Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-22
EXPLOITS IN THE AIR.
Jefries the First to Make Balloon
Ascensi0ns for Science.
THE ENGLISH CHANNEL CROSSED.
The Greatest Height Ever SCARED by Air.
ship Is Seven Miles.
FIRST FATAL ACCIDENT WAS IN 17S5


ceived q serious setback in Boston, as a n
suit of the fatal ascension on the Fourth O
July. The city fathers have, one by one
in the privacy of their castles, resolve
that they never again will give their cor
sent to any exhibition or any form of rapi
transit, especially aerial, that puts huma
lives in jeopardy, says a writer in the Bo.
ton Herald
Possibly their sensibilities, or those {
their successors, if such be chosen, may b
less acute next year, when the question q
the Fourth of July programme comes uu
than they are now, but if not the crowd
who gather on the Common in 1898 viii
strain their eyes in vain for the swayin:
airship and its venturesome pilot.
As much as the death of the veteran
aeronaut and his unfortunate assistant is Il
be regretted, the accident, in face of its OBJ
vious and preventable causes, ought not t,
be given too great weight in, computing th,
risks of aerial navigation.
Lives Lost in All Other Ventures.
A public that has learned to read the dis
asters that follow in the train of excursion
tric motor, and still retains Liberal measure
of charity for those who are dealing with
the problems of transportation on land and
water, ought not to be too censorious if now
and then life is lost by those who are ex.
perimenting with locomotion in another
element
Aeronautics have had an interest for Bos-
tonians for more than a century. 1t was 8
nv Tah ahn Taff fofh fhay
of Dr. B. Joy Jeffries, of this city, who, in
January, 1885, crossed the English channel
in balloon. This was the first ascent ever
made for scientific purposes.
DR.. Jeffries said: 81 wished to see the
following points more clearly determined:
First, the power of ascending or descend
ing at pleasure while suspended and float
ing in the air; second, the effect which oars
or wings might be made to produce toward
the purpose, and in directing the course of
the balloon; third, the state and tempera-
ture of the atmosphere at different heights
from the earth; fourth, by observing the
varying course of the currents of air or
winds at certain elevations to throw some
new light on the theory of winds in
general"
DR.. Jeffries Makes His Preparations.
DR.. Jeffries took with him a thermome-
ter a barometer, a hydrometer, pocket
electrometer a mariners compass and
other appliances. The barometer was new,
made for The purpose by Jones, of London,
and graduated down to 18 inches. The
refreshments included wine, one bottle of
which was brought to Boston, where Queen
Victoria's father helped to drink it under
circumstances. As Duke of
Kent he was visiting in Boston and at
tended the wedding of Nancy Won Geyer,
a celebrated beauty, and Mr.. Rufus
Greene Armory. The Duke, by virtue of
his rank, was first to kiss the bride, and
afterward partook of the wine his physi-
clan, DR.. Jeffries, had sent to honor the
occasion. Afterward DR.. Jeffries' son, DR..
j ohm Jeffries, married the daughter of Mr..
Armorv, the mother of the present DIR. B.
JOY Jeffries.
1t was this DR.. Jeffries whom the Herald
reporter found Yesterday at No. Is Chestnut
street, where the sign, CDR. Jeffries," has
remained for more than a century. The
house is full of the relics of DR.. Jeffries'
eyenttul voyage across the channel.
my grandiather's diary" said DR.. JEFF
fries, ''notes that he started from Dover,
England, across the channel with NJ Blanch-
ard as a companion at 1 o'clock January z,
1855.
Tho First Fatal Accid ent the Same Year.
''They had a yerv successful voyage, and at
3:15 the same afternoon landed in the wood
of Guines in France, about II miles from
the sea. A monument has since been
erected to mark the spot. A banquet was
given to the aeronauts in honor of the event,
and 100 years later the aerial VOYAGE was
again celebrated in the same hall where Dr.
Jefiries was dined."
1t is remarkable that, following close
upon this successful achievement of Dr.
Jefries, in the very same year, came the
first fatal accident connected with balloon
ing. Pilatre de Rodier and Romaine Laine
attempted to cross from France to England
in hydrogen balloon under which hot-air
3, 900 feet both balloons got afre, and the
fell upon the rocks near the
French coast.
These two ascensions in 1855, one conduct
ed with care and successful, and the other
without proper precautions and fatal, are
IN epitome of all the events that the subse-
luent century has seen.
1t cannot be denied, however, that even
with all the precautions that science and
experience can suggest, ballooning is q
dangerous pastime. If very generally fol-
lowed, life insurance companies would find
it necessary to put balloon clause in their
policies
Big Record of Successful Ascents.
NJ Blanchard, DR.. Jefrles' companion,
made 66 successful ascents, one being in |
New York in 1876. Nine Blanchard. how
ever, was not SO fortunate. She attempted |
IN ascent alone from Paris in 1919 with |
;ome fireworks, when her balloon ignited |
ind she was dashed to pieces in the rue de |
Provence.
Mr.. Green, the English aeronaut, presum-
lbly a relative of owbridge's ''Dar1us
Green, whose songs "were of Luther, or
umthin' or nuther," was in the balloon
business Sc years, and during that time he
made nearly 1,400 ascents, crossing the
hannel three times and falling into it
vice. His best journey was from London
o Weilburg on the continent, distance of |
100 miles, covered in 18 hours.
Although this beats anything done bv his
American namesake of flying machine"
anne, 1t is still true that another Ameri-
an, Mr.. John Wise, has done even better
n July, 1859, in company with Mr. John
"a Mountain and Mr.. HYDE, st. Louis
ewspaper reporter, he travelled ], 150 miles,
rom ST. Louis to Henderson, n. Y, in 10
Iours so minutes, or at an average speed of
early mile per minute This balloon
Fas of oiled silk Of about 80, 600 cubic feet
spacity.
it is painful to record that both Mr.. Wise
nd Mr.. La Mountain, the heroes of this
erial voyage, met an unhappy fate at a
ubsequent venture La Mountain was !
ashed in pieces. Wise rose from ST. Louis
q company with q reporter named Burr.
Two Famous Aeronauts Are Lost.
The wind was high and favorable for q
ong voyage, and SO they continued on, not
airing to land even if they had wished to do
D. Night overlook them with no abate-
lent in the gale, and tbeNwere swept along