St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-10-15


which were woven patterns OF every
hue by the bright autumn foliage.
All around was scene of surprising
loneliness, the enjoyment of which
was enhanced by the view being un-
obstructed. You see it as the bird
sees it.
For the first few minutes scarcely
a word was spoken. My petite
companion, the care of whom had
been intrusted to me by her mother
on parting, sat in the bottom of the
basket apparently rapt in the con-
stantly changing panorama below;
like myself, this was her first expert
ence in aerial navigation, and as we
had nothing to do but trust to the
staunch air ship to carry us safely,
and the experienced navigator above
to guide US, we were determined to
make the most of it. In the meantime
we had drifted some two miles, and
nearly over the village of Plymouth.
The sea of upturned faces that
watched us from the fair ground had
given place to a small dark patch on
the ground, like splash of ink; the
eliptica1 track had dwindled to the
size of walk surrounding a flower
bed; the buildings looked like chill
dren's playing blocks. Then we
struck a current of air that carried
us along a little faster pace, and
changed our course more westerly
The stiffness was broken by the
professor asking me to assist him in
letting down the drag rope, some
$50 feet in length, which was done
hand over hand, to avoid any sudden
strain or jerk on the hoop or basket.
This being accomplished, we turned
our faces in the direction we were
tending.
To the oft repeated question, chow
did you feel" let me say briefly, in
nowise as perhaps your nervous ap-
prehension suggested. If you are a
thinking person and susceptible to a
feeling of danger when exposed to it.
an element in ones make up that
generally contributes to a keener en-
joyment of any pleasure that in
wolves risk, perhaps you recall the
fact that you could not walk near
the overhanging jet of a building
without a feeling of insecurity; not
dizzy, but with sadly weakening
knees. You may have assembled some
high interior, like the dome of the
Capitol at Washington, and peering
over the high, strong barrier circling
the rotundar, down onto the pave
ment underneath shrunk back with
the feeling all was going from under
you; or looking down the smooth
shaft of some high monument the
creeps that ran through your body
contributed anything but pleasure
to the view Doubtless you won.
dered if the same would obtain when
far above the earth's surface In
empty space, unable to step out anc
let the huge bubble go along without
you. Of course you could ride, but
might not the trial be punishment
All these con urings are set at rest
the minute the balloon cuts free from
the earth, and you feel no more dis
turbed than if you were comfortably
sitting in your hammock. The sen
sation on rising is similar to that ex
perienced in an elevator, less thu
hemmed in feeling contributed by thu
walls of the elevator shaft.)
The highest elevation reached wa
about one mile, and as we slowly
drifted along it reminded you of be
ing in a boat upon a clear ant
motionless lake, with no oars to pro
pei the craft-dependent alone upo1
the tickle breeze to make any pro
gress, and as equally uncertain as tt
direction You lean over the edge o
the basket and look directly unde
you into space infinitely more trans
parent than water, but very like /
in effect-the upturned branches AM
bending tops of the tall trees far be
low you, perfect picture of wavin:
reeds and grasses springing up fror
the lake bottom. Every motion
associated with that of boat, onl
you can't capsize it. Reaching GU
between the ropes, you wave a fla
however gently and the baske
swings to correspond. A change {
, direction was first indicated by
slow rotary motion the air actin
on the disc as it entered the current