Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-12-11


Pc an act Of impertinence on my part to De
scribe miuutely the phenomena of an ascen
from the neighborhood of London how vo
lo not at first appear to be rising, but sta
riauary. while the earth. on the other hand
seems sinking beneath You; how-if ther
be- any clouds in your part Of the sky-whel
y1a EayepaSsod through thelowerm0st bank
ti yapor, and look down on the feecv. float
ing masses beneath You, You experience
m1mcutary feeling Of pride-sheer asinin,
pride or how, being free from clouds. vo,
look down and see stretching around tn,
great green earth, and, Immediately below
London. diminished to a size of "a model il
museum, 81. Paul sccmingno bigger thar
pea. and the Monument looking no Longer
taan pin, while the smoke of London seem,
stationary over it, a thin, sleazy blue blan-
zet. In two strips, one for the Niddlesex and
one for the Surrey side, and cut precisely t.
the shape of the city and suburbs, through
tha whole running the glinting river, lik,
~kein ol quicksilver. | must mention
thai NV view Of the wondr0us panorama
around and beneath was somewhat impeded
iy the ilec that was top-hampered by a
uaaatity of toy balloons. mere inflated linen
.a-s, fashioned as lions dragons. fish, and
other prepoSterous forms, and all emblazoncd
with tie cosuiancc of the Symposium
These wrotchcl little triAeS were indirectly
tae cause uj oar unloing. The acronaut
Lad Instructions 10 cut his wind-bags adritt
when ne a-ccndei a short distance, in order
tut ,ley might amusc the gatcm9ucals Of
brmpt1n and the Fulham road, and scatter
advertisements of the Symposium far and
wide. Thus the little old man, during the
first FIVE minutes of his ascent. had been 80
b1sy with his pocket knife dosing these
rilieu'ou- unpeaua0fd, that he had forgot
t.u rrccauuon very necessary 10 our safety.
While the balloon is on the ground it is
customary % close the neck of the machine
v means of q handkerchief tied in a slip
su-.. iu order % prevent the admixture of
Gle heavy lower stratum of atmospheric air
Yl,H he more huoyant carburetted hydrogen
inside the balloon. Directly the balloon
.-.,rl~. the prudent acronaut, busted with
his .runTery wind-bagS. did no such thing.
assistant may have been unaware that
ta.a- ought 10 hc done He cried ont
-.t.tllly that We had risen To the altitude
n, one mile. that We were Just over Fulham
church, and that we were about to cross the
Thames just then | heard Il sharp crack
iu- report. precisely ike that of mu>ket
shot, above my head. The balloon had burst.
j. could scarcely. under the circumstances.
have done ANYTHING bat burst The gas in
fae machine lad become rrehed, and had
rapidly expanded. 1t could not escape from
above. the wives was closed il could not
o..are fr,al beneath tbe neck was closed.
r ,rsr.- p, smash inst as an inflated
and air-tisbt har Of uauer rocs TO
smash between the ralms ol 4 school bows
lqDd
=, ve E.U rs q Stone falls. half a mile.
Nbep We assembled .Eit had appeared to me
tint fbe o,rtb wa sinking beneath rs.
N..g- ,i,e ,r.bs-fells bou-ss. lamp-po,t,.
n i,,,e,. -eon.i IN lee rushin5 M to
as with literally inc5nceivable rapiditv
-ri.,-. ,.,. T., ,,rric9l,r one tall church
.tc7r,e. which. bv the ccleritv of its ap-
,..,tt ,,.-.,r..l :, Ia horribly anvioris that
/ sb8815 f, inr7led ON its aney. Il could
r... b,rc been Fulbam but whatever or
wherever was the edilice. it was there rush
inc, III, &, me . and | declare that the groreS-
..,,cna..eg rle. .posifiop ofimraIement- of les
and WINS. ike a cock-chafer-distinctlv
and yi.ibIv occurred to me Idcclare. also.
s.-s 1l-q,.. tbat then arose before me no
panorama of NV carly life. or of my by
..,-,' ,,-- and 5oc9s as sncb n,noraiina are
-,;l r.. l7ya srisen bef,re the ewes of persons
,...-,l ,+ tbs ,sr, Instant from hanriu- or
1-.~,;,.. Yc- 4, ,lainlv and literally re-
- - 49,, +Ist be.,rl a v,i.e
-, - ~, -. AVID - CYt O.
90. a-1 ~ Init, va ,brps, into nv
.,.l ....I +, s.o.-,sd ,freryvar3 that the
...-,...,,t .s,,j I ts3 ,,i+cbel ont all the bal
- - ar5 al or5 +bo+
III ''.' - ~ a,,.6,, from,
i1-l.It.,5 - -, wa.
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~ -, W.T. bo,o,@o of Tho
'l y '-' -, -. l', ;cftbo5 f,lien
-''l' '.'- we ''' A'.' LII - oil ,-.i,,-
l',., l..ri'5 ''r,ot,.J,- Tbe bs,vv
''H u''g A''.'- .., T., I'll, lii.,.
'i-' "i ',.'a7s' ','t' lu'' ,baroi dnr-
''' i.''e.' In ,,,,,,,,,,L Inst he
Z, - 1.r. 49,, b. d.or.,v
- - I,o5 +l,-,.,,,, o,er INV
~, -. ,,aIet,+ ol.scryin, With n
i7". f.''c' - 60,
'''''I i,I - a. ,-arn,ert os We
5, G'i''',l - - -, n we
''lIt ..,t.a-i,7 .,at viii
'',.' '1'.'iu.li''7 u.'' - g. -
l ''iI ~ - -, g.,
ii''' on1''S "'iou '''' .Ia T., - -, n
Dg !""I'"s Ior Us 10 5 ,I' i ,..9,,,ai .o-orcn IF
-, =. -, JisdoinE1Iv decline
il on el' " Vr,ll a.; ,,',, ~ tLc ,natier If tbc
70 lAs y'll " Nm, ii''i 'I "a ~, - ,ocbsni-
cc,Il, .r5 ,rcIl-r;-b nnconsciouslv and
,rat degrcroteiy md mo-tallv terrified. A
c'.. - ,,r,c- ibc acc;5cnt met the aeron-
-, - .n5 hal tbe cnriositv 10
~ '"' ;.'''i'' H., W. dcmearor durjng the
loIi'' c'T '''"' '' ~ Any
''',.' b.. ,.-,- o,,ii.llv rerIicd .. Won