Connecticut western news., 1873-10-10

Mr. King now pronounced the bag fully inflated. Donaldson, Ford and Lunt were ready for the start. The breeze only swayed it from side to side, and futtered the flags of Great Britain, Germany, France, Spain and Sweden, which were suspended from it's sides. These were be- lieved to comprise the countries in one of which the brave voyagerS would land.
 At fifteen minutes past nine Prof. King cried, "All aboard for Europe" The boat then rested quietly on the ground, and the balloon was held down by single cable tied to deeply-sunk post. MT. Ford was the first to respond. He climbed into the boat after the manner of man who hadn't got his sea legs yet, and sat down in the cockpit He had note book in one hand and pencil in the other. MT. Lunt climbed in after the manner of sailor and trod the deck with the air of a sea mon arch. This deck was six by ten. MT. Donaldson climbed in after the manner Of a gymnast and was up in the concentrating ring giffy. Prof. King stood on a pile of sand bags and gave his borders in loud voice
 "Are your anchors all right ?" he asked "Ay! ay! sir!" replied Donaldson with | touch of his little navy cap.
 'How is the valve roper" continued King. @.#
 "All right!" responded Donaldson, clutching the rope which hung down through the mouth of the bag.
 Mir. Weed.the manager of the Capitoline grounds, stood over the cable with an up- lifted axe in hls hand.
 "Cut it !' was Kings next order.
 Bang"
 This was cannon that man touched off ou. in Nostrand avenue when he saw the top of the balloon lift.
 'sWho-o-osch m This sounded like rocket, and the spec tators wondered for moment what it was, until they saw the long drag rope being whisked like lightning through the grass. These things detracted instant attention from the balloon, and before the spectators realized that the air ship was really launched it had shot up several hundred feet. Then all faces were turned;skyward like SO many suntiowers, and the sun, which hadn't shone before. popped out from behind a cloud and made everybody squint-eyed INT. Donaldson will be sure to go up dang. ling by rope," was one of Prof. Wise's many predictions; and so he did. He was seated in the loop of rope which hung from the concentrating ring, and he bowed and smiled at the cheering knot of specta- tors. Lunt stood on the deck, with one hand holding guy rope, and waving his hat with the other. Ford sat composedly in the cockpit. When height of about a thousand feet had been reached, Prof. King proposed three final cheers for the daring voyagers, and they were heartily given.
 The first course of the balloon was due north until 1t had reached probable alt- tude of nearly mile. and then it turned east. The brow of the boat was pointed Europeward. Fifteen minutes from the start the course had shifted to the north : east, veering eastward again when it was last seen from the Capilolinc grounds. The surface wind was blowing from the south, but the balloon seemed to have already risen above it and struck some sort of an easterly current. From the highest points of New York and Brooklyn it was visible until after 10 o'clock, and at that time it seemed to be just penetrating the dense clouds. When last seen from the Signal Service room in the tower of the Equitable building through powerful glass it looked like black dot on the clouds. Its distance was then estimated to be forty miles, and it was going northeasterly at height of about mile.
 Two of the pigeons arrived at the farm ot their owner in River Cliff, Conn. before Ii o'clock. They were not tired They carried the following despatches from the balloon:
 IN THE CLOUDS, 10. .O5 A. M.-We are for. ty-seven hundred feet high, going north east. We all feel very happy. Donaldson says, "The dream of my life is now real
 ized." Lunt is busy doing something with
 the ballast. and stopping every moment to
 ouAnho @Io SuAIoSoAHB RIduu6uT UT L0e
 scene. It is very hay all around us, and
 light clouds are floating below. We have
 just heard three cheers below, and have given ''toot. toot," with the fog horn in reply. We are now at an altitude of Ave , thousand and eighty feet, or just one mile.
 We have just struck the lower portion oi , the eastern current. We have Just passed over Norwalk. ALFRED FORD. LArER.-It is now 1920 o'clock, and we D are 2,000 feet night. Lunt is raising 'stht { old Harry" with the horn, and we all fee D jolly. The scene is magnificent The sur shines splendidly, and Donaldson has jus been singing Do they miss me at home ? d FORD. Il The balloon crossed the Sound at Glcl /; Cove at $50, and went northward over tn, s the lower corner of Westchester county 5 Then it shied northeastward over Bethel T Conn.,, at Fl, having occupied an hour an, three quarters in going about seventy miles g Its next vagarY was southerly bolt of if u teen miles to Bridgeport, and then a north Y westerly one of about forty miles over Ney a Haven and Waterbury. Thus far it ha 3, drifted about 13o miles in two hours and 'o half. During the next two hours it floate Id slowly to the northwest, reaching Mort h Canaan, Litchfeld county, at l 1-4. 'n NORTH CANAAN, Conn., Oct. 6-3P. M.- V- We have met with a terrible misfortune. I Id the midst of terrible storm of rain " ed were trying to make descent, when it ws
 thought advisable that we should all lea se out. Donaldson and myself leaped twent o1 feet from the boat to the earth. Mir. Lun u- however, was not quick enough, and WI of carried away, clinging to the anchor rope
 We fell on the farm of MT. Charles Lew at North Canaan, Litchfield county, Conn ew at 1.15P P. N. I was driven over to the tow IT. of Canaan, and there, to my great surpri