The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1873-06-18
The Fairfield Herald.
PUBLISHED
.TV'ER.Y WEDNESDAY,.
Scientific Daring.

Ono dull day in August, just after
Hoon, a balloon rose in tho air ut tho
toot Of Clcct Hills, on tho western
odgo Of the central plain of Eug-
Land.
1t was inflated with the listtcst Of
'Na3scs which chomicnl skill could pro.
duce, and it roso with Amazing vc-
]ocity. a mile up it entered start
'um Of clouds moro than thousand
foot thick.
Emerging from this, tho sun shonc
brightly on the air ship; the sky over.
head was tho clearcst and deepest blue,
and below lay cloudlAnh~-an i'm.
measurable cHpansc Of cloud whose
surface looked as solid as that Of
cart! now wholly lost to view. Lofty
mountains and deep, dark ravincs APP
pcarcd below the peaks and sides of
those clout mountains next the .r,,
glittcrcd like bnow, but casting.
siaaows as black "a if they were solid
rcck. TIP rose tho balloon with trc.
mcnduus velocity. -Four miles above
earth pigeon Was let loose it drop.
ped through the air AZ if it had been
stone. The air was too thin to cna.
hlc it to fly. 1t WAS as if a bark
laden to deck wcro to pass the heavy
waters Of tho sea into au inland un-
saline lake; the bark would sink AT
once in thinner water. Up, up, still
higher what silence profound
Shc heights Of Tho sky woro as still
as tho deepest depths Of the ocean, ~
was found during the search for the
lost Atlantic cable, tho mud lios un.
stirred from yoar to year a& tho dust
which impcrccr'ibly gathers OF furni
turc of II deserted house. No sound, No
lilo ON y tho bright sunshine falling
through u SKY which it could moi
warm.
up--Gvc miles above Garth !-high
or than the Inaccessible su.nmit o.
Chimborazo. Despite the sunshine
every thing freezes. The air grows
too thin to support lifo even for few
minutes. Two men only arc in ,ha
adventurous balloon--thc ono steer
ing tho air slip, the other watching
tho scientific instruments, and record
ing them with ranidity brcd ci ion.
practice. Suddenly, "a the latter lookl
nt his instruments, his sight grow:
dlm; he takes lens to hell his sight
and only marks from The falling ba,
romctcf that they are rising rapid
u.
~ Nlsk Of brandy lies within Zoo
OF him no tries 10 roach il, but Ill
arms refuse to obey his will. II,
trios TO call on his cumrado, who ha
gone up into the ring above. a whis
per in tho dccp silence would suffice
but no sound comes from his lips III,
IL voioclrss.
Tho stoorsman comes down into th
car. 1lo scca his companoh in
Rwoon and feels his own senses fai!in.
him.
lie saw at onco that life and dontl
hung upon fow moments. Ilo soiy2t
or tried to seizo the valve, in order tx
let out the gas. His hands arc rur
pie with intense cold thcy AFRO para,
ly%ed they will not respond to hi
will.
lie soizcs the valyo with hiS toc,h
1t opens little.~~oncc, twice, thrice
The balloon began to descend
4hcn tho swooning man returned /,
CONSCIOUSNESS and saw the stccrsma,
ttandin3 before him. i;o locked i
his instrument. they must hay,
been nearly eight miles up. Brand,
was used. They haI beer hishe
above earth than mortal man or liv
ing thing had ever been before. On,
minute more of inaction--of compul
sorry inaction--on tho part of th,
stecrsman, whose senses were faiiin.
him, and tho air-shir, with its intense G
~ r"fi'lcd gas, would havo been float
ing unattended, with two corpscs, i.
tho wide icalms Of space.
Catching 4 Wife.
Tho plnst curi0us rcr,n,nn,. l.r,,..