The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-01-09
A WILD RIDE.

The VOXAGE Of A bALlOON1C1 In a
THUNDERSTORM.
The experiences of an eronaut are not
all of roseate hue, for now and then he
has an adventure that taxes his courage
and endurance to the utmost. The most
beautiful day may close with storm in
which he may be enveloped, his course
may bear him unexpectedly out upon
the ocean or the lakes. OF into some vast
wilderness, and sometimes his escape
appears almost miraculous.
am requested to give the Eight
O'clock club description of an en-
counter with thunderstorm, which
will, think, prove the statement have
just made.
First will tell you something of
thunderstorm that had an opportunity
of observing at distance, as it will help
you 10 understand what follows, and
then / will describe what occurred in
one that caught me III its clutches.
In the first instance my balloon was
afloat early in the morning and cours-
ing eastwardly through the State Of
Ohio toward the Pennsylvania State
line and the Allegheny mountains.
There was photographer and two or
three others in my party, all of whom
were intent on securing pictures of
magnificent bank of clouds lying off to
| the south Of us and drifting in the same
, direction as ourselves
While thus engaged we noticed that
the upper portion-fully one-half-of
the clouds began to rise, the lower half
remaining stationary. The ascent of the
cloud was as rapid as that of balloon,
and we watched it with much interest.
When the extreme height had been
reached the upper cloud projections sud-
denly disappeared as if they had been
nipped off in some way. A flash of
lightning accompanied the disappear
ance, and we guessed at once that we
were observing the beginning of
thunderstorm. Then we naturally
watched 10 see If any rain fell through
the clouds, and, sure enough, in just
about the time we thought it would take
for it to get down we saw it descending
from the lower portion of the cloud.
But the cloud did not stop rising,
though it could never get any higher,
| for every time the projections were dis
solved or collapsed - whatever you
choose to call 1.-THE lightning played
and the distant thunder rumbled so that
the storm, after once making a begin
ming, kept right on to the end.
1t was plain that the lightning was
caused BY the escaping electricity pre-
viously hell by the collapsed portions Of
the cloud, and it was equally evident
! that the electric fluid was instantly abb
sorbed by the great body Of cloud re-
manning. Then again it was pretty cer-
tain that at that rate the rest of The
cloud would soon be owe charged, and
when it had as much electricity as it
would hold the earth below would be
apt to take it from the cloud. and in
doing so that somebody or something
might be struck by lightning.
For hours we watched the gradual
| disappearance of the upper portion of
the cloul until at last it was nearly all
gone, leaving the lower portion still in
its place, floating along as quietly as any
other cloud. During all the time we
were racing with this storm we sue
ceeded in keeping at distance and so
had no unpleasant experience with it.
The other ascension, to which will
now refer. was made one summer after
noon, some years ago, from the city of
Burlington, Iowa. Half past four
o'clock was the time fixed upon for the
start, and, as it happened, just then there
was a thunderstorm coming down the
line of the Mississippi river. 1t was al
ready in plain sight and declined TAX
ing any passengers, but hastened to get
away myself. hoping to avoid the
threatening storm by rising above it,
You would naturally suppose that by
starting ahead of the storm the balloon
would keep In advance of it, but on the
contrary found, on rising, that the air
was rushing toward the clouds and that
if would escape must hasten to rise
above them. tried hard to accomplish
this, but without avail.
| However, as had succeeded in get
ting above the black and angry-looking
front of the storm. congratulated my
self on having escaped that portion and
was deluded with the belief that in the
light gray cloud above there was no
danger.
1t was just seven minutes and half
from the time of leaving the ground un-
til was submerged in the cloul. The
cloud was nothing but dense fog, yet it
inclosed the balloon and myself az
closely as stone wall. Still 1t was not
dark, and the lightning's glare gave the
balloon the appearance of being on fire.
did not regard these threatening as
poets much, as the flashes appeared
harmless, sad the ascent was so rapid
that l felt confident of soon reaching
and passing ouS of the top of the clouds;
but in this waS greatly mistaken. In
fact. it is doubtful whether, after once
being enveloped by the cloud, 1t would
have been possible to escape from it in
that way. and it would have been bet
ter, perhaps, if had managed to keep
the balloon lower down, so that should
have ridden along with it till it was ex-
hausted.
This storm had the same characteris-
tics as the one I had seen in Ohio; the
clouds were ascending in the same man.
ner, no doubt large portions hein { sud,
denly condensed at its upper surface,
every moment forming more or less Of
vacuum. causing the surrounding air to
rush in. and in my case carrying the
balloon right to the very spot where the
war Of elements was the greatest
The thunder grew louder. till 1t was
almost deafeninq but than I saw thar IL