The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-08-01
A SUCCESSFUL BALLOON VOYAGE.
TWENTY SIN HOURS IN THE AIR-EvENTs
OF TRIP FROM NEW YORK TO
SARATOGA.


SARATOGA.
1t is safe to say that the balloon trip il
W. IL. Donaidsons new All ship The Bar
mum, which terminated near Saratoga, OF
Saturday evening last, was the finest tina
, ever began in New York, and one of tn,
most prosperous and enjoyable ever made
in the country. A little after p. NJ or
Friday the five journalists who were tt
accompany Mr.. Donaldson, stepped into
the willow basket, and with the latter.
} signal, "Let go all, were shot rapidly
upward. Almost in an instant they were
700 feet high. Union and Madison squares
and the streets around the Hippodrome,
were thronged with people, balconies and
J housetops, nearly as far as could be distin-
guised, were crowded, and sending up
shouts of applause or farewell. At 4 20
the balloon was 800 feet high, over Sew
enth avenue near Forty second street, and
drifting to the northwest. Blocks of houses
looked no larger than single buildings
ordinarily appear, and the street cars, which
could be dimly seen, appeared about the
size of bricks. At 4:30 the balloon was
lowering over the Hudson at an altitude of
9, 500 feet. Long Island looked like large
struggling village, little thickest along
the East river, and the Sound was filled
with fair looking craft. Staten Island
seemed part of New Jersey. Northward
was the Hudson. The Palisades were
plainly visible, and so were the towns along
the river. Where the Hackensack and
Passaic rivers empty into Newark Bay
pair of dentists nippers was plainly marked
| out by the curving courses of the streams,
and few miles to the east, was a gigantic
| foot, formed by cuttings on forest, with
every curve as true as if it had been fash
Toned by one of the anatomical foot
| makers.
Mr.. Donaldson, about 4:3O, suggested
that as it would be necessary to leave one
of the party now and then, in order to make
the trip as long as possible, the journalists
should draw lots to see who should get out
first. Numbers were written on separate
slips of paper, tossed into hat, shaken,
and following is the order in which they
were drawn: Herald, L; World, 9; Sun, 8;
Graphic, 4; Tribune, 5. At 5:11 the bal
loon had sunk to an altitude of $50 feet.
Prof. Donaldson explained that the sinking
was caused by the setting of the sun. The
drag rope, $50 feet long, the letting out
and pulling in of which was like throwing
out and pulling in ballast, trailed along the |
ground. 1t cracked branches of trees like |
pipe stems, tore boards from fences, left |
narrow path through fields of grain which |
it crossed, and seemed to be resstless.
When 1t drags over house, fence, or
along the ground, a sound like the roar of !
an enormous buzz-saw is produced.
AT GEO the rope caught and the balloon
was made to descend, and the party landed
near farm house and got some milk.
The balloon assembled again at Csc, crossed
the Piermont branch of the Erie railroad,
in the township of Ramapo, and landed on
farm in the township near the Summer
residence of Charlotte Thompson, the &C,
tress, who was visited. She accepted read
lily an invitation to ascend, and in half an
hour the party were off again with Miss
Thompson in company. After going about
two or three miles she was landed, and
returned homo in her carriage which had
followed.
At 10 P. NJ. the..air-ship was over the Hud-
son, opposite West Point, and only 40 feet
above the ground. During the night only
eight pounds of ballast were thrown out.
At 5:24 A. NJ. on Saturday the graphing
hook was thrown out and in few seconds
the party were landed on the farm of VIM
Cooms, ia Greenport. Columbia county,
four miles from Hudson. The Graphic, I.
Herald, and World representatives then got
out and left for Hudson. The anchor was
hen loosened and in three minutes the
balloon was 1900 feet in the air. At Q
} clock it was $500 feet, nearly mile and ..
The sun was very hot, the /
thermometer registering TO-. The balloon /;
irlfted slowly southwark towards New -.
ork. The city of Hudson was almost q
lirectly below, and little off to the east, :
lcross the river was Catskill, and beyond
he Catskill Mountains. Four stratas of
LIQUIDS were distinctly to be seen. The first |
II lower strata was of dirty gray color: A
he second, pure, cleaning, si!very white;
he third, beautiful deep azure, darker ,
han the clear blue vault overhead; and =
he fourth or upper, dark brown, almost =
he color of amber. Albany and Green =
ush came in sight, with Troy beyond. :
ballast was thrown out and the balloon rose :,
apidly to 5000 feet-so fast that the party u
ad to shout to make one another hear.
hen they descended.
For three hours and ahalf the balloon was -
early mile and three quarters high. All f.
his time it was in sight of Hudson CITY. II
t II it arose over the first span Of the r. r.
atskills. After several hours of travel si
he balloon sailed over a deep valley which u
said would be good for a land W. W,
g, and the anchor was dropped. 1t Crap fol-
led readily, gas was let out, and the party IL
escended among some small trees at 6:07
NJ. The place of landing was E. r.
oung's farm, in Greenfield, Saratoga
,unty, nine miles north of the place.
he journey of 400 miles had been accom- :,
lshed in 26 hours.-N. Y. Tribune. op