Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-07-18
Up in a Balloon.


after leaving Montreal yesterday was a
short but terrible one, and perhaps nc
other ascension has been accompanied
by more startling incidents. After
ascending for the first few hundred
feet it was found that the trip could moi
be made on account of the poor quality
of gas used. The wheels for steering
and the rudder of the aerial car worked
splendidly, and, although we had drift
ed away from the point of starting, a
few turns of the crank brought the
great white monster to the same spot
again. Ropes were dropped and the
balloon was soon secured to the earth
again. TO tighten the weight it was
decided to decrease the number of pas
sengers, remove the steering apparatus
and to take only three twenty-five
pound bags of ballast. A bottle of
wine, barometer, thermometer, map
and compass were the only articles
taken. As there were two newspaper
men in the car, il was decided to toss q
penny, the winning man to remain and
all the other passengers to withdraw.
Mr.. II. A. MOultOn and the other gen
tlemen Withdrew and left Professor
Grimley and myself alone. Grimley
Strengthened himself up and wiped the
sweat from his face, and simultaneous
| ly the multitude drew back and re-
moved their grasp from the netting of
the balloon.
We began to ascend slowly as the
crowd paid out the drag line. Sudden
| ly gust of wind sprung up ard the
knot of men holding on to the rope
were thrown to the ground and dragged
| across the field at tremendous pace,
| upsetting scores in their passage. At
last a fence was reached, the crowd
hesitated, strained hard to hold us
down, shouted, and then, with a grand
bounce, we were free, with $50 feet of
drag limo trailing beneath us. At first
we heard the plaudits of the crowd,
but the sounds gradually merged into
a vague hum, which ceased entirely as
we shot upward. To the east was the
st. Lawrence River, looking like a
great silver snake, and when | looked
for Mount Royal it had faded into a
patch of green forest, which appeared
to be no highe than the rest of the sur
rounding country.
The balloon lowered for few min
utes over the great city, whose high
steeples and towering piles of granite
architecture did not save it from the
ignominy of looking very mrcl like u
little village, and then started for the
east at good rate of speed. Before
we started the sun had set, and, Judge
of my astonishment when it suddenly
reappeared above the horizon and set
again in few minutes. BY this time
W. frIl ,.to ,,fa l.,
high, and were in a decided easterly
current, tending toward the esouth. The
sounds that came subdued from below
now ceased altogether, and it became
complete solitude.
So terrible was the silence that pro-
found depression, mingled with fear,
was stealing over me, when Grimley
exclaimed:
My God! we have no anchor, and
these three bags of ballast will hardly
save us from bad bruising.
did not speak. was watching the
clouds as they gathered around the blue
peaks of the Beleil Mountains and shut
them out from our vision. Away be-
yond them the BOucherville Mountains
ranged themselves against the darken-
ing horizon, while to the eastward was
number of forests which alternated
with small clearings. 1t was half-past
seven p. M, when we started, and at
eight o'clock we hung distinctly over
the st. Lawrence with st. Helen's Is
land beneath us. Here the relocated
sentinels looked up from the ramparts
and gave us a hoarsc cheer, which
reached the car family but distinctly.
m fayy ,1nipntac tbn ha1loo,, hnoo,,
to whirl around,
1--WE are going to ascend or de-
scend," said Grimley. "When she
whirls it is "A sign of one or the other"
1t proved to be the former. Almost
Immediately it began to feel cold, the
barometer marked the altitude a mile
and three-quarters above the sea level
and the thermometer marked forty
eight degrees above zero. 1t required
considerably longer inspiration to fill
the lungs and painful sensation was
felt in the ear drums. Grimley shiver-
ed for while and then took a pull at
the wine bottle. l, of course, followed
his commendable example, and the
liquid infused slight warmth into our
chilled limbs. Montreal soon became
little speck and we drifted over the
village of Longueiul, on the east shore
of the st. Lawrence. Here we discov-
cred two forests over which we had to
pass.
The greatest danger of ballooning is
the chance of falling into forest, in
which case the basket is almost certain
to be demolished and the occupants
torn TO death. The dread of falling
was still further impressed upon me
when learned that we were speeding
along at the rate of mile minute
We still ascended, and it seemed as
though we should never stop. We had
now reached height of two miles, and
the lighter atmosphere allowed the gas
to expand, which came rushing out at
the open neck of the balloon.
1--WE can't go much higher" said the
Professor, ''for our gas is not light
enOugh-to carry us"
And now a very curious phenomenon
occurred. AS we went up among the
clouds the horizon seemed to rise with
us and to keep ON IA level with the top
of the car, while the centre of the earth
seemed to recede. This gave it the APP
pearance of a large saucer, over the
bowl of which we hung. Now and then
light cloud drifted between us and the
earth, but it never impeded our vision.
In the growing dusk we sat, as the car
rocked and swayed with the wind of an
approaching storm, and not word was
spoken. The Professor held the ba-
rometer, while attended to the compass
and thermometer. The former acted
queerly on account of the wire materi-
ais in the car, but in the main was cor
rect.
And now thin line wound its way
among the hills of Belleville. As we
came nearer II revealed all the beauti-
full curves and sweeps that make up the
charms of the Blue Richelieu, river
that runs into the st. Lawrence. 1t was
nine O'Clock, and the atmosphere was
becoming unbearably cold.
A new dancer now thraatanad uq fo,.