Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-07-25
A Notable Balloon Ascension.

Mr.. Wm. Carson. formerly of this city, who
is now II reporter ior the UorAiHg cal of
| san Francisco Mr.. Carson, in the Cal OF
June Eth, gives the following account of his
exciting aerial trip:
Unbidden thoughts OF lifrs uncertainty.
| the brittle nature of ones bones, and the
laws OF motion governing the accclcrating
velocity of falling bodies. present themselves
on coming to an anchor in the Creaking ~
| ceptaClc swinging at the end of Il few cords
beneath huge gas-bag; but they are soon
dissipat,d. The last lie that binds the aerial
ship 10 earth is severed. and Wnodward's.
with lis living sea of upturncd faces sudden
| " darts downwardas though the bottom had
| fallen out Of the city, which assumes a con
cave or disli-shapr. The tallcst huildings
towers and chmncys are beneath a long
way. and everything is sinking, sinking fast,
| while the balloonists ncvcrmovc an inch, but
remain perfectly fixed save gentle and al
most impcrceptible revolution of the balloon
upon its axis But hold. The city is heav-
ing and bellying upwards. The aeronauts
see the houses rushing AT them with appalling
velocity. Not Il moment is to he lost. Two
bags of sand are thrown out INSTANTLY
and none too soon. A number of ladies' who
were watching the balloon from upper win
downs OF a house retreat with dismay and
eXclamations OF alarm, thinking the basket,
with Its precious contents, was going to be
thrown in among them-a catastrophe only
averted by the promptness in relieving the
balloon of its sandy incumbrance, when it
shot over their heads like meteor So in
dustriously engaged We're the aeronants in
throwing colored paper and streamers from
the balloon. and waving their friends adieu
that they were oblivious TO the fact that it
was RAPIDLY descending. The balloon crept
I'D to an altitude of $500 feet. going south
by east from Point San Ouentin Ia Hunters
Point. When about a mile south of the
latter point, Professor Colgroye volunteered
the cheering information that Ihe balloon
would anchor in the hay
THE BALLOON WOULD NOT RISE
But one little bag of ballast remained. An
anxious lookout was kept on the boats which
dotted the white-crcsted waves beneath, but
they all appeared Ia he going in the opposite
direction. The situation grew extremely
interesting, and il was determined hv the
navisatorS To part with some of the sand
which grew as precious in their eyes as grains
of gold. there remaining hut one little bag.
Half of this was discharged and resulted in
an almost instantaneous improyement.
slow ascent was noticed the air grew warm
cr and the balloon was horne more To the
westward. AT twenty minutes past four the
altitude was 4, 800 feet at halipast four it
was 6, 500. and five minutes later il was :. 600
when new danger presented itself. The
balloon, which was empty in the lower part
on starting. had completely filled presenting
Il plump and rounded appearance through
out, and the escape of gas from the neck of
the bag became exceedingly offensive. On
looking up through the balloon they oh.
served the muslin was pulfed ont he
tween the meshcs of the neitine
like the cheeks of n hoy blowinp n
blIgle Pulling open the valve the profes-
sor said they wouid hr fortunate if II didn't
explode before the strain could he removed
With gas rushing ont at both ends il de-
scended only 800 feet in five minutes The
valves were closed again. and il bep,n to fiji
again. On rising when The sand wac last
thrown ont. il travelled off towards Alameda
Creek. in which direction il continued for
about five miles. then swung round 10 The
south hy west towards San Mateo. Having
gone about three miles in this course il
changed again, making a bee line for Ra-
vcnswood 1t was when 1t had made about
SIN mics on thls line that II attained the
a., -. u,
oos,',,,. p;.;,''' -: !" "''Hu WI h'f'i-
!, -; ~ - in' ,n' ".'i''oh S'au'iai
-, I", ~ IN '|"'i'"s'' "ieh II WIS
,;nn't u" Pun "''"m asa,h' pIeihoh'-
7'' H"eiiniS naNiiiS once
,ino I'm, ,i,,, l,,,n .' o,''r se" ,r nSiS selPeh
In. In,,ar,.i ~ -, n'
for ver,,ra,;jI,' n,.;,"I;an,. ",,i. 'iI nit
49,. - 's |" eah
- II, ~ 'i'e ''iiiaiH eHl'h-
,h,, h,las ,'I. ',ie 'i''", I" e"iaiS
,n;nn,,s T., ,i,',' IN r'ail eishl
,hn To-, ,Jsar,..,; i':. ~, ,.on
cae, anI I" ,ra I', was , maui It sm se,, ,eoo wv
,oa, ~ IL. ' WV minutes zen ''Vo
,;, ~, op'm'u pan %, @ tl,e
e., IL ~ nm ','' IA ,ii'",h was i'~oo
i',', ,i,n h,', ,', s."i''' in' ielpt'cr threw
Ms, "i ~. '"ii'a VI s'.u aeiiiaiii'is %
80 r. ~" p1 '"' ''at IT new ~, 'ii'" ms
,ia,. ,r',''.l..'i - - - """"' .,'u i
hotion os tL hasL,, ,,h;,.I, -, ,ha, -, ~ ~,
s,r,cl =, I'm ,,;,i ,nrr;,i ,
Jr,%r,,i M, H." 'n',, "a, Nh 'a, nit Mns
.,,, 81 r.. ~ .'' "'.i ~,
49, u,rH Ill ',''' ~" ~
fnr Ill ,Ia,'.i, Ii''ii hi 'i i'p'.'t', Miio
,or 'r;'., III '''''' ''"''iA'"
THE SUMMIT WAS soon REACHED,
however. and the ballon commenced 10 AS
,hn nroSnn,, hi"I, ,,.' ~. 80 w |" VIZ"
in, -, ,i,' "''9 =. Nv means NV II
,h a,rhnr h.d '',,,,L, t'. ,.i,S i"'i til'lh
,.r ,lancaJ il, ,h,, 'i;n',; ~, "a' .'o sou
IN the air and away all tore again descend
ing the canon. Once more "A furious null
from the graphing iron denoted its lodg-
ment. \ lively waltz then cnsued. Now
the aeronauts Were upon tree top anon
humping against its trunk now they rolled
in the basket up hill, and anon down again,
with but two objects in view first and
chief WAS TO stick like teaches To the bottom
of the basket and the second TO Keep the
valves open for the emission of the gas. At
ter period that seemed an age the wind sub
sided and the basket dropped beside "A black
berry bush, the fruit of which WAS
greedily dcvourcd by the arronauts.
who were uncertain how long they would
remain in such pleasant quarters In WAS
hut a moment. when mn they went opnin
On alighting the next time the rrporter s,id
he would iump ont. IAN ripht" s,id The
,,r,E.,,,. .,I.,., a