Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-09-18
The Recent Balloon Voyage.


Cleveland Five representatives of tn
press accompanied Prof. King on thi
trip
Loosed from the cords and ballast tina
had held the Buffalo" anchored 81
quietly for nearly twenty-four hours, Tho
graceful globe rose maiestically above
the houses and spires OF the Forest City
Gazing down from this "bad emf
nence" upon the beautiful square anC
the lovely avenues of Cleveland, upon the
vast throngs which filed streets anC
house-tops and looked as dazzlingly
beautiful as the colors of a kaleidoscope
as the gay ribbons and bonnets of the
fair sex moved about in the sunlight
perhaps a grander panorama could moi
be imagined. There, too, were our
friends, our wives, our children, upon
whose loving faces we might perchance
never look again. But there was no time
to indulge in gloomy fancies, for all were
completely wrapped in admiration of
the gorgeous scenes above, below and
about them. AT noon our altitude was
2,971 feet, and we seemed almost station
ary for short time, but the professor
gradually discharged his sand ballast,
hoping to find a sea-breeze at higher al.
titude, and thus be enabled to pass over
the land. After a short experience there,
however, it was found that we were des-
tined to Il voyage lakeward, and perhaps
to Buffalo, which would have been sat
isfactory arrangement.
Passing almost directly over the crib,
at an altitude of 9, 400 feet loud shout
was heard from the men employed there
on, and at the suggestion of the profess
sor we replied with three cheers and a
tiger. Soon thereafter schooner was
discovered directly beneath the balloon,
and it was seen that she was carrying
. bone in her mouth, with breeze from
the northeast, and it was hoped that by
descending n little we should reap the
benefit of a landward breeze and be watt
ed back over the agricultural regions of
Northern Ohio. At 20 our altitude
was 2,527 feet above the lake.
At 80 p. IN. the Buffalo" was off
Painesville, and the air still very light
and variable. Mr.. Holden sat with his
instruments constantly before him, and
he consulted barometer and thermometer
from time to time, reporting to Prof
King the status of affairs, whether we
were rising or falling After a good sub
stantial lunch the members of the eX-
pedition Joined the chorus of several
songs, under the leadership of Prof.
King, who possesses considerable musical
taste and ability
At two p. IN. we noticed the singular
but well-known phenomena of the
different current of air in the upper
region The schooner, which we saw far
beneath us, was making short tacks with
the wind from the northeast, while we,
at height of 1852 feet, were borne
slowly in that direction. That is, we
were under the influence of light air, it
could hardly be called breeze from the
southwestward.
Prof, King on getting over the lake let
down his drag-rope, a two-inch manila
cord, about three hundred and fifty feet
in length. This had a tendency to steady
the air-ship, so that its motion was al
most imperceptible.
AT 80 the spars of three-masted
vessel were seen standing about ten or
twenty feet above the surface of the wa
ter, off Paincsville and between that
point and Ashtabula. Our highest alti-
tude up to three p. III. was 2,096 feet. At
3:15, 4200 feet above the level of the
lake, or A, 4,7S0 feet above sea-level; 6 As
p. M, 1000 feet.
just below Erie peninsula Prof. King
decided to approach the lake and try the
merits of the drag-rope. Descending
until within about fifty feet of the water,
we struck the northeast current of wind,
and instead of reaching Buffalo, as we
had hoped 20 do at one time we were
borne swiftly on the back track, and
were swept along about west-southwest.
Soon afterward the current again changed
and our course was thence about west
northwest and we gradually neared the
land, to our satisfaction, and flew past
Point au Pin, and slowly descending we
eagerly scrutinized the shores to distin-
iSh
that might lie in our path.
AT p. m. we ran in over the Canada
shore, and sweeping down, close over the
land, we ascertained that we were Just
below Point au Pelee, in the town OF
Mersea, in Essex County, crossing thence
the township of West Tilbury, and the
widest portion of Lake St. Clair, soaring
above the clouds in our transit.
This was one of the most intensely in
teresting and remarkable experiences of
our trip. Ones breath seemed to hang
tremblingly upon his lips, and he might
not have been surprised, at any moment,
to have witnessed the fairy nymphs of
elfland dancing around him in weird and
graceful evolutiOns. The great globe
above our heads seemed poised in a per-
feet vacuum, while not word was spoken
for some minutes, as the minds of all
seemed wonder-struck at the strange,
imposing scene.
While sweeping over the county of
Essex we had frequent exchanges of
words with the inhabitants, whom King
asked to take hold of our drag-rope
One fellow, an Irishman, undoubtedly,
sang out, "Ochl yees are going too fast
for that" So on we swept on our airy
flight, now rising, now slightly falling,
and discharging ballast from time to time
as circumstances demanded. A weird
and imposing scene lay below us, while
at times we were borne along on the
wings of the wind literally, and all the
time a solemn stiffness reigned.
At one point of our passage across the
Canada shore our drag-rope caught in
tree, and we were steadily anchored, as
it seemed. Not so steadily, either, for
the wind blew in strong gusts, and the
aerial monster swayed fearfully above
our heads. Mr.. King cautioned us to OBJ
serve the utmost calmness in case of our
sudden e,,trication which at last was eff
fected by disvharging ballast, and the
balloon then fairly Jumped" rising
suddenly and swiftly aloft, and almost
jerking the passengers from their seats
and their firm hold on the ropes around
uS.
The wicker basket i'm which six human
beings were seated, with naught else in
tcrvening between them and fearful
fall, seems OF the slightest build and
yet the wcll-scaSuncd willow branches of
which ii Is composed are so thoroughly
and perfectly braced and supported that
Il short experience within it was sufficient
to establish its strength and make one
feel lhat he might hold his life by slight
or tenure than this.
And thus the long hours passed rapidly
away, the company relieving the tedium,
if such there were, with jest and song.
Never in the course of long life and
one of varied voyagings has such a
strange and wonderful experience been
enjoyed by at least one of the occupants
of that wicker basket, hung so dizzily
below the mammoth Buffalo" balloon;
nor would that individual exchange the
experience and strange endowment of