The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-10-24

tN% 4&l1Q@f mere, All 1 f9lbI inAs II
vas growing quite cold The barome-
Ter and thertnome.er informed us lus.
where and how cold We we're As ~e
rose, ths Tag c: he balloon expanded
mOrs AMI more /, Was almost at It's
tenssea- The xephyrs, tor such the mo-
;ion Of the air currents nigh. be cal!ei
we're driftin. Us toward Noun. Diablo
Soou We would he beyond It, and per-
haps in an hour or two would be foAt-
ing over the foot-hilis
a. We are getting 10 high. Miss
staples, sad I will open the valve.
This i the rope-I will uo; le. any too
much out
Yes. pallsd Mercifai heavens
fund that / could hot get the cord 10
btfdgc al inch. aud the balloon was
still goiIg up-upward Great drops
If perspiri,ion sto.sd on my brow. ]
rose to my feet. aud jerkcd in every
possible Way at the rope.
looked AZ my fellow-voy ager.
She appeared 10 be wholly unconscious
Of the impending danger. Her eyes
were on aud her soul absorbed in the
great panorama that, like . map. was
spread out far beneath us.
- Miss Staples. a, length cried. We
are an imminent danger
She looked ss me with al express
sion of surprise
- We are on the verge Of eternity,
| added The grea. bsg 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 he hurled TO the
earth.
So Is there no way Of saving our
selves she asked. quietly snd coliec
lively.
- Ii we could reach the valve which
is a, the top Of the balloon. 1t has be.
come wedged in ] suppose. But We
cannot IL is not possible
- Cannot she cried.
could hardly hear her. and it was
becoming intensely cold. For a mo-
ment l lost my VISION. When it re-
turned TO me l WAS alone Had my
companion hurled herself out of the
basket. and was she now beyond ell
the horrors, the agony that was mine
! woald follow her Igrasped the edge
of the basket Another second and I
would have clambered over it. and the
air ship would have been tensutless,
In that moment. however. saw what
l supposed 10 be cloud descending
the netting Then l heard a voice say
lit sounded far off:
- Pull the cord. The valve will now
open :.
Il did mechanically as MAS bidden
! MAS dazed. The rope responded to
my hand and l suppose the vale opened
l could hear no rusa--no issue Of gas.
however The air was too raritied for
that. suppose."
"In two minutes We were within half
mile of the earth's surface. The air
was denser and warmer, and the balloon
was full of wrinkles.
You had better close the valve.
Miss Staples said Her voice was loud
enough now.
Il did close il. and then We sailed
along very PLEASANTLY down the Santa
Clara Valley"
"At sundown we landed in safety."
But" asked listener, Professor,
how did you get the valve 50 that 1t
would work Z"
II hardly dare tell you. Tor it Isl re-
f'ection on my manhood That girl
deliberately climbed the netting, under
and over. away To the very crown of
the balloon. and there saw wbe-e the
difficulty WAS The valve cord had got
wound around the netting In some way
She relieved IT, Then she descended,
uuh.rmed. to the basket II WAS =
heroic act. indeed stterwari learned
that she had been connected with u
circus. rs rider. and was wonderfully
Courageous. Had il no, been for her
tcmcFisy. shoald not he here TO relate
my first adventure in balloon"
But you declared just now, said
another ef the Professor 5 listeners.
that you would never want 10 60 up
in balloon with a woman. should
think you'd be rather pleased to have
one with you"
No. sir, aud for this reason" re-
sponded Boypton: "A woman IL, IN my
opinion. 50 much more courageous than
sm. that Id be ashamed of myself In
ber presence in moment of terrible
danger"