Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-09-19
Sailing the Skies.


The steering apparatus consists of two
paddle wheels, turned by means of q
crank, and they can be turned at will in
any direction so as to propel the bal
loon wherever the balloonist desires,
providing the wind is light. The pad
dies act precisely the same way IS an
oar, the machinery being so constructed
that each paddle, after it has taken the
stroke or propelling motion. feathers,
thus presenting no opposition to the
wind until the upper half-circle Of the
revolution has been described.
With view of effecting q good as
cent, the Montreal Gas company had
made light gas especially for the pur-
pose. At 5:45 p. m. Prof. Grimley, the
inventors of the apparatus, Messrs. r.
w. Crowan and Charles Page, your
correspondent and two other reporters
entered the Car with fifteen bags of bal
last. and started on their voyage hearth
~ cheered by the thousands assembled
in the Shamrock and Lacrosse grounds
in Montreal. The balloon rose grace.
fully, and in three minutes was $500
feet from the surface, and sailing at the
rate of twenty. five miles an hour in an
easterly direction. The beautiful city
of Montreal seemed to pass under us
like dssolving view. The cheers of
the populace. who were out en- masse,
were soon lulled in the distance, and.
as one looked around over q vista of
thirty miles, the features of the fine
country spread out beneath JUS we're
very plainly marked. In the far west
the sun was shining with all the bril-
lisncy of the tropics, and the Ottawa
river and it's tributaries gl'stened like
silver. The sun shone full upon the
balloon, and raised the thermometer to
s. degrees. and there it was stationary
for full thirty minutes, during which
periol the balloon slowly emitted about
800 feet of gas. In the southwest and
directly under our feet, every rock and
shoal in the St. Lawrence was plainly
visible. Mount Royal, to the north,
seemed only slightly raised above the
city; every feature is uneven and heav-
lily wooded slopes were plainly marked.
Still further, tho river Jesus, and the
back river tributaries of the Ottawa
glistened like silver sheen as they
plowed along their rocky bed to join
the st. Lawrence ut De Lisle, some
eighteen miles below the city. The
course of the st. Lawrence from above
Beauharnois, on Lake st. Louis, to La
valtrie, distance of thirty miles either
way, with the many villages on its
banks dotting the surrounding country,
were as plainly in view as though laid
out on map.
Our attention was diverted from the
scene by the sharp, jolly voice of the
professor, and the request of Mr.. Cow
an to proceed with the object for which
tho ascension was made. Mr.. Page
thereupon took his position at the crank.
and, assisted by the reporters, changed
the direction of the paddle wheels, and
turned them at the will of MIR. Cowan,
another reporter having charge of the
rudder, which had been rugged astern.
The order was given to descend. Round
went the paddles, and down glided the
balloon, falling at the rate of one thou
sand and six hundred feet to the min
ute. The crank was then reversed,
and, under like effort on the part of
the human motors, the balloon rose
twelve hundred feet to the minute,
thus registering the highest altitude of
theltrip 3,7OO,feet From this height
the outline of the Island of Montreal
was plainly distinguished, as also the
course OF the st. Lawrence, the Rich
ellen and the Yamaska and the st. Judge
rivers. and other smaller streams.
At this point one of the reporters ex-
pressed desire to descend, and if pos.
sible to discharge the passenger and
afterward continue the journey. Ac-
cordingly he lowered the balloon. As
we descended to within 400 feet OF the
earth a change of wind altered our
course to the eastward, and we bowled
along over farm after farm at thirty
miles an hour. Before the course
of the balloon was sufficiently
changed: to admit of any further
descent forest doomed up, as far az
the eye could reach, and from ten to
twenty miles in width. To steer clear
Of this forest and drop into the first
clearing practicable afforded good op.
portunity for thoroughly testing the
paddles. The rudder was put hard
aport, the paddles were worked effect.
lively by three men, and the forest was
cleared.
At this time we were travelling at the
rate of twenty. five miles On hour. As
we failed to strike any thing larger than
hamlet, We continued ON without
stopping, testing the efficiency of the
paddles in other directions, and the ex-
periments we thus made proved the
usefulness of the invention.
After VT left st. Hilaire behind we
successfully passed the picturesque
villages Of st. Madeleine. La Presenta-
ton and st. Jude, where Grimley
landed on the Dist of June, and then
we sailed on over st. Louis to st. Anne,
where favorable opportunity to land
presented itself. The balloon was low
ered to within less than one hundred
feet of the ground, and the anchor VAS
thrown out. The wind. which had
lulled to fifteen miles an hour during
our progress through the opening. sud
denly increased to twenty-five miles an
hour, aud the anchor would not hold in
the sandy ground, but cut through
trees and through fences. and all things
else it came in contact with. TO make
matters worse for those who wished to
descend, u number of ONLY partially