St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-10-15
A JOURNEY IN MID-AIR.
Interesting Description of Recent Trip
in a Balloon.

Interesting Description of a Recent Trip
in Balloon.
Correspondence of the CALEDoNIAN]
There was nothing perilous, moth
ing exciting, to mark the trip from
start to finish. The conditions were
perfect, and the circums tances afford
ed all one could desire who wished
to make an aerial journey. A clear
blue sky, unlocked by single cloud,
a gentle wind to watt you along, a
veteran of 200 ascensions, calm, cool
and collected, to pilot the excursion;
and last, but by no means least, two
fair young ladies, ten and fifteen years
respectively, for "Compagnons du
Voyage"
The ascension was advertised to
take place at Pemigewasset trotting
park, Plymouth, N. H., the after
noon of Sept. 80, under the supervi-
sion of those well-known aeronaut,s
Messrs. James and James K. Allen of
Providence, r. l., the latter to make
the ascent accompanied by two of
his daughters. Through the cour-
tesv of the Messrs. Allen, the writer
Of the party.
Everything worked splendidly and
at 2 D. M, when the young ladies
presented themselves prettily attired
for the start, the initiation was COM
plete, and there remained only to at
tach the basket, take on the anchor
and drag ropes, and put in the neces-
sarv ballast of sand. This last COM
pleted, at go Mr. Allen took his
position on the coiled anchor and
drag ropes in the hoop overhead. and
my young companions and myself
stepped into the basket underneath.
The latter, made of light willow and
only 24x3O inches, looked rather
small for three persons, even though
they were not of the largest type,
and might have proved so but for an
unfortunate circumstance at the last
minute, that came near causing a
repetition of failure to "go up" on
the writer's part two years previous
at ST. Johnsbury-the balloon could
not take ALL To the kindness of the
older daughter, who had made hall
a score of ascensions previously and
who generously relinquished her
place to me, 1 am deeply indebted
for the pleasurable experiences of my
initial trip.
At precisely 2.45 p. m. the signal
was given to ''let CO." and the beau
tiful air ship, that for the last hour
had tugged and fretted at the bags
of sand that held it to the ground
rose gracefully and so silently, that
the earth seemed rather to leave us
than we it. The ascent was nearly
perpendicular The wind that haC
been blowing nearly to the time o
starting, gradually lessened, and {
short distance up died out alto
gether. The Concord railroad tract
stretching north in a straight line tt
Rumney, eight miles distant, rose to
wards us from the farther end like /;
narrow ladder upturned from tn
ground, the nearer hills sank slowl,
down, while those higher behin'
came slowly up, only to give plac
in turn to others farther on, till ia
to the northwest the White Noun
tain range doomed grandly up AM
bounded our vision in that direction
To the south, Lake Winnipesaukee
so thickly dotted with its hundred
of islands that it had the appearance
of large inundated meadow, who's
waters receeding, left scattered owe
its surface, numberless patches of ris
ing ground. In the hazy distance
Laconia and Lake Village, wit
Weirs, Meredith and Ashland intel
vening; to the southwest, the Penn
gewasset river wound in and GU
among the hills like narrow ban