The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-04-15
ABALLOONING ADVENTURE.

Ny DEAR FARCHILD:-Baum has dis
appointed me--he viii not 90 up to-day.
There are only four besides myself-two
ladies' aud two gentlemen. VIII you
take p. s place. Let NE know positively
by three O'Clock, for another gentleman
has applied for passage, and nay answer
to him will depend on yours to me. We
are advertised for four, and shall certain
/ ly cut loose by five. l give You the pre-
/ ference over all others, but please decide
as soon IS possible. l cannot foresee the
result, of course, but the day promises
to be fine, and think the trip will be al
agreeable one to all parties.
This note WIS signed and dated from
a weIl-known garden in the suburbs of
London, and, as has probably already
been coDjectured, was a special invita-
ton to make an ascent in a balloon, then
a much rarer venture than now. 1t had
long been wish OF mine to see terra
fr7l0 from the clouds, and now could
have my desire gratifed. The professor
had already made three ascensions with
passengers, and as this was announced
as his last for the season, I lost no time
in agreeing to become one of the
privileged few for an aerial flight.
The day promised all that could be de-
sired. 1t was clear without being hot,
and there was little or no breeze. Be-
tween three and four o'clock I was at the
| garden, and saw the balloon in the act Of
being inflated. AS man surveys a ship
in which he is about to embark for an
uncertain, perilous voyage, so did l ex-
anime my erial vessel. As far as l could
Judge, everything was right. It was a
| monster in size, made of the best Lutte
string silk, and required forty thousand
cubic feet Of gas to fill 1t. This silk was
| covered with an elastic coating of oil and
| India-rubber, and further protected by
| a close network of Italian hemp; but
still, as [ looked up at it, slowly swaying
| and rolling from side to side, swelling
out with gas and tugging to get loose
! from its fastenings, [ thought how COM
paratively frail thing it was to carry
humanity above the clouds and through
the mid-heavens, and L shuddered at the
thought Of what would become of Us
should any portion of it give way in the
| thousand different strains it would be
put to in the ever varying strata OF air.
Attached TO the balloon, by eight strong
ropes, was a car of wicker work, capable
of containing twelve though,
compared to the balloon in size, it was as
pea suspended below the point of a
large humming top.
st five o'clock the professor announced
that everything was ready for start. and
we the passengers Immediately took leave
OF our friends and entered the car There
was some laughing and somo crying, ac-
c0rding to the different state of feeling
| and different views of the various par
ties. In one case husband and father
was leaving his wife and children, who
were not only present, but who clung to
him with such fondness, and so piteously
begged him not to go, that, had been
in his place, [ certainly should have re-
mained with them. He, however, con-
tinued firm to his purpose, and made SO
light Of their fears, that at length they
began to smile-though | shall never for
get the agonized expression of his wife's
face, as l caught glimpse of it at the
moment when we were bounding upward
into the world of air.
"GiYe my love to the man in the
moon!' cried a merry voice.
Just put a hextinguisher hover one
Of the stars.'' exclaimed true-blooded
| cockuey.
'Bring us back a chunk of chain-light-
uing,' laughed third
"Dont come down fast enough to butt
hole throught the earth!" shouted
fourth.
| At exactly twenty minutes past five
the signal was given, the rope was sever
ed, and away we flew, amid the shouts
and plaudits of the assembled crowd, and
| next of half London, who were in the
streets looking at us. It did not seem
to MS as If We moved, but as if we were
remaining stationary and the earth re-
| ceeding from MS. Experienced sensa-
ton of giddiness and nausea, which at
first destroyed all my pleasure; and both
OF the ladies. almost fainting, threw
themselves down in the bottom of the
car, and clung spasmodicallv to whatever
| they conld get hold of. Fortunately
/ these dlsagreeable sensations did not last
long, and in few minutes We were all
on our feet, delighted with the magnif-
cent panorama spread out below Us.
London had now become a dense clus
ter of little toy houses; the Thames was
a mere silver ribbon: the bridges over it
looked like twigs; the shipping on it
were only nut-shells cut in half; St.
/ Paul's Cathedral resembled a snuff box
with fancy carving, and miles of country
appeared to be but few acres of varie-
gated scenery. As for the people, I
could not distinguish them at all with
the naked eye, and through the glass
they seemed rather like the smallest kind
of ants, than human beings puffed up by
worldly vanity into ruling gods perform
ing mighty part in the economy of crea-
( ton.
Up, up-still higher-till London it
self could scarcely be distinguished by
the naked eye. The air had now become
so cold that we were glad to envelope
ourselves in our cloaks and overcoats, and
so rarefed that we could only breathe it
with great difficulty; and there was pain
about the temples, pressure in the eyes,
and kind of roaring, cracking sound
IN the ears. The gas, too, was rushing