Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1884-11-13
r1rz JOHN PORTER AN AERoNAur.
How he Made an Ascension During tie War
and how he Came Down.


and how he Came Down.
Ben Perly Poor.
President Lincoln was much interest
ed In the account of perilOus balloon
ascension by General Fitz John. Porter
on the 18th of April, 1862, neal York
town, Va. About o'clock in tho morn
ing he stepped into the car OF Professor
loves balloon, to go up and make re-
cORnOisaRce, then to be pulled back to
terro firma. He supposed that the usual
number of ropes were attached to 1t
whereas there was only one, and place
in this, it was afterwards ascertained.
had been burned by vitrol, used in gen.
Grating the gas. Taking his seat in the
ear, unaccc0mpanied by any one, the
rope was let out to nearly its full length
the length was about 800 yards when
suddenly snap went the cord, and up
went the balloon. This was an unex-
pected part OF the programme. The men
below looked up with establishment, and
the General looked down with equal be-
wilderment.
"Open the valve" shouted one of the
men below.
"Pll manage it," responded the Gener-
al.
Up went the balloon, higher, higher. 1t
rose with great rapidity. Its huge form
lessened as 1t mounted into the regions
of the upper air. 1t became speck in
the sky. The wind was taking 1t in the
direction of the eRemy's territory. BY
this time every staff officer and hundreds
of others, were locking at the mOviag
speck. 1t is impossible to describe the
anxiety felt and expressed for the fate
of him, the central object Of thought IN
that far away moving speck, every mo-
ment becoming less visible. 1t seemed
to move toward the Union army, and
countenanees then frightened with hope.
1t passed over the heads of the Union
men. Soon it began to descend, but with
a rapidity that aroused renewed appre-
hensiOn. Quickly a squad Of cavalry
plunged spurs into their horses and dash
ed away in the direction of the descend
ing balloon.
The rest of the story is as received
frem the Generals own lips. While the
rope was being played out he adjusted
his glass, in readiness for his proposed
view of the enemy's territory. A sudden
bound OF the balloon told him in a mo-
ment that the rope had given away. He
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
(the General loves a pun as well as the
next One), but was not at all nervous.
He saw the wind had taken him over the
line of the rebel entertainments, Hav-
ing no wish to drop in among them, he
let the valve take care of itself, and pro-
ceeded to take advantage of his position
to note the aspect of the rebel objects
below. Crowds of soldiers rushed from
the woods, and he heard their shouts dis
tinctly. Luckily, he was above the reach
of their bullets, SO ne was not afraid on
this score. Aa
The map Of the country was distinctly
observable. He saw Yorktown and its
works, York river and its windings. and
Norfolk and its smoky chimnsys. A
counter current of air stl uck the balloon,
and its course was reversed. Its retreat
from over rebeldOm was rapid. He
could not say how fast he came down,
but it was with rapidity he weuld not
care to have repeated. The ear struck
the top of shelter tent, under which,
luckily, no one happened to be at the
time. knocked the tent into pi, ard left
him envelOped in mass of collapsed oil
silk. He crawled out and found himself
in the middle of camp, not 100 yards
from General MeClellan's headquarters.