Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-02
UP In THE BALLOON.
A MANCHESTER MAN ACCOMPANIES
PROFESSOR KING.
The Air-ship Goes West, is Seen at Dover
Mills, and Reported Landing Near
Powhatan Station.


Professor King made bis balloon ascen-
sion from the City Hall lot yesterday alter
noon, floating away gracefully In sou'b-
westwrdIy direction, at A O'Clock.
This serial voyage was TO have taken
place on m,morial-day, but during that
whole forenoon rain was falling. at times
IN torrents. and so the public treat was de-
feIred from l.. NJ. Monday TO L. NJ.
yesterday.
IL was day Of doubt; Of showers and
clouds, and brief but vanishing promises
OF sunshine. AT the appointed hour, when
the chances seemed even that the clouds
would break away In the east, or would
deluge the earth with rain from some other
point OF the compass. eager and uncis-
inaved crowds Of people flied the Capitol
SQUARE. the CITY Hall lot. Broad, Capitol,
Tenth. Eleventh. and the neighboring
streets. Ladies had brought their gossa-
mers and nearly all the men had umbrellas.
Wagons and carriages were in the streets by
the hundreds. The roof of Ford's Hotel and
the beliry OF ST. Paurs church and that Of
Broad.sireet Methodist church, and all
other such cminenccs in that vicinity were
sWafming With ladies and gentlemen.
TIE BALLOON.
The work OF initiating the balloon from
the city gas pipes commenced 1t II or
O'Clock, and between 3 and 4 1t lO0med up
in rotund proportions. It's cost was an
oily yellowlsh. with some streaks OF red,
and in great letters on its side appeared
lis name. - Eagle EyTie."
Infinite in number, hut OF dreary pow
eTtv. were thc bautCringS OF the men as
they asked each other "Are y0u going
upy' and the Ike chafT. The candidates
defeated in Thursdays election, pariicu-
lrly. had 10 submit to much badinage on
this scO-e; but such was the interest OF
the occasion and the curiosity 10 zee the
ascension that even these poor victims pre-
fcrrcd 10 bear the shafts OF the jokes rather
than retreat from the scene.
COMPANY FOUND.
A patent fence inclosed the balloon from
the surging multitude outside. To get
within these paIings cost you twenty-five
cents, aud about $50 or 300 persons, Gov
ernor Lee smong them, availed themselves
Of the privilege and got that much nearer
Mr.. King and the balloon, and that much
further from the good.humorcd but push
ing and toc-tramping mass Of people on the
would have come within the inclosure, but
10 reach the gate through the crowd that
stood about it and blocked it up was next
TO impossible.
The common cOnundrum ofthe hour was,
"WhO is gong up with KIugY"
II was understood that Mr King wished
to sell n scat by his side for so; but no.
body made that Offer. The supply In fact
exceeded the demand. Later it was un-
derstoOd that prices had dcclipcd and that
$40 would get the .eat, and a, these figures
Mr.. James +. Bradley closed with him.
so Mr.. King was TO have companion
gallant Manchesterian.
LOOsED.
About 4:l5 the cas-pipcs were disc0n-
nccted. and it was announced that the
work OF imitation was done. Then the
basket was adjusted.
At every rise Of the balloon. resulting
from these movements. the people checred
niebtiiv. FINALLY, about f:3O, Mr. Bradley
.tepUcd into the basket aud raised his ha.
10 hls apDlauding friends: Mr.. King fol-
lowed. The hal,OOn was then allowed u
ri,c about twenty tcci. aud thereat went
forth lusty cheer. Then tbe rope WA,
loostncd and The balloon very gracefully
asccnd,d 10 a height Of SIX or seven hun
drcd feet.
Mr.. Bradley appeared quite sell-pos-
,e>sed, and he and the Professor waved
tAcir hats to the cheering multitude.
TIE COURSE.
The balloon took q southwcsterly course,
issing from the City-lldll lot no nearly
erpendicullTly and then drifting away.
ish over the Capitol square, over the river,
yer Manchester, Until lost 10 sight as it
ung over The county Of Chesterfield.
just before tue balloon was lost ~ view
Mr.. King was seen throwing out ballast.
which neant that he wanted TO rise. Up
80 that time, az guess, he could not have
cen more Than 200 or 500 feet above the
earth.
WILL DONE.
The ascension We. beautifully made, and
The course the halo n took was the very
hest possible for the spectators. Thou
sands on the Capitol Square, on Libby Hill.
on Candles Hill, and at other favorable
localities. and the entire population Of
Manchester and Belle Isle. not present in
Richmond, watched it until it was hidden
away III the gray clouds. IL was lost 10
view in about thirty or forty minutes. Soon
afterwards the clouds broke away and the
sun came out handsomcy-not indeed
upon cloudIoss sky. but rather upon a
mingled blue aud gray-the gray clouds
spotting the blue vault, &c.
CONTENTS OF TIE BASKET.
The basket. which was suspended from
the balloon. contained a small lunch, seye-
raj newspapers, heavy canvas, the drar-
rope. and several bags OF sand aS ballast.
Outside was hanging the anchor.
WESTWARD BOUND AND SEEN BY TELEGRAPH
OPERATORS.
The balloon pursued sOuthwesterly
course until about the time when, Il Is be-
lcved, Mr.. King emptied some OF the sand
bags; then 1t shot upward tor considera-
lie distance and probably got into an upper
current, for il took a westerly direction.
AT about 500 the operator at Bon Air,
nine miles from Richmond, in Chesterfield
county, reported seeing the balloon in the
distance.
The operator nj Dover, on the Allegheny
next telegraphed "Balloon passed
here about $3.50 O'Clock, making good pro-
gress and taking s0utlweSterly direction
Dover is twenty miles from Richmond.
Its progress after il took the westwardly
direction was much more rapid than previ-
ously.
About G. O'Clock the balloon was seen
from Pow hatan Station, and II was thought
TO De low down, with the purpose of making
a landing. it was believed by the people who
observed II. This station is on the Rich
mOud and DanyiIle road twenty-five miles
west Of Richmond.
REPORTED LANDED.
A telegram received here at LIB this
morning from Pow hatau says that II Is re-
ported iha. the balloon landed about three
miles southwest Of that place before night.
The report bas not bern confirmed, and
the balloon has not been seen from that
point.
TIE sUBSCRIBERS.
The balloon ascension gave an afternoon
y pleasure TO the whole city aud 10 MANY
friends within our gates. IL could
not have been had but that a number Of
lur enterprising citizens subscribed 10 a
und 10 make Professor King undertake
he enterprise here. Without this fund
lc would not have attempted an ascension.
The purse thus guaranteed and the gate
eeS and what he received from Mr.. Bradley
,esterday, altogether, will only yield him a
ew hundred dollars, and out OF this he will
laye TO pay about eos for gas, besides othsr
Xpeuses.
Personal.
Mr.. James +. Bradley is one Of the rising
-oung men OF Manchester. He Is OF a short,
compact stature, aud weighs about $50
,ounds; has dark hair and eyes; wears
and is good looking. For seve-
I'll years past he was connected with the
irm of Bowen a. Bradley Brothers, until