Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-10-10
Nzr. Donaldson.

Shortly alter y o clock YESTERDAY
morning Mr.. Donaldson's balloon as
cended from the Capitoline Grounds,
Brooklyn. bearing Messrs. Donaldson,
Ford, and Lent on their long promised
transatlantic voyage. The imitation
was commenced early on Saturday
morning. The balloon took a north
erly direction. in making the ascent,
but afterward turned it's course north
east. Many persons who had been
disappointed on previous occasion
paid very little attention to the an
nouncement made of the intended de-
parture yesterday, SO that it was not
until the air-ship was seen floating
high over New York and Brooklyn
that any considerable attention was
paid to the matter. The house-tops
were then Immediately taken posses
sion of, and in the streets and leading
thorCughfares sea of up-turned faces
was eagerly intent upon observing the
movements Of the monster ;arostat,
not indeed because people believed in
the success of the undertaking. but
purely from curiosity. The result
proved that the misgivings ON the
part of the public were not unfounded
At 9:19 A. NJ. Messrs. Donaldson.
Ford. and Lunt We're borne to the
clouds, and after brief sOjourn in
the celestial regions returned to earth.
landing near Canaan, Conn, at / %
o'clock. After the ascent the balloon
remained visible from the Capitoline
Grounds about forty-eight minutes,
but from several other points of
observation the huge monster could
be seen for upwards of an hour. The
last glimpse obtained IN New York was
at 1920 o'clock, by the Signal Service
! officer at the Equitable Building. when
it appeared as Il mere speck vanishing
among the clouds. The boat was sup
piled with provisions and scientific in
struments for making observations.
At 900 clock, one minute after the
start, the altitude reached was 2.C0O
feet, and at 1905 a. NJ. 400 feet.
| The balloon was noticed at several
parts of the surrounding country.
Passengers who arrived at Waterbury
| by noon stated that the aerial machine
! travelled faster than the train from An
soria to Seymou'. At Waterbury il
was visible for short time. At 1856
\. N. Prof. Fowler, of Bridgeport,
| computed the altitude of the balloon.
when passing over the city, to be two
miles, and estimated its velocity at the
| rate OF one mic per minute. Dis
patches received from Glen Cove, Long
Island. state that the balloon came in
sight there at $50 a. NJ. land disappear
ed IL twenty minutes, during which
time it was travelling in an east-north-
easteriy direction, at the estimated
speed Of over mile per minute.
The descent of the aeronauts was
not as graceful or nonchalant as their
ascent. They were somewhat hurried
When near the ground Donaldson and
Ford jumped out. Lunt followed, and
was caught, like Absalom, i'll tree.
The guilty balloon escaped, and had
not been arrested at last accounts.
MIR. LUNT's EXPERIENCE.
CANAAN, Conn, Oct. ca 2. NJ
We were attacked by tremendous
sqlall of wind and rain at fifteen min
utes past one o'clock, and were driven
| near the earth with frightful velocity.
Everything was thrown overheard
without avail, and as we were dashed
to the earth Donaldson and Ford
sprang out, and the balloon shot into
the air, bearing me with it, and was
speedily in the storm cloud again, and
being whirled about in the most ALARM
ing manner. I shouted to Donaldson
for directions, but could hear no re-
ply, aad was left to my own resources.
The bag was shaking abolt above me
with awful force, and 1 could see moth
ing, so thick was the cloud. I seized
the valve cord and attempted to open
it. Could not open it. The cord be-
came entaDgled with the neck. Sud
denly tree tops shot I'D through the
fog, and in an instant the balloon was
whirling through the branches. 1
climbed out of the boat TO a place
above the ring, and as the balloon
rushed into q thicket of trees I swung
myself out and dropped among the
branches.
The boat scraped over me and de-
tached my hands. 1 dropped to the
earth, surprised to find myself unhurt.
L started to walk back in the supposed
right direction, and met four men
running after me. / offered them q
large reward to capture the balloon,
then out of sight. They have gone in
pursuit in the locality of Canaan, Con-
necticut. [ was driven to the station
by DIR. William Adams, where Ford
and Donaldson arrived soon AFTER
The storm is raging violently. There
is no news from the balloon. Very
narrow escape all round
GEO. ASHTON LINT.
p. S.-The balloon has been found
. mile from heres
THE NEEDLES, Isle of Wight, Get. 6.
The high cliffs near here are thro nged
with people looking seward for the