The Osceola times., 1879-11-15

the girls as well as the boys. All OF his
coasins have been up, md so have his
uncles and his aunts. Mr.. Wise finds
II difficult to understand why his father
kept the balloon going when he and
Burr came in sight of Lake Michigan.
They must have seen the lake at least
thirty miles before they reached 1t, nc
says; for II was clear, moonlight night
on the southern shore of Lake Michigan
that night. He Knew as well as any
man living that the balloon would not
keep up long enough 10 pass over the
lake, and that it would be almost certain
death 10 both for the balloon to descend
into the lake. Then why didn't they de-
scend before reaching the lake? The
question cannot be answered satisfactor-
ily TO Charles Wise. No matter how
high in the air the balloon was, or even
how dark II might have been that night,
the water of the lake should have been
seen some time before the balloon
reached the lake, time enough for the
mronauts to descend. Young Burr might
have been desirous of continuing the
Journey over the lake, being willing to
run the greatest risks in order to make
sensational trip Of it, but Prof. Wise
himself would most certainly never
listen TO any proposition of that kind.
" it'll the quantity of gas the balloon had
when leaving Lindell Park, and the
amount of ballast taken, it could hardly
keep up more than six hours, and the
six hours were up when the balloon
reached Lake Michigan. Professor Wise
knew all this, and why should he at
tempt to sail over the lake? He Charles
Wise) knew well enough that his father
would not have undertaken such
thing. Before making the ascension the
Professor had told Mr.. Downey that he
could not 90 very far with the balloon,
and intended TO descend at the iirstgood
place he came to.
Charley Gonter was of different
opinion as to the probabilities, before
the ascension, of short trip. He had
heard young Burr say that the voyage
should be continued Just so long rs the
balloon could be kept up. He wanted,
and proposed to make it trans
continental trip. II they went only
few miles, all their friends would laugn
at them and the newspapers would rldi-
cule them. He was prepared for a long
voyage and would make one If 1t was
possible. Burr told me-" said MIR. Con.
ter, mot to be disappointed because !
couldn't go with them. He intended
to buy the Pathfinder before he return
ed home and would bring it home with
him. Then he and were to make an
ascension together from Lindell Park "
"Yes, know that Burr was trying TO
buy balloon from the old man." said
Mr.. Wise, "for saw some letters from
him last summer. ! understand, too,
that he had about S400 with him on this
trip" sooo :,
said Gonter, "for | told him on the car
going out to Llndell park that day that
he was expected to take enough money
with him TO bring us all back, and the
balloon too, and he answered that he
had enough for that and a great deal
more. He intended to buy the balloon" !"
"How much money did Professor
Wise have with him?" asked the re-
porter.
II know that he had a check on the
st. Charles bank for $50, but l don't
know how much money he had" was
Mr.. Gonter's answer. Mr.. Wise don't
know whether his father took any money
with him or not.
"If the balloon lost one Of Its passen.
gers in Lake Michigan, would 1t rise
again and take the other passenger on
over the lake?" was one of the many
questions addressed by the reporter TO
Mr.. Wise.
"It might" was the answer, "if ev-
erything was favorable; but I'm very
certain il didn't in this instance"
Would the balloon be likely to sinkp"
"Yes, it would sink in time. 1t was a
very heavy balloon, weighing 800 or 400
pounds, and if the canvass became
soaked, the balloon, basket and all,would
go down.