The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-09-26

The balloon Barrum," which as
cended at the Hippedrome, at Baltimore,
on Tuesday afternoon, with Prof. Donald
son and reporter of the Sun, sailed around
till 10 o'clock Tuesday night, when they
anchored the balloon at station, on the
they assembled on Wednesday morning and
made final landing at Lewisville, nine
miles from Elkton, on Wednesday after
noon, at 6 o'clock. The balloon was pack
ed in its basket, hauled to Elkton, and
sent to Baltimore, by the Thursday morn
ing train. The Prof. and reporter remain
ed at Elkton on Wednesday evening, the
latter dispatching an account of the air
voyage to the Sun, from which we make
few extracts. Several persons in town
saw the balloon in the air before it settled
near Lewisville.
At 1850 A. NJ. we landed in Fawn Grove,
Pa, where we left Messrs. Parr and HarIi
son, and your correspondent went up with
Prof. Donaldson, with the design of reach
ing Lancaster, Pa, in the balloon. Just
after noon we landed for dinner ON John
Wittman's farm, near Castle Finn Post
office, York county, Pa, two and half
miles from the Susquehanna river. Here
we took in keg of cider, bottles of milk,
jellies, apples, and more solid fare, and
went up at 1855 P. NJ. This was the COM
mencement of one of the most eventful
and interesting trips ever made by Prof.
Donaldson. Going up thirteen thousand
feet high, we became elated as the altitude
increased, and we were witnesses of a
scene that is met with but once in life
time. Chesapeake and Delaware bays, the
Susquehanna river from Havre de Grace to
Harrisburg, the towns of Wilmineto ton, Lam
caster, and New Castle were seen in beau
tiful perspective, and even the spires of
Philadelphia could be made out through a
telescope. Prof. Donaldson slept one hour,
while l had the unexpected and rather
novel honor of managing balloon. The
thermometer at thirteen thousand feet
marked thirty degrees in the shade and
seventy-four in the sun.
After crossing the Susquehanna clouds
formed below us in fields, and the quad
ripple shadow of the balloon, with a rain
bow colored halo around it, was present ed
in full brilliancy. We were sailing toward
Lancaster, but found another current and
went east. At about 3 p. NJ. we commenc-
ed descending, and after narrowly escaping
striking in thick wood, which would
have dashed us out, became fastened in a
high oak tree. The balloon, swayed by a
strong breeze, tore the branches as if they
were pipe stems, but our rigging caught
and l was thrown into the tree uniniured.
regained the basket and aided Prof Don.
aldson in a successful effort to free the bal
loon. Over the clouds we went again, so
high that ear could not hear it's owner
voice, and drifting east dropped down at
the speed of several thousand feet min
ute. During our trip, when near the earth,
we dashed through orchards and met with
showers of fruit, pranced over fields of
standing corn and bounced among the top
most branches of tall chestnut trees
Again when we were high up in the air,
the bay looked like belt of zinc, the riv-
ers and streams were borders of silver and
the country seemed great garden, with
box-tree hedges instead of woods and white
hot-bed sashes in place of houses. At no
time during the trip was there felt SEM
blance even of fear, but on the contrary
the sensation from the start was one of
pleasure. Prof. Donaldson consulted his
maps along the route and | attended to the
compass, barometer and thermometer.