The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-10-22

and fields were only little spots o
white and green. Akron, Hudson
Kent, Cuyahoga Falls, and other vii
lagos which we could not identify
were distinctly visible. In about eigh
minutes after the start, we were near
ly above the Falls of the Cuyahoga a
an altitude of 5000 feet. The faintes
mnrmur of the waters could be heard
whilst the soft sound of a gentle tap
ping, which we took to be the strokei
OF trip-hammer in one of the forges
came up from below.
We had been travelling in
A CURRENT OF COLD AIR,
and Professor King Immediately after
wards exclaimed, We are going
! down!"
We'll" added he, g it will be vel
enough to haYe little chat" and sc
he retrained from throwing out any
more of our seaty supply of sand than
was absolutely necessary to control
our landing. The place of landing was
in cOrnfield near Gaylord's Grove,
aud ebeying the clearly shouted dirhc-
tions Of the Rronaut, three gentlemen
seized hold of the drag-rope, which
was by this time trailing, and
DREW Us DOWN.
Soon large crowd assembled, and
we were busy answering questions for
the next ten minutes. Professor King
kept casting an anxious eye up toward
the western sky to see if the only ally
who could assist US to rise again-Old
Sol-would threw a benignant smile
upon US. The cold current of air we
had come through had condensed the
gas in the balloon so much as to cause
it to lose much of its eleVating power
But we were not long kept in anxiety
Soon the genial conntenance of the
frey monarch looked out upon our
Cloud Nymph, and, smiling upon her.
so cheered her sympathetic heart that
WITH A BOUND
she again Waften us into the air. Still
in order to tighten our car so that we
could again rise, it was necessary to
throw out what ballast we had left
We therefore started upon our second
voyage upward with
SAND ALL EXHAUSTED,
For half mile our drag rope trailed
across the fields, over the tops of the
trees. Just before we came to what we
supposed was Stow Lake, the rope
trailed over forest, at least l50 feet
of it sliding, AS it slipped along, it
looked more like long and slender
serpent than anything else. As we
the lake, the certainty of
it was somewhat hampered
by limits, and the Professor turned to
me and inquired if | could swim. l
humbly owned to the ability, when he
our condition by the SYM
bels so. K"
OVER THE WATER.
E'Now, sir, you have a opportunity
10 see what kind of ride we took
over Lake Erie" remarked my COM
panion, as the drag rope leaped from
he tree and with splash began to
,ut through the water. leaving deli !
;ate trail behind. From our height. |
about 300 feet, the water looked like a
'oltd body of green glass, in which
he balloon was clearly reflected. AT |
er crossing the lake we gradually but
surely
BEGAN TO ASCEND |
We had for the next few minutes I
What the Professor said was the most |
pleasant sort of ballooning, and the
lind he always enjoyed. We were
ust high enough to clear every OBJ
truction, and yet not so high as not to
,e able to converse with the people
'elow. Everywhere our approach eX
ited the most
INTENSE EAsToNIsHAIENT.
Al one house we passed, the farmer
sturdy yeoman, was at work in his
'.Hellol" shouted Professor King,
what is your name ?"
The man looked up, caught one
limpse of the balloon, and, without
our repeated shouts. ran off
elling at the top of his voice: "Hurl-
urtl Hurlburt r. r-u-n and tell +
I-u-r-r-r-l. burtF'
Whether "Hurlburt" saw us or not
re cannot tell, but we had a hearty
augh over the matter.
We now began to ascend rapidly
Ligher, higher, we went until objects
n the earth again shrunk into the ap-
earanee they would have if looked at
lrough the wrong end of telescope.
| few minutes more and we were
ABOVE THE CLOUDS,
nd over our heads was the blue dome f
{ heaven, Below all had been dark
nd dreary now we were bathed in ;
ood of radiant sunshine. Away, as (
ir as the eye could reach, was an
cean of mist, above which we had 1
lst emerged. The earth was gone. /
We were in the regions of eternal
Hence. II
Oh, that / had the power to describe j
D that ,'they could be apprehended,
ne emotions produced by such an en-
.ance into a realm of mystery. The {
.iends we had left, Akron and all I
lings earthly seemed a thousand
tiles away, and we might have started
leteness of feeling that we were en-
rely severed from them was concern {
d.
But still higher we went, and l {
card the Professor talking as one
ears voices in a dream. I
MY EARS WERE ''LAzY"
~ own voice sounded strangely. 1t
as as if some one else was talking,
nd knew SO we'll what they were {
Ding to say that I moved my lips in
I
We had by this time gotten so far t
Dove the clouds that they appeared
] far beneath as as the earth did be- l
IRE we entered them. To one on s
IRA fTnad the clouds when entirely
bscurimg the sky appear dome-like. i
o us from above, it seemed as if we {
ere gazing on an
IMMENSE PLAIN OF SILVERY ICE,
ON which vast mountains rose in !
olumes of splendor. Mountain tow l
'ed above mountain, out of a horizon
i plain. This scene was bounded by l
horizon of blue sky. "
''IS THAT LAKE ERIE ?" [
lid Professor King, as peculiar
'oking sheet of blue attracted his at a
ntion. The question was startling, c
we were out of ballast and We're t
not very far distant from
le object whatever it should be. L c
turned out to be only !
ngular appearance of the sky, but '
lr uncertainty lasted quito a while, I
J we had no idea in which direction
o were traveling-having entered |
le clouds so suddenly that bearings /
luld not be taken, and after losing Il
ght of the earth there was no means S
t Judging. 5
hax