River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-11-03
SIXTY MILES THROUGH CLOUD
LAND.
Professor John N. Shearer loses the
valve cord TO his airship.

From the Reading Eagle
Professor John N. Shearer returned
to Reading at l o'clock this morning,
after most pleasant though perilous
ride through the clouds for distance
of sixty miles. He says he thoroughly
enioyed his trip. He had no basket,
but only wooden ring upon which to
sit. He made the ascent at 3 o'clock
yesterday afternoon, from the fair
grounds, this city, and just as he was
about to give the word "let go!" he dis
covered that the cord passing through
the balloon and which connects with
the valve at the top in order TO regu-
late the escape of gas in descending,
had become entangled on the inside
and could not be reached, as it was a
bout thirty feet away. This however,
could not be helped, and the balloon
shot slowly upward until it was about
1000 feet above the earth, when it
passed directly over the Ohlinger dam.
Including the aeronaut, ballast. ropes,
etc, the air ship now carried about
$50 pounds The scene, as viewed
earth seemed to be slowly receding,
dozen townships could be seen at the
seen at the same time Fertile val
leys, capacious farm houses and barns,
with here and there a small village,
could be viewed for miles.
When about fourteen miles from
Reading, Professor Shearer slowly rock
ed the airship from side to side, allow
ing some of the gas to escape, until he
was abont 500 feet from the earth. A
man came running toward him, and
Mr.. Shearer inquired the name of the
place he was approaching. The man
replied: "Pleasantville," when some
ballast was dropped, and the balloon
assembled 5000 feet. Professor Shear
er struck on in his course, and passed
on toward Philadelphia. The air was
cool and pleasant, the temperature in
the clouds being about IS to 80 degrees.
The eronaut's only fear was that ne
could not descend before dark. He
made another attempt to land at Lex
ington, Bucks County by shaking out
some more gas, his feet had already
touched ground. but the jar threw out
about thirty pounds of ballast and the
balloon went up with lightning-like
rapidity, soaring the people who had
gathered to assist Professor Shearer.
lie now assembled 900 feet, about one
and one-quarter miles, which was the
highest point he reached in his journ-
ey. He continued on in his course,
until the sun went behind the clouds,
This was the aronaut's favorable OBJ
portunity. According to law ofphi-
losophy the sun has an effect upon gas
in making it lighter and expanningit
Therefore, when the bright orb of day
disappeared the airship became heavi
er by about eighty pounds, or five
pounds to every 1000 feet of gas in the
balloon. The "Ariel' gracefully de-
scended in large open field on the
farm of Joseph H. Myers. near Doyles-
town, Bucks County at 5o'clock, where
it was recovered by the farm hands.
MI. Myers conveyed Mr.. Shearer and
airship to the depot in Doylestown in a
wagon. This was Professor Shearer's
thirty fifth trip in a balloon, and one of
the most successful. He travelled
about sixty miles. But for the absence
of the sun thus making the load on the
airship heavier, he might still be sail
ing through cloudland.