Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-07-18

with little pigeon-holes for bath houses
and match boxes for cars. Finally,
when Swaying back and forth nearly
200 feet above their heads, the beach
looked like great yellow bush, ihickly
covered with black berries, and the
ocean, laughing and dancing in the red
sunset. showed fairy boats, with white
feathers for sails, sSimming over the
water, and the telescope showed blue
fish and mac&erel swimming beneath,
The view was grand and imposing
while viStaS OF hight and shade, of vivid
colorlng, Of pastoral landscape and
scenes Of busy, toiling life were spread
out before the air voyagers. From
every side could be seen over thirty
miles Of hill and dale, sparkling
water and hummiug city, "A the eye
swept around, it took in AL New York,
IonkerS, Flushing, Long Island,
Hampstead, Jamaica, Brooklyn, Fire
Island, Roc&away, Long Branch, Staten
Island, Perth A.nboy, Elizabeth,
Newark, Noboken, Patterson and Tar,
rytown, to say nothing Of the broad,
rolling ocean, the beautiful, winding
Hudson, the Sound, the Bay and all
the little tributaries that add their
char m to view.
More wonderful than the flying car
pets which figure in the fairy tales, the
balloon, instead OF taking one from
place to place, like heneticent genii,
lets hundred places be seen at once,
After feasting their eyes upon the
grandeur OF nature SO generously uu-
folded 70 their gaze, the aeronauts I'M
Willingly descended, 10 give others the
same opportunity.
1t may truly be said that the ascen-
sion WAS not only a success but great
success, and all present were satisfied Ms
to its safety and good management, the
best proof of which was the expressed
desire TO so again,
Why balloon aScensions should not
prove popular amusement, there is no
reason and hardly Il doubt but they will.
Once upon time n balloon meant Il
pigs bladder inflated with gas, in fact Il
toy; since that time il has reached n
perfection that has made it of noble
service to science in Astronomical and
meteorological observations, and for TIE
study of the hydrometric and thermom-
etric laws of the air.
In war it has played an important
part III observation of the enemy and
the transmission of letters and persons
from beleagured cities and having been
made to serve such important ends is
certainly u guarantee OF It's value. 1t
is also worthy of record that the num-
Der OF casualties in the navigation of
the air has been less III proportion than
in the navigation OF the sea.
OF late years balloon voyages have
been the fashion abroad. and during the
Exposition Of 1878, in Paris, $4,000 per-
sons paid 81 each for the privilege of
ascending III n captive balloon ON exhi-
bition, and Is, 900 people paid 90 cents
each merely to see il. One of the most
distinguished patrons was Sarah Bern
hardt, who, dressed in striking costumes,
took her constitutional in it every morn
ing and gave the result Of her observa-
tons in Dams les NudgtS. This balloon
is larger than the Pioneer though not rs
perfectly constructed; it is ut present in
the Garden of the Tuileries, where for
81 visitor is allowed to ascend; its
owner, Nj. GiiIard, was lately offered
$4,000 for it, which he refused, for
Parsians have found out there is Moth
ing more delightful than to Ego up in
balloon, all among the little stars, sail-
ing round the moon, unless it is to make
the same voyage in the CHEEKY sunshine,
with blue sky overhead.