Smyrna times., 1886-10-13
A Balloon Experience.

From an article on Amateur Bal
looming" in the Century we quote as
follows: "As nearly as could be judged,
was more than a mile high, and all
sounds 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 a
trip-hammer. 1 could feel the blood as
it shot through the veins of my head
and arms. My straw hat and the will
low car snapped and cracked, being
contracted by the evaporation of the
moisture in them and by the fast-cool-
ing temperature. was compelled to
breathe little quicker than usual on
account of therarity of the atmosphere
l became sensible of a loud, monot-
Onous hum in my ears, pitched about
on middle G of the piano, which seemed
to bore into my head from each side,
meeting in the center with pop; then
for an instant my head would be clear,
when the same experience would be re-
peated. By throwing out small pieces
of tissue-paper l saw that the balloon
was still rapidly ascending. While de-
batting with myself as to the ADVISABLE
ty 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-
ton 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 a 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.
1 was alone, a mile from the earth,
IN the midst of a rain-clOud and the
silence of the grave. Moreover, had
sole charge of the balloon; if it had
not been for this fact could have taken
little comfort, as l had no confidence
in my ability to manage it. A rain
storm upon the 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 reigned supreme.
The quiet spoken of by DR.. Kane and
other Artic explorers as existing in the
northern regions, was a hubbub beside
this place. More tissue-paper was
thrown out; seeing that it seemed to
ascend, l 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 Immediately the
whistling of railroad trains could be
heard.
Now mountains could be distin.
guished from valleys, and the cawine
of frightened crows and the shouting
of men could be heard. 1 passed i'm.
diately over Tallcott Mountain tower
where there were some two hundred
people enjoying the day. l could
plainly hear one blowing a horn
As the balloon slowly decended men
could be seen running from all sides
towards the place of landing. Now
the hum of insects could be heard, and
the grapnel, with a hundred feet Ofrope
attached, was thrown out; it sOOr
struck the ground, and dragged lazily
along through the turf and over the
stones without getting a secure hold
l approached man weighing three
hundred pounds, who was sitting upor
stone wall all out of breath fromrun
ming. Without the fOrmality of an in
PRODUCTION asked him to catch on t.
that anchor and stop the business.
With a wOe-begone look upon his hon
est face and an ominous shake of tn,
head be replied: It's nc use, youns
fellow; l can't work my bellows.
But as the rope twitched along nea
him, he fell upon it, and my journey
was ended"