The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-11-14
of clouds and passed from sight.

of clouds and passed from sight.
then endeavored to keep the balloon
down by allowing the gas TO escape
SO as to keep it from getting into tho
sunshine. The heat of the clouds,
however. caused the gas to expand
and passed upward again. Looking
up l saw mist, or haze. In a mo.
ment more l was above this again, and
by making calculations found that
was two miles up. At this juncture
the expansion caused the gas to overflow
and began to descend; nearing the earth
l found nothing under me but woods
and forests. The wind was bowling
through them, and the swaying of the
trees produced a sound like q mighty
roar. The idea of making o landing
there was frightful, and so, throwing
out ballast, l went up again. THIS
time went up into clear air, with
nothing above me but the clear, blue
sky. All this time l was rushing along
at glorious rate. At an altitude Of
three miles the sun was very hot, cir.
cumstance which helped me to get rid
of the chills which the wind had given
me. After travelling on at this alti.
tude about an hour and a half, de-
termined to make descent. When
reached the clouds. the sudden GOODNESS
caused accelerated speed downward,
and had to throw out all the ballast
had to check it. Through the riffs in
the clouds could see that the country
l was passing over was richly cult.
va.ed. got the drag-rope and anchor
ready Presently heard the noise OF
river, which l took to be the Della
ware, but which afterward proved to be
the Schuylkill. I continued to descend,
and at last came to the ground in q
field. l threw out the drag-rope,
which trailed along the tops of the
trees, serving to break my speed.
Reaching about thirty feet from the
ground, l threw out my anchor, and,
taking my collapsing cord in one hand
and the valve cord in the other,
waited to see what would turn up.
Presently the force of the wind sent the
balloon over till it touched the ground,
uproOting the anchor. and the car,
suddenly released, was thrown for
ward with terrific force toward a pile
of fences. These managed to clear,
and then realizing the danger, deci-
ded to use the collapsing cord, which
slit the balloon open On one side from
top to bottom. The movement of the
car was. however, so rapid that in
a moment it dashed against y long
fence, which it knocked down like a
piece of paper, and went away across
a field, coming like broadside against
a tree. l managed to jump out just in
time to escape the crash. 1t still con-
tinued to rock to and fro and in little
while the branches of the tree had torn
it to pieces. Shortly afterward a
crowd of countrymen came up and
found that was in the grounds of the
Perkiomen Company, thIee-quarters of
a mile from Oak Station, Montgomery
County. When first touched earth it
was ten minutes to two o'clock, so
that had made 14O miles inside of two
hours. The countrymen helped me to
pack up the fragments, and here am
again, as safe and sound as ever. But
l have never been through the air at
that rate, 1 can tell you, and the land
ing was anything but a pleasant expe-
ricnce. 1t is one consolation that, gale
or no gale, l shall have no terra tirma
to encounter in my ocean VOYAGE
Philadelphia Record.