, 1884-10-14
GPgRlLoUs BALLOON AscENsIoN
Cen. Birs John Porter's ReconnoIs
Ancs-change OF Programmes.
iB,n. perlav Poora

sAnes-Change OF Programme.
lBeni Perley Poore.l
President Lincoln was much Interested ir
the accorn VI a perilous balloon ascension
by Ger. fitz John Porter, on the 18th OF
April. 1852. near Yorktown, Va. About {
O'Clock IN the morning he stepped into the
car OF Pruf loves balloon, to 60 up and
make a Reconnaissance, than be pulled back
TO terra frma. He supposed that the usual
humber Of rJIes were attached to IL,
whereas there wns only one. and n placa
In this II was afterward ascer
tained. had been burned by vitrol,
used In generating the gas. Taking hi
seat In tns car. n-nacroInpanied by any one,
the rope was let out 10 nearly its full length
1.-The length WAS about 800 yards-when sud
denly snap went the cord ami up went the
balloon This was an unexpected part OF the
Programme. The men below looked up with
astonisiu.ent and the general looked down
with equal bewilderment.
-Opai the ~Valve.P shouted one Of tha meI
below.
IN manage 1t" responded the general.
Up went the balloon, higher, higher. II
rose up with great rapidity. Its huge form
lessened ns it mounted into the regions OF the
upper air. Il became a speck in the sky
Tho wind was taking 1t tho direction OF the
tuiAAAN , - Vim AAAlQ c
staff onirer and hundreds OF others were
looking at the moving speck. 1t Is impossi.
BILE 70 describe the anxiety felt and expressed
for the fate Of him, the central object of
thought, in that PARKWAY, moving speck,
every moment becoming less visible. 1t
seemed 10 move toward the Union army, and
countenances there frightened with hope. Il
passed over the heads of the Union men.
Soon II began to descend, but with a rnpidity
that aroused renewed apprehension. Quickly
n squad Of calvary plunged spurs into their
horses and dashed away In the direction Of
the descending balloon.
The rest OF the story Is as received from
the generals own lips. While the rope was
being played out, be adjusted his glass in
readiness for his proposed view of the enc
my's territory. A sudden bound Of the balloon
told him In "a moment that the rope had given
way. lie dropped the glass, heard the call,
.open the valve" made the response given
above. and set about looking for the valve.
He was sensible Of being Eighty tthe general
loves a pun AS we'll rs the next onel, but was
not at all nervous. He saw the wind had
taken him over the line Of the rebel entrench-
ments. Having nc wish to drop in among
them, he let the valve take care Of itself,
and proceeded to take advantage Of his posi-
ton TO note the aspect of rebel objects DO
low. Crowds Of soldiers rushed from the
woods, and ha heard their shouts distinctly.
Luckily, he was above the reach of their bull
lets, 80 no was not afraid on this score.
The map of the country was distinctly dis
cernible. He saw Yorktown and ii works,
York river and its windings and Norfolk and
its smoky chimneys- A counter current Of
air struck the balloon, and its course was re-
yersed. Its retreat from over rebeldom was
rapid. He opaned the valve, the gas escaped,
and down he came. He could not say how
fast he came down, but it was with a rapidity
he would not care to have repeated The car
struck the top of a shelter tent, under which,
luckily, no one happened to be ut the time,
knocked the tent into pi, and left him en-
veloped in a mass OF collapsed oil silk He
crawled out and found himself in the middle
Of a camp, not 100 yards from Gen. McClsl-
lan's headquarters.