The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-10-11
AN HOUR IN THE AIR.

OuI phnOOH, Jno OhllieI iiSVOh3
hung buoyant as feather in the still
August air.
Beneath us the earth, like a map, lay
bathed in the warm yellow sunshine
paradise itself could hardly show scene
more pleasant, more rich In color, or
more pastoral or homelke in aspect.
Leaning out of the basket, sent my
last handful of circulars nuttering down
into the glowing depths, then for some
moments, sat gazing on the beautiful
panorama below.
"Lovely, isn't it:p' '..said my canepan
non du voydge, who was looking out on
the other side. "Yet l confess 1 wish
we were safe down., he added.
"Why," exclaimed, tits a beautiful,
quiet day as ever was !"
"Too quiet" remarked my friend
"Unnaturally still. But just look to the
northwest, over the mountains there
See that white, pillar formed cloud, like
torn bale of cottonY There will be
thunder squall here in less than an hour;
and these thunder gusts are not pleasant
to meet in the air. If only that crowd
of people would stop gazing at us, or if
an air current would carry us off dozen
or fiften miles, for one, should be
most happy to take to the ground
again"
This was my second ascent with Prof.
Lamoille, as he was then known to the
public and though not a professional
Rronaut, it was my buslness-I was
then on the staff of New York journal
to especially report this balloon ascent.
To me, however, the professor was
simply Ned Brown. Young Brown
was, however, an enthusiast, in the
business and he always gave the pub
lie its moneys worth.
We had ascended from lockwood
that day on the occasion of grand
political rally and mass meeting. The
balloon ascent, as will be guessed, was
feature devised to draw people out. Ned
had in. his pocket check for two hun
dred dollars from prominent politician.
For nearly an hour there seemed not a
breath of air. There we hung as if
asleep in mid heavens. Yet still in the
northwest the white thunder. caps push
ed their snowy heads higher and high
er.
Still scared those great fleecy masses
of vapor in the distance; and soon under
meath them dark, watery-Iooking vol
umes began to heave up. Anon, there
was low, far-of growl. A vast, black
shadow, miles away, was stealing along
the sunlit earth, steadily nearing u.s. 1t
seemed to devour the golden landscape.
"It's coming rapidly said I putting
up my notes.
"Oh yes, it's coming" said my friend
cody.
Cant we rise above it ?" / asked.
"Yes-if you will kindly jump out
and tighten us, otherwise not. You see
L cannot spare the little ballast L have
left'
"Thank you," said L, "I prefer to
stay with you. But why not descend ?"
"And catch ducking, and get my
balloon bursted-if nothing worse. No!
1 have calculated the chances. We will
run before the storm"
"But this doesn't look much like run
ming" / said. 1--WE are not moving a
hairs BREADTH"
Wait bit. There will be wind
enough, promise you, within five min
utes," observed my companion. "You
see," he continued, "every shower has
its own wind, and it always leads the
thunder clouds distance of three or
four.miles ahead. When that catches
us, we shall scud in advance of the rain,
/ think"
Just then the gigantic shadow swept
across the sun; and almost the same
moment great cold wave seemed to
break against us. The balloon rocked
like boat at sea.
One after another the vast aerial bill
lows struck us. We bobbed up and
down on them like a cork. A moment
or two later, the fresh damp current
caught us on its mighty wing. The
Carrier Pigeon" ducked her lofty head
to the leeward, then slowly gathering
headway, sailed majestically off before
the shower"
"See thatl" exclaimed Ned "My
theory holds"
AT length the shower spent ITSELF
The flashes and the loud, rattling peals
ceased after time; and the black wall
of clouds broke, up in mist. 1t was get
ting toward sunset.
" 1t will soon be roosting time," Ned