Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-11-04
A FRIGHTFUL BALLOON VOYAGE.
Struggling for Lille I'm the Paelnc
Oeean.-Tbree Miles High and the
EasterIy CHFront Undiscovered

struggling for Lille I'm the Paelnc
Oeean.-Tbree Miles High and the
EasterIy CuFrORt Undiscovered
San Francisco Chronicle. October 49,
A balloon ASCENSION from the City
Gardens by " Professor Duret" was sd-
vertised to take place yesterday. Early
in the morning the imitation Of the nam
motL balloon New World" belonging
10 Professor Lay, was commenced. The
main belonging to the San Francisco
Gas Company running into the gardens
is but small and the balloon therefore
filed slowly. When the hour advertised
for the ascension approached it was as
certaine6 that the advertised balloonistr
whose name is not "Duret but c. d..
Hull, was not going uP. Among. the
passengers billed for the excursion, hQE.
ever, was Chronicle reporter, W. W.
Austin, who had made two balloon as
censisps. When the reporter came upon
the greuaG and found that the affair
was likely to prove Rageq, be yolun-
teered to take charge of the ascension
himself, and under his guidance the as
cension was made. At three o'clock
there was not sufficient gas in the bal
loon, sud 2 delay Of one hour was found
TO be necessary. The balloon real
" required $4,000 fett of gas, yet
ct four o'clock there was about
0,0OO feet of gas in it. This was
sufficient TO carry two pas
sepgers and the Chronicle reporter and
Edwin H. Clough stepped into the bas'
ket. The balloon shot upward with
lightning velocity. In two minutes San
Francisco, with its citizens and houses,
looked like panorama in the distance;
Market street was clearly defined, and
the other streets, from the immense
height seemed TO iptersect il at almost
rig6t-angles. The people below looked
like pigmies and the houses we're % toy
shops for children. Faraway to the
right spread the bay. II was, to the bal
loonists, a mere sheet of FURNISHED sill
yer. Beyond were the mountains, grand
in their solemnity, but seeming like so
many mole-hills to the voysgers IN the
air. To the left was, apparently, thick
mist. The compass at this time told the
direction of the mist. II vas directly
west, and the commander of the balloon
surmised at once that this was the Psclt-
ic ocean. For the first two minutes the
balloon drifted rapidly toward this mist.
The reporters hand was on the valve
rope. ready TO pull it any moment But
suddenly, as the balloon rose, the wind
Of The upper air changed, and the air
ship vas driven rapidly toward the
east. Over the busy city in which
thousands we're gazing upon the
puny looking monster, the BALLOON
swept. San Francisco Bay seemed TO be
approaching the air-ship. Alcatraz vas
lust beneath the basket, aud the course
was still eastward. The commander be-
gan TO hatter himself that be had found
a the eastern current, and INDUCED in
visionary hopes Of reaching New York by
the next morning. Up, up, went the
balloon. and eastward vas its course.
The bay now glistened in the declining
san. and looking down from the basket
the reporter saw that he was above the
middle Of il. Three minutes mere With
a favorable wind would have carried him
beyond the marrow expanse OF waters
over 10 the coast range. Once among
the foothills the descentWould have been
easily and safely accomplished. Again
the commander and his companion tat
tered themselves that al vas vel, and
as . sort Of congrAtulstory sscrihce the
companion drank bottle Of soda, SIX Of
which bad been furnished By Mr.. Ste
vens, he propristor Of the Gardens.
Il vas nov twenty-five minutes past four
o'clock--just hve minutes ahsr the
grand ascension. The baromster shoved
dat the Foysgsri Wsrs just sss nile