The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-09-25
A GREAT AERONAU,T.
An Aerial Voyage Across the En-
Rlish Channel In 1785.
The Famous Feat Performed by DIR. JEFF
fries, Bostonian-Hls Reception In
France-French Society ~ 1t
Was . Century Ago.


Was . Century Ago.
The ballooning festival held at Gui-
enne recently. was in honor OF Jean
Pierre Blanchard and DR.. John Jeffries,
who, on the 7th of January. 17S5.
crossed the English Channel in 9 bal
loon. In the January number of the
Magazine of american History DR.. B.
JOY Jeffries. of Boston, descendant OF
Dr.. Jeffries. presents an interesting ac-
count Of this event:
It is not generally known that DR..
Jeffries was an American who was born
in Boston in 1744. He was graduate
of Harvard University, and commenced
practice in 1866. DESTROYS of further
improvement, DR.. Jeffries went to En-
gland, studied in Scotland. and took .
medical degree from the University Of
Aberdeen in 1869. Coming back to
Boston. he was quite successful In his
calling. Jeffries was royalist and
sided with the English. When Boston
was evacuated he went to Halifax. and
going to England again in 1879 entered
the English service as Surgeon-Major
and accompanied the British troops to
Savannah and Charleston. Returning
to England. he exercised his profession
il London with great success. 1t was
about this time that Jefries became in
terested in aerostation, in connection
with Sir Joseph Banks and DIR. Blag-
den, the secretary of the Royal Society.
To Dr.. Jeffries may be given the credit
of having been the first to study the
condition of the atmosphere at high
elevations and to have thrown some
new light ION the theory of winds in
general"
In England. in the year 1854. Blanch-
ard. Frenchman. who was . pro-
fessioual eronaut, had made several
ascents. On the 30th of November of
that wear Jeffries paid Blanchard one
hundred guineas for seat in his bal
loon. which, mounting from the Rhe-
darium in London, landed safely some
where in Kent Not satisfied with this
first trip, DR.. Jeffries determined on
another, and he seems to have borne
the whole expense of this second ex-
cursion. The object was to cross the
channel. Aerostation was an expen-
sive amusement q century ago. The
cost of this trip. betrayed by DR.. JEFF
fries, amounted to f700.
Dr.. Jeffries, who was very method
ical man. kept careful notes Of this trip
across the channel. which notes have
been preserved. This diary is not only
of great interest but curious, from the
fact that in it DR.. Jeffries gives in de-
tai all the honors accorded him.
At six o'clock ON the morning of
january 9TH. 1785. Blanchard entered
the doctors room in an inn at Dover
and announced that the wind was
favorable. Pilots were consulted. who
gave no decided opinion IS to the
strength or direction of the wind. At
eleven O'Clock 4 m. small Montgol-
fer balloon was let Of, which took the
xiRht course, and at midday another
small balloon was sent of. which went
toward the French coast Half m hour
afterward. the Blanchard balloon be-
ing ready, the basket was attached to
II and at exactly 1:15 the ascent from
the cli6 near Dover was made. The
ballast consisted Of three sacks Of sand
q ten pounds each; books, thirty-fouf
Mounds: sundries. nineteen pounds.
klanchsrd weighed 146 bounds and
Dr. Jeffries I2S pounds. The ascent
VAS easily made. the balloon
Vas fully extended. and . favor.
able wind carried It channel-vard.
when ct $50 the voyagers found them
selves falling. Ballast was thrown
overheard. but the balloon declined
r;sipG. and the height Of the balloon
time was not more than 100 yard q
There seems to have been some story
extant that IN case tho balloon. with
~ two travellers, was found incapa-
g. sls @ snsta'n,ng ! the double k9 weight