
| am satisfied with the experiment / have
tried
, just after this we crossed lovely lake
Donaldson was particularly delighted with
the appearance Of the drag rope coursing
through the water beneath it. Tho men were
crossing the lake in boat. We called out
+ to them to ask the name of the piece ofwater.
We understood them to say that it was Silver
Lake, and that there was town near by
G called Litchfeld Shortly afterward the rope
@ went over u farmhouse with horrible thud
. A moment after there came rushing out q
Connecticut lady in calico to see the cause OF
VI this frightful disturbance, and her amaZement
J. on seeing the huge Daily Graphic balloon
I; was apparently beyond the power Of words tc
I express. At this period the loss of gas was
S becoming so apparent that Donaldson serious
IS ly proposed to climb up on the netting and
l, cut off the guy.ropes; but Lunt said he
" wouldn't let him. AT twenty-five minutes
past eleven O'Clock the dry bulb was 60, and
s the wet bulb Sc. OF course, such temper
ature as this indicated a near proximity to
earth. The height was, in fact but 2200 feet.
AT twenty-five minutes to twelve we cast off
the third bird. We let our friends below
know by this means that we had now cast off
about five hundred pounds of sand ballast out
of the six hundred placed on board. There
then remained six hundred pounds of water
ballast and three hundred pounds of other
. disposable material, such as provisions, in
struments, clothing, etc. The drag-rope was
still making its singular whisting or humming
through the trees and the cattle in the fields
were terribly scared. The most amusing
sight of all was, however, to see flock of
geese, scurrying at great rate from the rasp-
ing monster.
At this time the writer was ordered to desist
from his purely literary occupations, and crawl
in uuder the deck and break out cargo. In a
very few minutes he sent out bags of biscuit,
boxes of caramels, keg of molasses, some
jars of honey, pickles, a har-brush, box Of
sandwiches, jar of preserved plums, a large
} tin can filled with roast fowls, packet OF
/ tooth-picks, several reams of paper, a ham,
two cases of eau-de- cologne, box of pomade
Il pair of shoes, paper of tacks, a claw ham
mer newly invented flying machine, bot
, tie of Mrs. Winslow's soothing syrup, a paper
of chewing tobacco, Donaldson's hat, a case of
IS. T.-lS60-X," some crackers and can
of preserved oysters, tomatoes and sardines,
patent steam ploughing- machine, paper of
hair pins and Lunts boots. Donaldson's ac-
count of the interval spent in these healthful
and exhilaratng exercises is as follows
l"Whle you were in the cabin getting out
those barrels of water, | knew it was necessary
TO have them ready to cast out in order to
save us. We were travelling rapidly toward
the side of the mountain. 1t was a bag of
crackers and box of homny cast out Just