The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-05-16
Qbe Snttlliotnter.
ONCE, Nos, M and RI Fourteenth Street,
QYER THE DESERT.

" LII ILL uuuull1s
In the Issues Of the Bombay papers {
June !, 8 and OF the year 1862 will b
found reports OF Prof. Mazam and hi
balloon, The Princess, and accounts OF
successful ascension, and each day there
after for the next ten days the papers II
corded the fact that "up 10 this tim
nothing has yet been heard Of the tw
men who made tho ascent on the ID ms,
turned up in Bombay in May Of III
year recorded, after 4 year and half II
other portions OF India, and very sooI
thereafter 1t was announced In the paper
that "Prof. Mazam, the celebrated Frencl
aeronast, would soon make m ascension
from the public garlens." Three or iou
days later ran across the professor, an,
| was gratiiied and surprised 10 find hiu
to be none other than in old frient
whom had travelled with in China. Ii,
was IN English.speaking Frcnchmal
who had seen the whole world and taker
IN az sorts OF adventures, ard had pur
chased the balloon OF Il genuine aeronaul
who had reached Bombay with the idea
OF giving ascensions In all the large,
towns In the country. The aeronaut haL
fallen sick, been deapoiled Of his cash
and he sold his balloon TO Mazam and
quit tho country in disgust. Mazam was
now going into ballooning for the adj
ventures 1t might bring, and when he
invited me to make the first trip will,
him was not five seconds In giving hin,
my promise. %
TIE third OF June was a fete day, and
the city was filled with an immense
crowd. The balloon was new, very strong
and Mazlm had plans beyond mere
ASCENSION. We packed the car with
provisions enough to last a week, took
long rifles, revolvers and ammunition, and
made all preparations for q long journey.
The prevailing winds In bombay from
May to July are from the south, or up
tho Arabian sea, and 80 wo privately
counted Oh being waited inland perhaps
to the Turkish boundary. Tho people
In general had the idea that we would
descend within few miles OF the town,
and more than score Of men came for
ward and volunteered TO make the trim
with US. Without her burden of bag.
gage, the balloon could easily have car.
ried live or six men. AS it was, she shot
up like bird when all was ready to
let 90, and in a few seconds the
city and its harbor were far below us.
We at once started on our inland Jour
ney, taking pace Of about fifteen miles
an hour, and for three hours everything
worked smoothly and well. We made
the ascent at aharp2. At o'clock we
met counter current OF air from the
north, and in five minutes the balloon
had begun to drive back to the south.
Ballastwas thrown out, and We lcaped up
to find the current still stronger above.
We then settled down US near the earth
as it was safe TO 20, but still wo drove
back over our course. Seeing that we
had to 90, ballast was flung out to give
US higher altitude, and we moved to
the northwest at the rate OF ten miles M
hour. In an hour we could discern the
sea and its coast line, and as evening
came we left the land aud lowered over
the Gulf OF Cambay. This was the last
seen Of the balloon or shore. Tl
While Mazam had never made an as.
cension before, 10 say nothing OF the
management Of balloon, he had no
difficulty in handlin. it, and neither OF
US was at all timid. 1t wa5 Il serious
matter to find the balloon sailing out to
sea, but we ate our supper ut an altitude
OF half mile and hoped for change
Of wind. At about 10 o'clock, our pro.
gress then being not over ten miles an
hour, and a sort OF fog shutting out
Of sight everything below us, went to
sleep. Mazam was to arouse me Mt -
or to 60 on watch, but at sunrise both
OF US opened our eyes and turned out
at the came moment. He had fallen
asleep soon after I did, and the balloon
had been lett to take care OF itself. The
compass showed her to be heading due
west at gentle pace, but in another
half hour she might have been in the
sea, everything being saturated and
heavy with dew. We were down
where We could plainly make out sew.
eral steamers and sailing craft, and
the balloon was evidently an object OF
great curiosity TO the people on toard OF
them. Ballast was thrown out until We
reached al altitude Of about 1000 feet
above the sea, and the sun soon dried
the dew and rendered the balloon very
buoyant. During the entire day, which
was a very pleasant one, our craft took
sole care OF herself, never varying over
fifty feet in her altitude. and driving go
steadily that one had but to shut his ewes
to imagine she was standing still. Wien
night came We added 500 feet 10 our alti.
tude, as al offset to tho dew, and as the
weather was fine we both lay down to
sleep. I awoke twice during the night,
but to find all quiet, and when turned
out just at sunrise it was to find the
Arabian coast almost under our feet. AS
soon as the sun had dried the dew we
descended until not more than 1000 feet
above the land, and then we made out u
very bleak and sterile country under our
feet. We were on the northeastern edge
OF the Arabian desert, and it was good
hour before we saw any signs Of civiliza.
ton.
If our air ;sllip had lost any great
amount OF gas up to this time we could
not perceive it. We had no sooner left
the water than the breeze began to sub.
side, md our pace was reduced to five or
ak miles al hour. We knew;that couu-
ter current would soon be met with, aud
both were looking over the edge OF the
basket ut the moving panorama below,
when We suddenly espied n native vii
lage. 1t was, rather, the camp Of some
wandering tribe, all the shelters being Of
CANVAS or skin. We saw camels, asses,
goats and horses, with many people
moving about, and We had only got sight
OF them when they saw US. Some fell
down and others ran away, and VIC were