The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-11-27

may start from given point and trav-
erse the segment Of circle, or describe
the most eccentric course, and after
hours of aerial navigation, be as far, or,
more likely, ten times farther from the
proposed goal than when he started.
All that science and common sense
have been able to learn about bal
loon navigation during the past
ten decades is that the balloon usually
mounts in an oblique direction under
the combined influence of the vertical
ascensional force and the direction of
the wind. it ceases to ascend as soon as
the density of the air is the same as it
self, and ballast must be changed;
when it strikes q current, or rather is
struck by a current, farewell to control
and probably welcome to the impetus
of a rushing tornado. The last sem
tence contains all the benefits definitely
conferred upon the believers in air
transit. The chief benefits derived
from balloon experiments have been in
the we'll known facilities for war mes
sages, as best demonstrated in the
Franco-Prussian struggle, and in the
splendid opportunities given to science
for investigating the elements and the
components around the earth. The
ostensible objects of the journey under
taken by Professor Wise from St. Louis
recently was to determine upon the
quantity of ozone in certain currents
encircling the globe; and it was for a
similar purpose that in June, 1859, he
entered upon an ascension that was in
all likelihood the longest ever expert
enced by an aeronaut Leaving st. Louis
he was swept by a strong current that
grappled his car over distance of 1, $50
miles, and landed in jefferson County,
New York. He had always spoken of the
journey as the most exciting of any of
the 16O of his life in the upper
regions. The celebrated French chem
ist, Gay Lussac, in 1904, reached the
wonderful height of 2S,040 feet, and
carried up with him the necessary
means for a scientific study of the char
acter and properties of the atmosphere.
So great was the tenuity of the air in
the elevated region that Lussac suffered
intense agonies and narrowly escaped
with his life. The injuries inflicted
upon his system by the rasping atmos-
phere rendered him q confirmed in
valid; he ascertained the courses of
some previously unknown currents and
enjoyed the distinction during his days
of having floated higher in the stream
of air about the earth than any other
man. Until as late as Sept. 5, 1862,
the height reached by Lussac was the
most extreme ever attained by man,
but at the mentioned time an English
man named Glaisher succeeded in soar
ing in balloon to the vast height of
about seven miles.
The peculiar sufferings and strange
experiences of this noted ascent are
worthy of an account in detail. The
imitation took place in the vicinity of
London Bridge. Accompanying Clash
er was one Coxwell. Until the fifth
mile was passed the ascent differed lit
tie from the customary experience of
the aeronaut, and all observations had
been easily taken. Shortly after the
beginning of the sixth mile, however,
Glaisher found that he could not
see the column of mercury in
the wet bulb thermometer, and
soon the hands on his watch be-
came indistinguishable. He called to
Coxwen to help him read the instru-
ments, saying that he experienced diff
Guilty in seeing. The barometer was
observed to be ten inches and still de-
creasing fast; its true reading was
IucItkOEc uluc oLu buIOC-kOuft tuS luCucS,
implying q height of 29, 900 feet. Mr..
a table in the car, but on trying to use
it at the time of the observation he
found IL powerless. He then tried to
shake himself, but it seemed as though
he was jostling shapeless piece Of
matter.
Relating his experience before q Brit
ish Association in 1862, Mr.. Glaisher
graphically said: q seemed to have
no limbs. I then looked at the barom-
eter, and while doing SO my head fell
on my left shoulder. 1 struggled and
shook my body again, but could not
move my arms. l got my head up
right, but for an instant only, when it
fell on my right shoulder and then 1
fell backward, my back resting against
the side of the car, and my head on its
edge; in this position my eyes were di-
rected toward Coxweli, in the ring.
When I shook my body 1 seemed to
have full power over the muscles of the
back and considerable power over those
of the neck; but none over either my
arms or legs. As in the case of the
arms, all muscular power was lost in
an instant from my back and neck.
dimly saw Mr.. Coxwell in the ring and
endeavored to speak but could not;
when in an instant intense black dark
ness came. The optic nerve finally
lost power suddenly. L was still
conscious, with as active q brain
as at the present moment. /
thought i had been seized with asphyx-
ia, and that should experience no
more, as death would come unless we
speedily descended; other thoughts
were actively entering my mind when
suddenly 1 became unconscious as one
going to sleep. / can not tell anything
of the sense of hearing; the perfect still
ness and silence of the regions six miles
from the earth (and at this time we
were between six and seven miles from
the earth) is such that no sound reach
es the ear. While powerless
I heard the words temperature and
observation and knew Mr.. Coxwell
was in the car speaking to me and en-
deavoring to rouse me; therefore con-
sciousness and hearing had returned. I
then heard him speak more emphati-
cally, but could not see or speak or
move. heard him again say, DO try
now do Then saw the instruments
dimly, then Mr.. Coxwell, and very
shortly saw clearly. l arose in my seat
and looked around as though waking
from sleep, though not refreshed, and
said to Mr.. Coxwell: have been in
sensible He said: You have; and 1,
too, very nearly then drew up my
legs, which had been extended before
me, and took pencil in my hands, to
begin observations. Mr.. Coxwell told
me that he had lost the use of his hands,
which were black, and Ipoured brandy
over them. According to my observa-
| tions, three or four minutes were occu-
pied from the time of my hearing the
words temperature and observation,
till began to observe. If so, was
seven minutes totally insensible."