The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-09-29
A Balloon Experience.

From an article ON "Amateur Balloon.
ing" in the Gtntury we quote as follows:
GAS nearly as could be judged, I was
more than mile high, and all sounds
from the earth had ceased. There was
death-like silence which was simply
awful. 1t seemed to my overstrained
nerves to forbode disaster. The ticking
of the watch in my pocket sounded like
trip-hammer. I could feel the blood as
it shot through the veins of my head and
arms. My straw hat and the willow chr
snapped and cracked, being contracted
by the evaporation of the moisture in
them and by the fast-cooling tempera-
ture. was compelled to breath little
quicker than usual on account of the
rarity of the atmosphere. became sensi-
BILE of loud, monotonous hum in my
cars, pitched about on middle c of the
piano, which seemed to bore into my
head from each side, meeting in the cen
ter with pop; then for an instant my
head would be clear, when the same ex-
perience would be repeated. By throw
out small pieces of t:ssue-paper I saw
that the balloon was still rapidly ascend
ing. While debating with myself as to
the advisibility of pulling the valve-rope
Il was afraid to touch it for fear it would
break) and discharging some gas, the
earth was lost sight of, and the convic-
tion was forced upon me that this must
be the clouds! 1t made me dizzy to think
of it. Above, below, and upon all sides
was dense, damp, chilly fog. Upon
looking closer, large drops of rain could
be seen, silently falling down out of sight
into what seemed bottomless space.
81 was alone, mile from the earth,
in the midst of a rain-cloud and the 81
lence of the grave. Moreover, I had
sole charge of the balloon; if it had not
been for this fat I could have taken q
little com rort, as I had no confidence in
my ability to manage it. A rain-storm
u, on earth is accompanied by no Sc; the
patter of the "a n uron the houses, trees,
and walks always attends the storm;
while here, although the drops were
large, they could not be heard falling
u~on the balloon or its belongings.
Silence reigned supreme. The quiet
spoken of by DR.. Kane and other Arctic
explorers as existing in the northern re-
gions, was hubbub beside this place.
More tissue-pa, er was thrown out; see
ing that it seemed to ascend, I knew that
the apparatus was slowly descending,
being brought down by the weight of
rain upon it. Soon the earth was in view.
How peaceful and quiet it looked! I'm
mcdiately the whistling of railroad trains
could be heard.
"Now mountains could be distin-
guished from the valleys, and the cawing
of frightened crows and the shouting of
men could be heard. lassed immedi-
ately over Talcott Mountain Tower,
where there were some two hundred peo-
pie enjoying the day. I could plainly
hear one blowing a horn. AS the bal
loon slowly descended men could be seen
running from all sides toward the place
of landing. Now the hum of insects
could be heard, and the grapnel. with a
hundred feet of rope attached, was
thrown out; it soon struck the ground,
and dragged lazily along through the
turf and over the stones without getting
a secure hold. I approached a man
we Ching three hundred pounds, who was
sitting upon a stone wall out of breath
from running. Without the formality
of an introduction I a>ked him to catch
on to that anchor and stop the business.
With woc-begone look upon his hon.
est face and an ominous shake of the head
he replied: IT'S no use, young fellow; l
can't work my bellows But as the rope
twitchcd along near him, he fell upon it
and nv journey was ended"