The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1889-03-04
AERONAUTIC !
No Balloon Ascension Oh Saturday,
Tho Reason Why,
Free Exhibition 10 be Given /!

Close on 10 five thousand persons
assembled in KapioIani Park aud vi.
cinity on Saturday to witness bal
loon ascension by Prof. Emil Mel
vile. Soon after seven O'Clock in
the morning people started for the
park, and towards noon the scene
on the Waikiki road was lively
one. The tramcars were crowded
to their utmost capacity, and the
busses and hacks were also largely
patronized, Hundreds of Peep
were to be seen on the top of Punch
bowl while a good many took posi-
ton on the slopes of Diamond Head.
The spectators at the Park were
composed Of all classes and the ut
most good order prevailed, notwith-
standing the disappointment.
Soon after two o'clock the Pro-
fessor commenced to make arrange
ments for the ascent. The balloon
was secured at the top by rope eX-
tending from two poles. a board
fence, some fifteen feet high, had
been erected to shelter the balloon
from the wind, which blew rather
strong during the afternoon. Prof.
Melville has an apparatus OF his
own for initiating the balloon. The
furnace was buried IN the ground
the balloon being supplied with the
gas through a funnel. y few
minutes before 4 o'clock when the
initiation was going on as nicely as
possible, Il rent about a foot long
was noticed near the top of the bal
loon with smoke issuing from it.
When this became generally known
there was a bitter disappointment
among the crowd and good many
people at once left for home. Mel
vile at first decided not to attempt
the ascension, but little later on
the rent was sewn up and initiation
again begun. The strong wind Sc
riously intcrfcreG with the work of
imitation. A few minutes before 6
O'Clock the balloon caught on fire
| and for a few moments until it was
| put out there was the liveliest kind
of scene. Fortunately no acct
dent occurred. a general rush for
home was now made by the crowd
as it was quite certain there would
be no ascension. The King and
Queen. Princesses LiliuOkalani and
Poomaikelani, Princes Kawanana-
koa and Kalanianaole, attended by
Mr.. and Mrs. }. w. Robertson were
in the Jockey Club stand during the
afternoon. The Hawaiian band
| played several selections.
OF course the crowd was disap-
pointed, and many expressions to
that effect were heard. No one felt
it more than Prof. Melville himself,
and he is bound to keep faith with
the public. Next Saturday he will
give free ascension from a central
position, and it is to be hoped that
the weather will be entirely favor
able. Prof. Melville has sent the
following letter for publication:
| To THE PUBLIC OF UoNoLULU:
By reason of several accidents
caused by uncomfortable circum-
stances, l was unable to make my
balloon ascension Saturday. / am
exceedingly sorry, for this was the
first time L ever failed to make a
successful ascension. The unusu-
ally strong winds that were blowing
(and which alone caused the fire and
damage, rendered it the greatest
difficulty to conduct the imitation.
However, in order that the pubic
may have an opportunity Of witucs-
sing one of my ascensions, | purpose
giving an exhibition from some pro-
minent point n the city, on next
Saturday afternoon-free to the en-
tire public, notice Of which wall be
given in the daily papers. AS tho
misfortune of Saturday was entirely
caused by accidents, | do not hold
myself in any way responsible OF
blamable, but, so that the public
may witness my exhibition, / will
give the free ascension above-mcn-
toned. EMIL l.. MELVILLE,
Aeronaut.