Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-07
THE BALLOON ASCENSION.
A Severe Disappointment on the Fourth
but an Undoubted Success Yesterday.

"A severe disappointment on the Fourth
but an Undoubted Success Yesterday.
There was great disappointment felt by
the thousands who visited the race track
on the Fourth, the majority of them with
the expectation of witnessing the balloon
ascension and parachute leap. These had
been advertised so extensively that un-
doubtedly many of the visitors from the
country were actuated in their visit to
Butte by curiosity to see that event. But
circumstances over which Professor Comes
has no control interfered with it's execution
that day. Most of those present could not
realize the difficulties in the way, and
blamed the management for the failure.
There was strong wind blowing from the
northwest, from which those in the grand
stand were shielded. ANY one looking to
the west aud south could have realized il,
however, by seeing the smelter smoke blown
almost flat across the plain west of the
race course. 1t was so strong that Pro-
lessor Comes would not undertake the
risk OF scorching his balloon in filling it.
A funnel is placed inside the balloon while
| the process of filling it with rarified air is
going on through which the flames from
fire kindled underneath it rise and when
the fam es are strong they shoot above
| this. Consequently the balloon has to be
maintained in perpendicular position and
wind on the Fourth was so strong that it
| made the process of filling it with air
dangerous to the safety of the balloon. II
| the balloon itself were scorched the aero
nant's life would be in danger, when it rose
| to height, OF cold current OF air striking
| it and causing it to collapse when the aero
| nant's name would be Dennis, so to speak.
Yesterday those conditions were absent.
| The balloon was filled without difficulty
and about it shot up with young Hammer
on the trapeze. 1t went up with great
velocity to a height of over thousand
| feet. The aeronaut performed some gym
nastics on the trapeze as the balloon went
up, and when it had reached it's greatest
altitude and apparently become re.
duced to the dimensions of foot
ball to those below the attachment
of the parachute was released. 1t shot
down like a stone for some distance before
it caught the impact of the air, and spread
ing out came down beautifully, descending
like bird with outspread pinions. The
sudden drop made the spectators hold
their breath with fear but when the para
| chute filled and spread out there
were numerous exclamations of
admiration at the sight it pre-
sented. The descent was by no means
| slow and the aeronaut landed on his back
about hundred and fifty feet from where
he went up. When released from the para
| chute the balloon shot up several hundred
feet higher then turned over and came
down in heap on the field south OF the
base ball grounds. The management want
Prof. Comes to remain over until Sunday
to repeat the ascent then, when they will
throw open the grounds to all free to wit
ness it. The professor is desirous of making
an ascent to-day, as he has engagements
that he wishes to keep for Sunday. and it
| will be known to-day whether he and the
| management can come to terms or not. The
ascent yesterday, however, proves all that
was promised as to the merit OF the per-
| fOrmance.