The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-12
BOSTON'S FIRST AERONAUT.
Dr. Jeffries'S VentuTe-AcroSs the English
Channel in 1885,

month, in honor of Jean Pierre Blanchard
and DR.. John Jeffries who on the 7th of January,
| 1885, crossed the English channel in a balloon.
| In the january number of the Magazine of
American History Dr. B. JOY Jeffries, of Bos-
ton descendant of DR.. Jeffries, presents an in
teresting account of this event.
| 1t is not generally known that Dr. Jeffries WAS
an American, who was born in Boston in 1744
He was q graduate of Harvard University, and
| commenced practice in 1866. DESTROYS of further
improvement DIR. Jeffries went to England,
| studied in Scotland, and took medical degree
| from the University of Aberdeen in 1869 Com
| ing back to Boston he was quite successful in his
calling. Jeffries royalist and sided with the
| English When Boston was evacuated he went to
Halifax, and going to England again in l779 en-
| tered the British service a surgeon MAJ or and
| accompanied the British troops to Savannah and
| Charleston. Returning to England he exercised
his profession in London with great success,
1t was about this time that Jeffries became
interested in aerostation, in connection with Sir
| Joseph Banks and DR.. Blagden, the secretary of
| the Royal Society. To Dr. Jeffres NAV be given
the credit of having been the first to study the
| condition of the atmosphere at high elevations,
! ana to have thrown some new light ION the
| theory OF winds in general.
In England in the year 1884, Blanchard,
| Freuchman, who was professional aeronaut,
| had made several asCents. On the Both of No
| vember of that year Jeffries paid Blanchard 100
| guineas for seat in his balloon. which, mount
ing from the Rhedarum in London. landed
| safely somewhere in Kent Not satisfied with
| this first trip, DR.. Jefries determined on
another, and he seems to have borne the whole
| expense of this second excursion. The object
| was to cross the channel Aerostation was an
expensive amusement century ago. The cost
of this trip, betrayed by Dr. Jeffries, amounted
| to G700
| DR.. Jeffries, who was very methodical man,
kept careful notes of this trip across the chan
mel, which notes have been preserved. This
diary is not only Of great interest. but curious
from the fact that in 1t DR.. Jeffres gives in de-
tan all the honors accorded him.
| At & o'clock on the morning of Jan. Z, 1885,
Blanchard entered the Doctors room in inn
at Dover and announced that the wind was fa-
voraole. Pilots were consulted, who gave no
decided opinion to the strength direction
| of the wind At III o'clock A. NJ. a small Mont
golfer balloon let off, which took the right
course, and at midday another small balloon
was sent off, which went toward the
French coast. Half an hour after
ward, the Blanchard balloon being
ready, the basket was attached to it, and at
actly l:i5 the ascent from the cliff near Dover
was made. The ballast consisted of three sacks
OF sand of 10 pounds each; books 81 pounds;
sundrles. 10 pounds. Blanchard weighed l46
pounds and Dr. Jeffries l2S pounds. The ascent
was easily made. the balloon was fully extended,
and favorable wind carried it channel-ward,
when at 230 the voyagers found themselves
falling. Ballast was thrown overheard, but the
balloon declined rising, and the height of the
balloon from the water of the channel at one
| time was not more than 100 yards. There seems
to have been some story extant that in case
the balloon. with its two travellers.
was found incapable of sustaining the
double weight, the pucky Bostonian
hnH cd 1sxwI,A h-I11
jumping into the sea, but DR.. Jetfres does not
| mention anything about this is in his diary
Certainly both Blanchard and Jeffries were pre-
pared for emergencies, for both of them put on
their cork Jackets, having previously taken off
pretty much all their clothing. II threw
| away my cDat; then MIR. Blanchard his new coat
and long trousers" The balloon now rose. and
soon view of France was had. AT o'clock the
aerostat had passed midway between Cape Blanc
Nez and CALAIS. To tighten the balloon almost
everything had been thrown overheard. and the
anchors gone. With rope and some wood
Blanchard hoped to arrest the progress of the
balloon the land. A very ingenious
method with bladders was devised by Dr. JEFF
fries to break the shock of the descent
just over a forest near Calais the cork jack
cts and bladders We're thrown overheard as DR..
Jeffries caught hold of the topmost branch of
tree. The valve was opened, and luckily, there
being an opening in the wood, the balloon
| settled down quite comfortably on terra irma
After half an hour some horsemen found the
aeronauts and then the first crossing of the
channel by means Of a balloon was announced
to an admiring world.
Setting off in a post chase with six horses Dr.
Jeffres by invitation. visited the chateau of NJ.
lie Vicomte Desandrouin. and was saluted in the
hall by young lady singing stanZas in honor
of our enterprise" AT l o'clock that night
Calais was reached the gates having been opened
by order of the commandment At once DIR. .Jeffres
paid his respects to the commandant. and his
lady. III bed in pavilion tent in his room,
ceived US most courteously." Next day-the 9Th
of January-a dinner offered to Blanchard
and Jeffries, when Blanchard was presented with
the freedom of the city in gold box repeated
apologies expressing their wish to do the same
| for me. but could not without io're from the
court.
On the 11th of the month Dr. Jeffrles went to
Paris, where he called on Pilatre de Rozier, one
of the earliest of the aeronauts, who some years
after was killed by the burning of his balloon.
While at dinner "a number of French danes
tered the apartment ard embraced us again and
again, and chanted some verses honorary to
aerial voyage" Then came iunketings without
! number. On the 18th Jeffries and Blanchard
went to Versailles and paid their respects to the
King Nine de Poiignac was visited, and the
Duchess degned to receive them, though she
was dressing at her toilet like Venus in white
muslin, ana surrounded by five ladies all in
white, who were attiring her-a most engaging,
lovely, aHable woman On the 18th Dr. .Jeffries
was presented to the King who said to him, Il
am very glad to see you. sir He dressed
in black velvet, with the Gordon Blcu star etc.
On the>l4th there grand presentation in
honor of DR.. Jeffries given by the gents wits,
and men of learning" and on the entrance of
Blanchard and Jetfries there were repeated
shouts and clappngs of hands Benjamin
Franklin wrote Dr. Jeffries letter, and
on the 18th he paid DR.. Franklin a
visit at Passy. On the evening of the 10th there
was ball at the Societe Rue Coqueron Hotel
dOrleans. where was received by universal
and continuous shouts and claps of applause,
embraced and mplimented by hundreds of the
first ladies and gentlemen in Paris The Doc
| tor seems to have been particularly struck by the
attentions of Nine. de Talarac, who, with
lovely freedom and simplicite de cpur told me
she was eighteen. had married at fifteen had
| an infant etc. took affectionate leave of me-
and engaged me to come and see her" On the
18th. the Boston Doctor goes to the ComeGie