The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-12-27
%RxpERIRNcE
How !. rssI. o . ~ l,alleea parlaE .

~
How'll Feels % % IN balloon During a
Thunder5torn.
s. LotS Gobt.psmoeat
OF all imaginable balloon experiences
the most terrific is to befound within
the limits of a violent thunderstorm
says Prof. s. "A. King. Like mo stothers,
L believe that a balloon coaldeastly rise
above such a terrific thing as that, 50
one day when the good folk Of Bur
lington, Ia, turned out and kissed their
hands. and futteredthe handkerchieis
as my balloon rose in the face OF g last
approaching storm, was not at all con-
cerned as to the consequences.
The thunder growled and vivid
flashes Of lightning showed plainly
enough what was coming. IL soon be-
came apparent that the balloon was.
bound 10 meet the storm half way, aud
yet IL was rising 80 fastlthat it seemed
sure to 20 clear. But somehow the.
higher clouds reached over and took
the balloon in out Of sight, The clouds
flushed momentarily with crimson lire
aud the thunder's tones were booming.
like the cannon's roar. The barometer
still showed increasing height, but be.
gan to feel uneasy and kept looking up.
ward for a break in the clouds, unt1l.at
last it began to grow lighter, and ]
thought that in q moment more the
balloon would be, soaring high above
the danger.
There was Just then IN ontnous still
ness in tho air, followed by an appalling.
explosion that streaked the cloud with
binding electric fire and snatched the
balloon at cannon-bnll speed-strange
that it was not tornlt to fragments. n
air was rushing, tossing and turning 1t
about like a lead; flirting the car from
sideto side SO violently that there actu-
ally seemed to be danger Of its being
thrown clear over the balloon, and l
hastily caught To- hanging rope and
tied myself in.
To add5to the misery Of tho situation
the gas had expanded at the very first
TO overlooking and continued pouring
down in volumes on my head. i held
the valve open constantly, but It seenl-
ed to have no effect, and for awhile aut-
location appeared almost certain. From
the moment of the first seizure there
was no respite; one explosion followed
another IN quick succession; every mo-
ment the electric fluid was darling hith-
er aud thither, while escape from fire
with such q body Of infamahle gas
seemed impossible. All efforts proved
fruitless until a collapse Of the cloud
occurred Immediately overhead, when
the torrent of rain carried the balloon
down with it
From the scene OF commotion to the
earth al q distance Of two miles,
through which the balloon swiftly de-
scended. The storm still ragged above,
but the rain cleaying the cloudtn white
lines all above me wasthe only appar.
ent movement during the descent. 1t
was a restful lull after the frighttulcon-
fusion, but knew there was more to
come. Araging tempest is mot the gen.
,tlest conductor to a ,safe harbor, and}as
the clouds opened a sight met my eye
that was not at all consollne. l was
pitching pell-mell into a forest that
was thrashing wildly in the storm OF
wind andlrain. There was no haltingor
'indecision about the matter.
Right down into the woods the car
went, andthrough the tops Of half a
dozen ttrees;'then the collapsing cord
had done its work. Tho netting caught
in the branches, and the car fell by easy
Jerks to within a foot Of the ground.
Stepping out on terra frma, / caught a
piece Of tornSballoon that came floating
down. and, drawing it over my head,
sat upon a tumpt to wait until the rain
was. over. There was little left Of the
balloon, but the man was lust as good
as ever,