Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-11-15

anu tASH 1 Oeban 10 speculate
upon the danger of the voyage. We
were by this time about two miles
high, in the atmosphere, and found
that it was growing quite cold. The
barometer aud thermometer inform
eel us just where and how cold we
were. And as we rose, the bag OF the
balloon expanded more and more.
1t was almost at its tension. The
/ Zephyrs, for such the motions Of the
air currents might be called, were
/ drifting us toward Mount DiaboIo.
soon we would be beyond it, and
perhaps in an hour or two he floating
over the foot hills.
'tWe are getting too high, Miss
Staples | said. j will open the
valve. This is The rope-I viii not
let any too much out
"Yes, pulled. ATegcifuI heavens.
found that could not get the cord
to bulge an inch, and the balloon
was still going upward Great
drops of perspiratioa stood upon my
brow. / rose to my feet, and | jerked
in every possible way at the rope.
81 looked at my feliow-voyager.
She appeared to be wholly uncon-
scious of the impending danger. Her
eyes were on and her soul absorbed
in the grand panorama that, like a
map, was spread out far beneath Us.
Miss Staples, / at length cried,
we are in iminent dauger!'
"She looked at me with an expires
sion of surprise.
"'We are on the verge OF eternity
j added. The great bag cannot con-
tinue much longer to hold out against
the pressure of the gas within. Every
moment the air is becoming thinner
and colder. can hardly speak now
without great pain. Should the bal
loon burst we would be hurled to the
earth
ais there no way Of saving our
selves?' she asked, quickly and col
lectedly.
IF we could reach the valve
which is at the top Of the balIon. IL
has become wedged in / suppose.
But we cannot it is not possible
/" Cannot she cried.
81 could hardly hear her, and it
was becoming intensely cold. For a
moment / lost my vision. When it
returned to me ! was alone! Had
my companion hurried herself out Of
the basket, and was she now beyond
all the horrors, the agony that was
mine? / would follow her! / had
grasped the edge Of the basket. An
other second and / would have clam
bered over it, aud the air-ship would
have been tenantless! In that mo-
ment, however, / saw what / sup
posed to be cloud descending the
netting! Then heard a voice say
it sounded very far of:
"Pull the cord! The valve will
now open!"
81 did, mechanically, as ] was
hidden. ! was dazed. The rope re-
sponded to my hand, and / suppose
the valve opened. ] could hear no
rush-no issue Of gas, however. The
air was too rarifed for that, l sup
pose.
"In two minutes we were within
half a mile Of the earth's surface.
The air was denser and warmer, and
the balloon Was fun of wrinkles.
mYou had better close the valve
Miss Staples said. Her voice was
loud enough now.
81 did close it, and then we sailed
along down the Santa Clara valley
very pleasantly.
''At shutdown we landed safely"
"But," asked a listner, professor,
how did she get the valve 50 that it
would work."
81 hardly dare tell you, for II IS a
reflection on my manhood. That
girl deliberately climbed the netting
under and over, away to the very
crown of the balloon, and there saw
where the difficulty was. The valve
cord had got wound round the net
ting in some way. She relieved it.
then she descended unframed TO the
basket, 1t was heroic act, indeed.
| afterward learned that she had
been connected with circus, rs
rider, and was wonderfully coura-
geous. Had il not been for her te-
merity, should not be here to re-
late my first adventure in a bal
loom"
"But you declared just now" said
another of the professors listners,
that you would never want to go up
in balloon with woman. j should
think you would be rather glad to
have one with you."
"No, sir; and for this reason," re
sponded Boynton: "a woman il, in
my opinion, so much more conra-
geous than am, that I'D be ashamed
Of myself in her presence In mo-
meat Of terrible danger"
She wouldn't speak 90 Essi,I.
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