The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-06-03

A TES-Ml1E AERIAL RIDE ~ 4 IArnh
su,p.-The Reading Times gives tne 'cu Dro
inc account of the daring ascension "
fesSor Donaldson: ;,,r.,,d
Dona,dsan the irrcpreSsible. the me,ep,u
aerial uvmnast. has again as'u.'s Ss",
nrirbbors and fcllow-cittzens. On Situius
morning he telegraphed to Mr' JONI -
Nisbler from Bethlehem, from WHICH p'"ee
bc had made an ascension on Ihursaay eve
ming. that he would make an ascension l"
his paper balloon John ID. Mlshier on 81,
turdav afternoon from Reading ne arrived
~ This CITY ON the 80 New York train from
Rcthlsbem IN this afternoon. and immediately
commenced preparations Tor the tniiatioh ana
ascension. .,
Tho naner balloon John D. Mishler'
has been manufactured for some time. II is
made of the same material as that in which
GOOD, are wrapped, and of course it Is very
fra,, in its structure. The Professor has
made several attempts, and had met with SO
man, reycrses from windy and wet weather
that il was doubtful If this attempt would
nroye successful. However, the word fail
or cowardice are unknown in the Donaldson
vocabulary. and consequently the pfellmi-
NARY prcparationS were commenced. Mean
while several thousand people had assembled
IN Peru square. The process OF Imitation
WIS somewh bat slow, and the condensation OF
gas after the sun had gone down added
Somcw hat to the detention; but at fifteen
minutes past 7. everything being in readl.
ness. the command "let go" was given, and
tie balloon rose gracefully and majestica'ly.
Professor Donaldson was seated i'll the RIG.
ging. having dispensed with the basket and
appuftenancts. which could not be carried
along.
He rose to a considerable height, and sailed
in an almost direct southerly direction. The
balloon presented grand appearance in the
departing rays Of the sun, which had Just set
when he left the earth. 1t was visible for
about fifteen minutes, and appeared to be
almost stationary, the wind having lulled to
an apparent calm. At intervals he waved
bis handkerchief. and was greeted with
hearty aud prolonged cheers from the en-
thuSiastic thousands of lookers-on. He
landed fifteen minutes before O'Clock in a
field about ten miles from Reading. The
landing was accomplished successfully and
with but little difficulty, although the bal
loon was much torn and was left on the field
Not being able to obtain a conveyance, he
had to walk back to Reading, arriving here
Il few minutes before IL o'clock.
For the first time in his life Professor DO
madison witnessed two sunsets I'D one eve
ning-the first before he had left terra .tirmG
and the second after he had gone beyond
the clouds. The latter he describes as beau
tiful beyond description.
This is the first paper.balloon ascension
by an aeronaut on record. Although il
proved successful. and was the cheapest as
ccnsion in q pecuniary sense that could be
made, Professor Donaldson has no desire te
repeat it-not for fear Of the safety of the as
ceusion, but because Of the frail character Of
the balloon, and the almost certainty of it
destruction in making 4 landing.
The weight of the John D. Mishler
was forty-eight pounds, being but half thai
of the ordinary balloon ola similar capacity
1t held 1900 cubic feet of gas. The cost
OF the paper used in the construction
amounted to s. 30.