Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-05-09
UP IN A BALLOON.
AN AERoNAUT'S THRILLING
MID-AIR ADVENTURE.
An Aerial Flight from Copenhagen to
Sweden, and Drop Into the Sea
at the Dead of Night.

at the Dead of Night.
In 1871 / made several noteworthy
aerial voyages from Copenhagen. the
beautiful and very interesting capital of
Denmark. The directors of the TivoI
Gardens, one of the largest and finest in
the world, had read the description of
the gigantic aerial machine, 175 feet in
length, which / built for the French
Government in 1870, and requested me
to construct a new one of the same
shape, but of much less dimensions.
with which to make my ascensions from
their spacious garden. Many hundred
yards of fine linen were obtained instead
of silk, and cigar-shaped aerostat of
100 feet in length and so in diameter
was soon manufactured in one of the
immense dancing halls at the Tivoh.
An immense multitude came TO wit
ness the first ascent An American trav-
eler and a Danish photographer, Mr..
Schroeder, concluded TO accompany me
on the trip across the channel or sound,
30 miles wide, to Sweden. The wind
was favorable for such an excursion. As
we intended TO make trip of several
hundred miles over Sweden and Nor
way, if the wind permitted, we were
provided with plenty to cat, with scien-
entitic instruments for observation in
the higher regions, life preservers, &c.
/ had constructed a fine life dress of
rubber, similar TO the one used by Cap
tain Boyton, in his wild adventures in
many lands.
The band played the "Star-Spangled
Banner" as / flung our national
flag to the breeze and gave orders to let
go the ropes. We scared aloft maiesti-
cally, amid the shouts OF the multitude.
1t was a glorious day. The grand old
city, with its ancient walls and houses,
and its picturesque palaces and roman
tic gardens, its thousands OF vessels in
its spacious harbor, decorated with flags
OF all nations, the distant shores Of Swe-
den and the placid Baltic beneath us, all
presented a picture OF varied interest
and beauty. As we passed over the
ships and steamers we could distinctly
hear the cheers and shouts of the sailers.
We soon reached the altitude Of one
mile and enjoyed charming view of the
two kingdoms as we gradually APP
preached the shore of Sweden about
two miles west of Malmo.
As night came on we found our course
was toward the northwest, and hoped
to be able to make a long journey way
over Sweden before morning, as we had
plenty of gas and ballast. Mr. Schroeder
had long trumpet with which he
would now and then give terrific blast,
OF talk with the people when we came
lear the earth to learn over what part
Of Sweden we were travelling. We had
an excellent map of the Kingdom,
which we could examine on our way
without any danger of explosion, as the
mouth of the balloon was well tied while
the lamp was in use. Our Danish friend
could speak the Swedish language, and
when he informed the farmers that we
had left Copenhagen only a few hours
before dark they could hardly believe it.
When they heard the horn or trumpet
above them they could not imagine
what it meant. We learned afterward
that some of them thought that Gabriel
was surely coming at last.
In order 10 move more rapidlywe as
cended sometimes above the clouds.
There we met a current that bore us
eastward, and after sailing nearly n hun
dred miles over Sweden we found that
we were rapidly approaching the Baltic
Sea in the direction of st. Petersburg.
If / had been alone would have crossed
the Baltic to Russia or Finland. L did
not feel justified however, in running
the risk OF being lost in the sea with my
companions, although we had consldera-
BILE ballast and plenty to eat and drink.
We might have passed safely over to
Russia in few hours, or If we were
forced to descend we no doubt would
have been rescued by some vessel, as
there are many of them constantly
traversing the Baltic during the sum
mer.
As tbe coast was covered with trees,
concluded to descend into the sea SO as
not to wreck my balloon. l put on my
life-dress and took my stand on the con-
centrating hoop and pulled the valve
cord. There being some wind we were
carried nearly half a mile from the shore
before we struck the water. My Yankee
friend stood up in the car, butthe Dane,
who weighed over two hundred pounds,
kept his seat, and, being on the side
that struck the sea first, he was COM
pletely baptized, and came up blowing
like whale as the balloon recovered
from the shock. The large anchor soon
caught in the shallow bay, and kept us
from drifting out to sea. Having the
Royton life-dress on ! did not get wet,
but my friends suffered little from the
cold water, since it was late IN the sea
son. The Dane blew his trumpet, and
soon we saw light, and some hsherihen
ooyaa and carried MS ashore at a small
fishermen village, about one hundred
miles from Copenhagen.
We obtained means to return and
transport the balloon back to Copen-
hagen. Long descriptions Of our Jour
ney we're published in Denmark Sweden
and Norway, and / was requested to
visit Stockholm and Chr1stiana' .l tne
capitals. I prepared to make another
= ascension from the Tivoli, and again to
o,oss tbe channel TO Sweden, the public