The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-04
BaLLoONING IN MANY LANDS.

The Queer Experiences of Aeronaut Wells
on the Other Side of the Globe.
DR. Rufus Gibson Wells, the famous aero
naut, has an aerial experience covering a
period Of thirty years, during which time
he made over 500 aScents in every country
In Europe, in the United States, India,
Australia and Brazil. Notable among these
were at the marriage of Princess Isabella
to the Count d'Eu in Brazil, the fetes given
In honor Of the Prince of Wales in India,
the imperial assemblage at Delhi, the cor
onation fetes of the car at Moscow and st.
Petersburg, and the Paris exposition. his
trunks are filed with valuable presents
from kings, princes and rulers in all parts
of the world.
On Oct. 5, 1870 DR.. Wells contracted with
the French government to make balloon
for the purpose of taking Gen. Bazaine out
of Metz. During the Franco-Prussian war
the doctor constructed balloons for both
governments. He made two ascents from
Rome for the benefit of the poor of the
Eternal City" after making the most re-
markable aerial voyage with the Montgol-
fer balloon related in history This journey
was over the Apennine mountains, from
Rome to Benevento. which is situated al
most forty miles from Mount Vesuvius.
my experiences in India, " said the aero
naut, were very pleasant. At Lucknow a
Parsee merchant named Horniesjes gave
me 1900 rupees for an ascent. he made
money on the gate receipts, however. At
Allahabad made captive ascensions, En-
gishmen and natives paying SO head to
ascend. also went up for the king of
BhnYtpore, rising from the famous kings
garden. He is very affable The king Of
Cashmere was much delighted with my
entertainment. Cholera appeared and the
king went away. He afterward sent mo
valuable presents, including a bag of
money and cashmere shawl forsmy wife.
The king of Trsvancore gave me from his
own finger ring set with nine large dia-
monds. The king of Cochin China was
present at this occasion. He gave me
dress of gold and silver an elephant tusk
worth 500, sandalwocd box containing
gifts and 100 rupees, besides which bis
prime minister and other wealthy people
presented to me a flag with the kings coat
of arms"
'FYou have manufactured many bal
loons'" asked the reporter.
ooh, yes. / made a new one at Bluert-
pore, which was painted with the heraldic
blazonry of the maharajsh. He desired me
to carry up an elephant and selected
suitable one. When The balloon was near
II inflated the pachyderm broke away and
escaped Tie mahsEajah tbereupon sent
Us to his private palace at Deeg, where for
three days we rosmed through the beauti-
full gardens, and at night slept on the
dovny beds which had been occupied by
his queens"
Have you been at Benares, the old holy
city,"
"At Benares are nearly thousand tenn
Piles, representing many faiths. l visited
the Monkey temple. In the Golden temple
is stone as big as An ostrich's egg with a
hole in it. Through this stone rice and
sweetmeats are fed When | entered they
garlanded me with flowers. as is customary,
expecting gratuity. A priest who was
tanning the stone told me it was warm;
that it was god and could feel like a hu-
man being.
THE rajah at Benares agreed to give me
800 to make an ascent just at the close OF
the rainy season. used the same balloon
as in 1854 at the marriage Of Dom Pedro's
daughter When the day for the ascent
arrived the balloon was 10 need OF recosting
with varnish. Il WIS recsated and laid
upon the grass to dry. The rajah had in
vrted many princes The nxxt morning at
Initiating time the balloon was found full
of holes, thousands of .Ehite ants having
eaten through it. Il took two days to repair
the damage, and tAs s<eeat WIS abandoned.
"At Batavia, on the island Of Java,
made two rednarksb8e asce1ss, the first ever
made there. At SaxnneaEg I could get no
gas, and tie ads1trirS THOUSANDS could
simply Eass 1t ace balloen was 81 Lyons
buying silk when GesBhebsa escaped from
Paris, u Bouree. secretary CT tn. defence
hsvi1G contracted with me 20
conseT1ct the frss ci-ar shaped balloon
erer made Il was IT6 feet IN length, the
SILK costing $500 Ny idea az q successful
balloon ID enc cigar shaped, to carry ten
or twenty horse power engine. snd run q
screw for propulsion when the air currents
are uufavorable Electricity. however, is
best, there being no vHSae Of power
On Nov Il, 1874. Dr.. Wells made bis third
ascension At Paris, accompanied By VIII
ian J. Hammer, Nj Edisoc's reprsseHtA-
tive e ne exPosnton, and. carrying 9
they drcP7sd mszsa-gss 20 the
RSSrnb led shsrszEEiz bei5w, They were the
first "zesszgss from shs cSouds" n history.