Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-11-15
a BRAVE WOMAN.
A BALLOON Adventure.

going up in balloons. / rather like
it. But there's one thing I'm re-
solved on-I will never, on any aerial
excursion, have woman If / can
heIpi
nNow all have doubtless heard OF
hair-breadth escapes in bailoons-in-
cidents of the most extraordinary
character, such for example as mani
acs insisting upon cutting your throat
if you do not sail directly for the
moon: of Hen and women marrying
in them when suspended between
heaven and earth; of people quietly
rising i'm the basket, and upon Won
dering how long person could hold
the breath while pitching headiong
TO the hard earth, suddenly decide
upon trying the experiment, and
before YOU divine their intention,
find that they are out of reach OF
safety, and are speeding, with geo.
metricaI addition t?), through space.
''Stories of balloon adventures,
sir" ne continued "why, there are
enough of them to fill huge quarto,
and doubt if any of them have the
essential merit of truth in them.
"The fact is, ballooning is rather a
prosy thing when you getaccustomed
to it, and it isn't your light-headed
people who take to it. No, it is the
cool, resolute man, who places him
elfin the basket and waits patiently
to have the earth sink beneath him.
All this was said seasons ago, when
the great "Graphic," was in progress
ofiniation at the Capitoline Grounds,
Brooklyn, for the voyage across the
Atlantic, 10 the great eastern current
of air OF which Professor Wiso talked
so learnedIy.
Fortunately for Wise, he Haunted,
AS his enemies declared, "the white
feather" and the giddy-headed gen
tleman who insisted upon taking his
place was saved the trouble Of a
ducking in mid-Atlantic by the bal
loon collapsing.
"WelI," said the friend of the pro-
lessor, "what reason have you forex-
Guiding women from your balloon?"
"They are too daring to reckless"
replied the balloonist. "You don't
know how magnificentIy courageous
woman is till she gets started.
"Now my incident is this: You
observe the netting which encloses
the bag? To be sure you do. And
you also, if you take the trouble of
standing here, may notice square
place where there is trap board
about the size of the palm of your
hand? You see it, eh? Very well.
Now for my story. Were you ever
in Oakland? 1t is on the side of the
Bay of San Francisco, that isopposite
the city. 1t is famous place for fun.
There is more frolicking going on
there of a Sunday afternoon than in
all the United States besides.
Now in 1852 / made nay first ascent,
and it was at Oakland, In Professor
Wilson's aerial ship, the "Califor.
MA" | think it was named. The
professor was indisposed that day,
and / being a young friend of his, he
asked if / would take his place. /
hesitated.
"'You needn't be afraid he con-
tinued, 'I'll show you how to man
age the ship. There is valve to
open when you feel yourself rising
too high, or the balloon itself be-
comes too much distended by the
ratification of the atmosphere; and,
if you find yourself approaching the
earth too rapidly, or in an undesira-
BILE place for landing, all you will
have to'do is to throw out a bag or
two of sand. And when you decide
on landing, throw out the anchor and
let it trail until it fastens itself to
some object; then, If you have too
much buoyant power, dispose gradu-
ally of the remaining gas, and you
will be comfortable. But don't you
land far away from habitable quar-
ters, If you should be drifted far from
your place of ascent
81 can't say was wanting in cour-
age; but still / hesitated. / felt like
boy who, standing on the shore of
river, is about to make his first
plunge.
"'There il a young woman going
he resumed; she is rather pleased
with the idea of sailing through the
air. 1t will be novel to her-a sensa-
ton she has not yet experienced
"Was she ever up before?n ques-
toned.
Never, / believe answered the
professor.
"Then / won't be beaten by girl,
/ returned.
Come, then, cried the delighted
professor. You see the place is
crowded with people, and / don't
want to disappoint them. 1t was
my intention to give them some
gymnastic exercises in mid air, but !
am not well or in the humor for it,
1 the ascension'll satisfy them.
1.-THE great balloon was by this
time ready for the journey. The
young woman was already comfort
ably seated in the car. She appeared
to be quite at home i'm it.