The Somerset reporter., 1891-08-06


make ascensions. and the following
from the Newburypoet, Mass. Morning
Herald of July, 1891, tells OF an interest
ing event to occur at that time. Tha
Herald says:
Prof. James Allen and sou have en-
CaCements to make balloon ascensions
from Chicago, at the New England Fair
to be held ut Worcester, and the Eastern
State Fair at Bangor, Me. A wedding in
the skies will probably lake place ut the
latter city.
OF Prof Allen and his balloon life, the
St, Johnsbury, Republican has this to
say
"Todny ia my ffty-sixth Dirt hday,"
says the veteran aeronant James X. Allen,
OF Providence, K. l., yesterday, just be-
fore his balloon went up, "aDd this is my
three hundred and fifteenth ascension.
All our family are aeronants-there are
five OF us-and all together we have made
more than seven hundred ascensions."
NV hen did you make your first ascen-
sion?p queried the reporter.
"ln 1885, in Providence. From child
hood ballooning had been hobby with
me and / have made a theoretical study
Of it for many years. My principal rea-
son for adopting it as a business, how
ever was that my lungs were weak and 1
believed it would be a good thing for
them-and so it has proved. 1t effected
a complete cure"
"Dld you ever meet with an accident
in your ballooning?"
"Never but once. That WIS three years
ago, in Hsverhill. There was a heavy
gale and as my balloon bounded from the
earth it was dashed against the side OF
/ "a / l.
collar bone and couple of my ribs.
That was the only accident | ever suffered
in all my ballooning. | may add that
my experience includes three years in the
Union army in the war for the Union
and after the close OF the war, three
in he BRAZILIAN army, as balloonist."
MIR. Allen is a we'll preserved man and
his physical condition goes to show that
ballooning is healthful occupation. He
is spare and as straight as an arrow, his
only noticeable popularity being ire
mendously big moustache as white as
snow. He is an exceedingly pleasant
man to meet and has an inexhaustible
store Of entertaining stories connected
with ballooning.
Tho balloon is a beauty, like all ball
looms. 1t is bran-ne and its manufac-
ture calls for 426 yards of the best cotton
cloth. Think OF a sack requiring 425
yards OF cloth 1t required 5000 cubic
feet OF gas to initiate it and to make the
gas called for 1900 pounds each of sui
phuric acid and iron filings. The great
diameter of the gas bag is "a feet and
from the bottom of the basket TO the
top Of the balloon is about rs feet. With
coal gas, Mr.. Allen says this balloon will
carry only one man besides the aeronaut;
but with hydrogen gas it will carry with
good weather) four persons. The anchor
weighed just 40 pounds and attached to
this piece of metal was a rope 100 feet
long. Besides the balloon carries 500
feet Of spare drag ropes, for people to
catch mold OF when the balloon nears the
earth. The basket is a fragile look ing
affair, measuring only about two and a
half by three feet; and paratively
few people would like to risk themselves
in it between earth and heaven. Mr.
Allen says, however, that in all his ex-
perience he never knew one of his pas
engers to be frightened AS the balloon
bounds up to the sky there is apt to be
a gasp and a catching OF breath, just as
when one takes plunge into cold water;
but after that there is nothing but in
tense pleasure at the magnificent view
The trapeze performer accompanying
Mr.. Allen was Edwin Barnet, VINO, like
the aeronaut, halls from Providence. He
is young, athlete man, but is compare
lively a beginner as a balloonist, this be-
ing only his fourth ascension.
81 have practised the trapeze from early
boyhood," said Mr. Barnet to the re-
reporter, "and have always been thor
oughly in love with the business. Dan
ger? No more danger doing the trapeze
with balloon than anywhere else. Then,
again, am something OF fatalist. liza
man is born to be killed by a trapeze ac-
cident, why, he can't evade his destiny.
What is to happen will happen, and some
men are born to hung and others to be
drowned, and SO on.'
"But did you not feel trifie shaky
when you made your irst ascension?"
"Not Il bit of it. You know when the
balloon bounds up into the air it seems
to n person in it just as though the bal
loon were stationary and the earth had
suddenly dropped down. Then the
grandeur OF the scenery and the sense OF
flying through the air absorb all your
thoughts, and there is no sensation OF
danger"
The ascension was set for 3 O'Clock, but
1t was just four when the balloon started
on its voyage to the moon. In the mean
time the immense crowd-and it was so
big that it well deserves the term immense
-breathed hydrogen gas with great ap-
parent satisfaction, and guessed which
man was the ascensionist. Some OF the
guesses were q trihe wild, as lot OF the
visitors got it into their heads that the
efficient Secretary OF the Agricultural So
ciety was the trapeze performer, which
was a great misconception.
At O'Clock everything was in readi-
ness, Mr.. Allen gave tho word, and slow
ly and grandly the balloon swept into the
air, furnishing spectacle truly magnifi-
cent. 1t rose in nearly straight line for
short distance and then, still rising,
was swept gently in a southwesterly di-
rection and finally disappeared in the
west AS the big ship went up, Mr..
Allen stood leaning over the edge of the
basket with highly unconcerned air and
Mr.. Barnet grasped his trapeze and pro
ceeded to perform all sorts of athletic
feats from the giddy perch. 1t was
enough to make spectators blood run
cold Most people wouldn't go up in a
balloon for a warrantee deed OF the whole
OF Caledonia county, much less go up
hanging to trapeze.
Gradually the balloon dwindled in size
finally it appeared about the size of au
orange and appeared-passing below
the horizon in just half an hour from the
start.
Each year, when he has been at Bar
HsSbor Hon. James g. Blaine has been
spectator to the Eastern Mama Stata Fair