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

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that L thought should certainly be
thrown from my place. and. quickly
.seizing rope. tied myself In the car.
Then was threatened with suffoca-
tion from escaping gas, caused by over
flow from the open mouth of the balloon.
The sudden expansion made it pour out
upon me in a dense volume Fortu-
nateIy, was savei from this danger by
the violent action Of the wind, and was
enabled to catch lay breath as the car
was thrown out of line with the escap-
ing gas.
When the action had begun there was
no intermission; the electric fluid darted
hither and thither, the thunder was
crashing, and the balloon never had time
to come to a rest before it was whipped
off to another quarter.
Meanwhile the gas was escaping from
the valve at the top, as we'll as from the
mouth of the balloon, and this seemed
to make the situation still more critical,
for il ever a single electric spark had
come in contact with the gas nothing
could have saved the balloon from in
Simultaneous destruction.
The ordeal lasted, perhaps. twenty
minutes, but there was vast amount
of experience crowded into that space of
time, and it seemed as if the end would
never come. Fortunately position was
reached at last where a sudden cloud
burst, as it might well be called, broke
over the balloon, falling upon it with
such force as to bear it downward, and
from that time on until was out of the
clouds there was n. more trouble
This experience taught me that the
real source of the storm was to be found
at the very apex or top of the clouds,
where, for some reason, either because
of the degree Of cold to be found at such
heights, or possibly because of the cold
produced by the clouds own rapid ex-
pansion in the lighter atmosphere, or
maybe from both causes. the cloud sud-
denly collapses. changing from a light
fog-like mist to heavy rain drops.
1t must have been nearly two miles
down through the clouds, but, strangely
enough, / met with no more trouble
while in them. The lightning still
flashed and the thunder pealed, while
the falling torrent of rain made the sur
rounding mist resemble white horse
tails as it passed swiftly. BY I could
form no idea of how fast or in what di-
rection was travelling. had entered
the clouds while pursuing northeast
course, but when l. landed was going
in the opposite direction. The compass
was useless in the clouds; it would point
to the north, of course, but had no ssa-
tionary object to compare it with.
Before l was out of the clouds could
hear the roar of the wind and the falling
rain upon the earth below, and began
to feel anxious to know what kind of
country was likely to fall into Now,
when / was almost out there was round
hole to be seen in the clouds directly
under the car through which I could
look, like peering down well, and at
the bottom ! saw woods. In another
moment was out of the clouds and
coursing over them in real tornado.
1t was hardly any distance down from
the clouds to the trees, and / saw at
once that should have to take my
chances of getting down through them
in safety. Before reaching them cut
the balloon completely opea on one side
by means of cord called the rip line,n
to let the gas out quickly. and the next
instant my car was flying through tho
tree-t tops. Another moment and the bal
loon partly covered tree, the netting
holding to the limbs so as to let the car
down by little jogs to within foot