Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-03-31
A Scientific Balloon Ascension.

| iAOn ZIG fnllaueiplsa Dulleiin
| The well known aeronaut Professor Smart,
recently made an ascension at Easton, in
this State. and. as some odd stories have
been doatlng about respecting the result, a
reporter went around to interview him
about the subject upon his arrival in the
city. The Professor said - We went up
at Easton-Conly, Jones and myself-and
il was the finest trip | ever took. Perfect
| ly splendid We got the balloon full about
twelve O'Clock, and the crowd held her
down until we got ready. Then gave the
wo-d and they let GO, and we went a-hum-
ming into the air. One man got caught in
q twist of the rope as she gave her first
! squirt upwards, and it slammed him up
against fence as if he'd been shot out of a
gun. Smashed IN three or four of his ribs.
| believe, and cracked his leg But we
went up beautifully about 500 feet, and
while we were looking at the charming
scenery We ran into cloud, and | told
Comfy to throw out some ballast. He
heaved over a couple of sand-bags. and one
Of them accidentally fell on Major Wiggin' s
hired girl. who was hanging clothes in the
garden, and the other went sock into his
chimney and choked it up. He was mad
as fury about it when we came down. No
enthusiasm tor science. Some men don I
care cent whether the world progresses or
| not. Well, sir, We shot up about 900
feet more, and then Jones dropped the
lunch basket overheard by accident, and
We went up nearly four miles. Comfy got
blue in the face, Jones tainted, and | came
near going under myself A minute more
we'd alive been dead men. but ! gave the
valve jerk and we came down like rock
et-stick. When the boys came to. Jones
said he wanted to get ont. and as we were
only little distance from the ground |
threw out the grapnel. That minute a
breeze struck her and she went along at the
rate of ninety miles an hour over some
mans garden. and the grapnel caught his
| grape arbOr, snatched 1t up, and pretty
soon got it tangled with the weather-coc
on the Presbyterian Church steeple | cut
the rope and left it there, and | understand
that the deaeons sued the owner because he
wouldn't take it down Raised an awful
iass and sent the sheriff after me Trying
to make scientific Investigations seems like
a crime, and | working all the time like q
horse to unfold the phenomena of Nature
If they had loved knowledge they wOuldn t
We cared if Id We ripped of their old
steeple and dropped it down like an extin-
guisher on top Of some factory chimney
SO when we left the grape arbor We went
up again, and Jones got sicker and said he
must get out. So rigged up another Crap
nal and threw it over. We were just pass
ing farm near the river. and as the wind
was high the grapnel tore through two
fences and pulled the root off OF a smoke
| house, and then, as nothing would hold
her. We sWooped into the woods. when we
ran against a tree. The branches skinned
Conly's face and nearly put out my right
eve and knocked four teeth out of Jones 5
mouth. Ii was the most exciting and IN
teresung voyage ever made in my life I;
and was just beginning to set some salts
faction from lt-just getting warmed up
and preparing to take some meteorological
observations-when Jones became 50 very
ANXIOUS to quit that didn't like to refuse,
although | hated to give up and abandon
my scientific Investigations. So | threw
out my coat and boots, and made the other
fellows do the same. and We rose above the
trees and sailed along splendidly until we
struck the river. Then she suddenly lodged
down, and the edge Of the car caught IN
the water 50 the wind took her, and we
went scudding along like lightning, nearly
drowned Comfy was washed overheard
and that lightened her, 50 she went up
again. | was. tJr staying up, but Jones
said he'd die if he didn't get out snon and,
besides, he thought We ought to look after
Comfy But | said Comfy was probably
drowned anyhow, so it was hardly worth
while 10 sacrifice our experiments on tha I
account and ! told Jones that man Of
his intelligence ought to be willing TO en-
dure something tor the sake Of scientific
truth And Jones said hang scientific
truth actually made that remark-and ne
said that If | didn't let him out he d jump
out lie was sick, You know The man
was not himself, or he would never have
talked in that way about a voyage that wa,
SO full of interest and 50 likely to reveal i'm
portant secrets of nature. But to oblige
him at last got her down on the other side
Of the river and farmer ran out and seized
the rope. While We were talking to him
was lust telling him that as the gas wa
running out of the neck OF the balloon
maybe he'd better put out his cigar, when
all OF a sudden there was terrific bang
The gas exploded and wrapped Us in a sheet
of fame and the next minute some OF the
neighbors picked up me and Jones. Jones
was roasted nearly to a crisp. Exciting
WASH it And they took him over 10 the
farmhouse, where we found that they hac
fshed out Comfy and were bringing him to
When he revived they sent the Invalid corpse
back to town in a wagon, Jones groanlng
all the way and | arguing with him to show
that science requires her yotaries TO give uT
little of their personal comfort Tor tht
benefit it does the human race, and ConL5
saying he wished he was well enough to &c
out and bang the inventor of balloons with
Il gun As soon as we got back to Eastor
a constable arrested me for chueking thai
ignorant opponent of scientific inquiry ~
against the fence and wrecking him. Wher
/ was let off on bail began to build new
balloon. She's nearly done, now, and In
going to make an ascension early mex
month in search of the ozone belt. Won
you up with me The day is going to cont
when everybody will travel that way. 1t
the most exhilarating motion in the world
Come on up and help me make scientific
observations on the ozone belt?
But the invitation was declined. and thu
paper will not be represented on the trip
il will have a good obituary notice of tht
Professor all ready in type. though