The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-11-17
up Among the Shining Stars I
Asleep in q Balloon!

Eyes will tire, conversation will lao
and at last my companion settled him
self down full length in the bottom Of
the car and went to sleep, and not long
alter | found myself catching cat-naps.
between which [ would look out to see
how We were progressing and to tax
'soundlngs.' This latter is 4 very sim
pie operation and consists simply in Civ
ing a loud halloo over the side Of THE car
aud listening for the echo from the
ground, the height marked by the
length OF time required for the return
of the sound'e | should here remark
that | felt perfectly safe in taking these
short maps, for the reason that the bal
loon required no attention at any time
during the night. 1t is a singular fact.
not generally known even to earonauts.
that a balloon, if sufficiently free from
leakage, Will remain suspended at about
the same height in the air during the
entire night, without any tendency to
rise or fail, and consequently without
dlscharsing gas or ballast. I do not
pretend to he able to account for this
phenomenal action of the balloon in i'm
itating the floating qualities of the
Siodoo, u Will uleIciS suggest tnat
with the same conditions day and night
a balloon could be made to circumnavi-
gate the globe. After lying becalmed
Tor W or three hours at d point, twenty
hve orthirty miles southwest of Chicago
d fresh breeze started US off to the
northwest. 1t was past midnight,
nearly all the lights below had disap-
peared and profound silence reigned.
Tke stars gave sufficient light by which
to distinguish woods, fields, rivers and
houses. Later on the moon rose, but
an increasing haziness prevented US
from getting much benefit of her rays.
At first we moved but slowly in the
new direction, but with the approach
of day faster and faster, till at daylight
our gait was about thirty miles an
hour.
AMONG II CLIFFS.
With the gray of the morning came
a descent. At first the balloon seemed
10 be stumbling around among high
cliffs and barren mountains. The light
gave a ~weirdness and uncertainty tt the
scene scarcely to he described. | had
.uch experiences before and knew how
little appearances were to be relied on,
lNCI WIN VIZ II IA ohS - I'll
dashed against some high precipice |
stood with the sand bag poised on the
Z, side of the car ready to discharge It's
; contents, but in a moment when the
impending danger seemed to demand
action the obstacle would vanish
or receds from US. This was repeated
u number of times till at last we seemed
10 be setting into a great pit, at the
bottom of which we found a village.
There was no illusion about this, fol-
our trailing rope ratified mcrrily owe
the house top. awakening at least one
; If the villagers, who cried out:
''Wha-wha what ia it Who ar,
| youf"
{ well, don't be frightened, we re
. piled; Its not Old Nick! Please tel
u us what State this is =
+; '.Ali right, It's Wisconsin,"
u What is your village called e.
d Spring Valley"
: How far from Chicagoi"
o 'Oh. morn a hundred miles"
: Good bye"
i Good bye" came back family to GU
! ears as we move off TO the further ent
d If what would no doubt have appeared
I bttuiliuI Ndt'fV II We Ut ouI X
it in broad Dwight. We seemed t,
bounce out of this place as easily as W.
had fallen into it, and once more upoI
4 high ground other illusions and hallu
cinations greeted US. We looked dow
e upon forests. knew they were such
t for there were all the various hues y
c the autumn foliage, out the colors wcr
chasing about, forming groups of ever
: changing figures. like some immens
/ Kaleidoscope. and the idea Of Il vas
u carpet of ever-changin9 pattern. Amor
u all these phsutasies disappeared -th
broad daylight brought truth and re
| ality.
SHOOTING AT THE BALLOON.
.e For awhile mountain, forest, vale.
and plain offered an agreeable variety
.e and while intent IN these, a farmer
evideutlv up to catch the early bird,
gave US a shot from his rifle, and tn
% hum of the bullet was distinctly hear'
e as it passed. Whether the man wa
fool or fend we shall never know. DC
~casioLally we had slight shower, an
3 [ knew that we were rapidly drifting
into 4 rain storm. Sometimes the cloud
env eluped US, and on emerging from
IS them again new views would be pre-
scented. Several interviews were nat
,s with the inhabitants below, and from
them we learned from time to time o
the distance from Chicago and Of gu
: approach to ST. Paul, which city va
te anxious to reach. At last We were IN
, formed by two different parties that st
Paul was but forty miles distant, AM
, THAT all we had to do was to go a llttl
# more to he north to reach it. Believ
a ing that the clouds were running NOR
It towards the north, and that | shOul'
e. reach or pass the goal by ascending
20 the ballon was allowed to rise till tn
8 barometer showed a height of min
thousand six hundred feet. PRO-
r Hashogen's formerly Of Wlmngto"
st account Of Kings trip from Chicago {
I'd tie ,Uilds Of Michigan.
,g DEATH OF Col. McKETHAN. Co
a Hector Mex ethan, the brave commaI
:" der of the 5lst N. G. Regiment, durin
the rebellion, died at the residence c
his father in Fayetteville last Sunda
afternoon. Col. Mckethan, at the be