The sun., 1883-10-03
UP IN A BALLOON
An Aeron aut's Account OF his Voyage Across
the EnRiish Channel.

From the london standard.
ave started from Hastings" says Mr..
Simmons under somewhat unfavorablo nu-
spices. the wind being northeasterly at inc
time. crowd OF some forty thousand persons
'saI we nsscended they gave us tremendous cheer.
My fellow passenger, Mr.. Small photographer,
was 50 lost p admiration OF The n9om mGnihGenf tS;
had to warn him that he must be quick II
ho wished to obtain phoioeraph. and we
S%ei over The The R beach, h the balloon being at that
moment 1929 at an altitude Of 5000 feet.
Al 9i3o we had long rnnGe 81 Sssinot SGait iihe'
thought we were a trifle too near Bcachy Head
over 70 make any point of land on this side OF
OF 1900 feet wo southed trine more. Appear
ancos were however. much against our ever
reaching land, and must acknowledge that 1
was sorely tempted to come down OF Deachy
Head and got picked up. But this would have
Rsn rather too Sad e Ses
few minutes later to find Reachy Head reoedlng
north E nId we qpifky ssssd our minds
scene; hero and thero patches Of the oonst line
a vast distance there was, a gap through which
We got a patch Of sea. with three or four ships
s' OF clouds % %ad shut % out our our last and
secure S cloud ssS but hs nv shSttsT missed
somo little improvemsnts for such experiments
in futI-e. From 4:3O 70 nearly sunset ITO the
sooS eSS's and H 5000 feet Darins this interval we
got peeps at tho SCI, many times. but but
Sns nS land RAYS hos Stsr S e
drawn from earth and sea- The shadow Of the
ss ,Sa sSsa .p@ns Ss pa tS
The transition from day to nght was very slow
to bright silver. Mr.; Small saidl,, Did YOU see
ana W show sou The baoon sa
commenced to reyolve and this motion made IT
RSsh The a sr
"A remarkable appearance was caused by the
reflection OF the balloon in the focussing screen
black cloth the frame round the glass we, could
Ss sSs soon s hsadonR
course through iimitable. space, tho effect
SSs set so o e5 xS4k '2sn g n
iammed in the rigging. but TIC hard pulling
on s. thy Ss gre
supplied suppl Y By Mr Cornish centrlbSted sreatyto
Warmth ands HdE tS nSt yapy py % than bs
was exceedingly encouraging. for upon our
chance q floating alo{t all night, When the
stop her. The tgmperature Of tho air was
eight pounds was sufficient.
lO:i5 we saw vessel almost @ under rus. US.
we did as Justify S as we could but at first got no
SSs own @ SSsfs Rst voice vas heard On
'oui. opi,' we repniied. but with all our French
whether we were over the English Channel or
At 1925 something slightly darker than
the normal horizon could be family discerned.
We kept ourselves absolutely motionless. and.
sound as ehe
exclaimed. Its nothing but, a mist for it
hour intentlX watching, for lights untt;! simif:
aT aSx noon o. aor59n was ProqGht under
selves, to believe it was land. because no lights
be I eksr e IN eH at 5
sSn sasceps sazRst oGx aeaH
I believe that dark strip before use is land.
with sea just beyond it again. II II turns out put
to be 80 BE- pro prompt In doing everything l tell
S'SlRj, &be sound Of surf was now unmist.kabls,
e 9S eSs q soas Rs as prssensa ss
dS[stiaSt i @ %hs sss nSs Began . S!ppls GIs as
ward the other sea beyond What sort OF
Small Rugged rocks and stone walls I be-
lieve:' said: Hold on firm. Out goes the
soon 1t got wedged into crevico In the rocks.
giving us Just tether enough to pass over the
prec!piee and down on to tho beach,; There
and the rocks, and none to spare. Had We gone
ten yards further and half second longer we
should have been in tho sea.
We heard whispering near US. In q few mo-
ments man and woman appeared. but
would not at first approach US. fearing sup
pose were some monshes By and BY they
gained confidence, and then they told us we
were on Cap de la Hague. the extreme north
west point Of France; We then found that our
i,nformants IN were N. Augusta Lavem Of Canton
his wife. They most kindly helped MS to empty
the balloon OF its contents and gave us supper
and shelter for the night, Noxt morning. at
scent. and Mr.. Small photographed 1t. We
afterward proceeded to Cherbourg. and thence
homo"