Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-09-10
A Balloon Experience,

From an article on "Amateur Bal
looming in the September Century we
quote as follows: Gas nearly as could
be judged, was more than mile
high, and all sounds from the earth
had ceased. There was death like
silence which was simply awful. It
seemed to my overstrained nerves to
forebode disaster. The ticking OF the
watch in my pocket sounded like
trlp-hammer. I could feel the blood
as 1t shot through the veins of my
head and arms. My straw hat and
the willow car snapped and cracked,
being contracted by the evaporation
OF the moisture in them and by tbs
iast-cooling temperature. was COM
PEELED to breathe little quicker than
usual on account of the rarity OF
the atmosphere. l became sensible
OF a loud, monotonous mum
in my ears, pitched about on
middle c of the piano, which seemed
to bore into my head from each side,
meeting in the centre with pop; then
for an instant my head would be clear,
when the same experience would &c
repeated By throwing out small
pieces OF tissue paper | Saw that the
balloon was still rapidly ascen ing.
While debating with myself as to the
adVisability OF pulling the valve rope
| Il was afraid to touch it for fear it
would break and disthargins some
gas, the earth was lost sight OF, and
the conviction was forced upon me
that this must be the clouds 1t
made me dizzy to think oft Above,
| below, and upon all sides was dense,
damp, chilly Jog. Upon looking closer,
large drops OF rain could be seen,
| silently falling down out OF sight into
| what seemed bottomless space.
II was alone, n mile from the earth,
! in the midst OF q rain cloud and the ST.
ence OF the grave Moreover, had
sole charge Of the balloon; il it had
rot been for this fact could hav-tak-
en- a little comfort, aS | had no conf.
dence III my ability to manage it. A
rain storm upon earth is accompanied
by noise; the patter OF the rain upon
the houses, trees and walks always at
tends the storm; while here, although
the drops were large, they could not
be heard falling upon the balloon or
its belongings. Silence rrisned SUI
preme. The quiet spoken OF by Or.
Name and other Arctic explorers as
existing in the northern regions,
was huhbub beside this place.
More tissue paper was thrown
out; seeing that it seemed to ascend. l
knew that the apparatus was slo Wy
descending, being brought down by
the weight OF rain upon it. Soon the
earth was in view. How peaceful and
quiet it looked! Immediately the
whistling OF railroad trains could he
heard
"Now mountains could be distin-
gMsncd from valleys, and the cAwine
OF frightened crows and the shouting
OF men could be heard. | passed i'm
mediately over TaIIcott Mountain
tower, where there were some two
hundred people enjoying the day.
| could plainly hear one OF them
blowing Il horn. As thu balloon
slowly descended men could b.. seen
running from all sides toward the
place of landing Now he hum
Of insects could be heard. and
the grapple, with a hundred; lcet
Of rope ATTACHED, was thrown out; it
soon struck the ground, ana dragged
llzily along through the turf and over
the stones without getting. :, secure
hold. I approached Il man Wei, hing
three hundred pounds, who was sit
ting upon a stone wall Ill out o!
breath from running. Without the
forn'u!itE OF an introduction asked
him to 'catch on to that anchor and
stop tn" business. Wit woe beyone
look upon his honest face and an
Ominous shake of the head lie replied:
It's no use, young fellow. can't
work my bellows But a; the rope
twitchel near him, h. fol! upon it,
and my journey was endel.'