The Portland daily press., 1893-10-05
PROF. KINGS BALLOON TRIP.
The Areonaut Wasn't Scared and Thinks
He Wasn't in Danger.

The Areonaut Wasn't Scared and Thinks
| He Wasn't in Danger.
Professor Samuel A. King, the aeron-
aut, whose exploit in balloon on Lake
Michigan last Friday week brought out
the report of his death and that of his
female companion by drowning, arrived
in Philadelphia yesterday morning by
way of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.
Professor King is very much surprised
at the publicity which has beensgiven the
now famous aerial voyage, as he did not
consider himself to the slightest extent
in danger at any time during the voyage.
"Why," said he, it all turned out just
as planned it and expected it to turn
out, and it astonishd me to see how the
newspapers turned it into sensation
the Chicago papers especially"
At the time that the newspaper cores
pondents were industriously working the
telegraph wires with the startling &C
counts of the Professors death, he was
sleeping soundly in his bed at the Chi
cago Hotel, unmindful that his adven-
ture had caused any more than ordinary
notice. Indeed, to show how utterly
unconscious he was that his pleasant
little trip" had caused any excitement,
he did not think it worth while to tele-
graph to his family in this city the re-
suit of the voyage until the following
morning, and then he merely stated that
he had had an enjoyable sail over Lake
Michigan. The Professor is just little
bit angry at the correspondents for
Z hi,r,r off ir,h 11On hack headlines
without thoroughly investigating the
story first.
It am very fond of adventure" he said
Yesterday, land love that which en-
counter in my balloon ascensions; but
never take any reckless chances.
If had been reckless would have att
tempted to sail clear across the lake on
Friday, and then it is possible, but only
possible, that would have Encountered
some difficulty, but only on account OF
the shrinkage of the gas in the balloon,
which would have followed the setting
Of the SUM- Thought of this, and con-
sequently sailed only about thirty miles
OUT"
Wasn't your position little precarious
for a timer" he was asked.
Not bit of it. l knew we were per-
fectly safe and expected just what hap
pened I'll tell you how scared we were.
1t was quite dark at the time, but the
moon now and then came out from be-
hind the clouds, and Miss Boies and my
self occupied our time eating the lunch
we took with us. Does that look as
though we were scared?" he asked, with
twinkling eye.
when we started upon Friday the
strong shore current drove us inland.
Then, after time, we were carried
out over the lake for distance OF about
thirty miles, when we dropped down a
IiftIo onH ootohipo f.ha inland current,
again. were carried shoreward, using the
drag-rope as we went along to keep us
balanced We never dreamt of danger,
because there wasn't any. The young
lady, who, by the way, has lots of grit,
amused herself by singing. Once or
twice we touched water, while at other
times we were 20 or Is feet above it. We
didn't even get our feet wet, and as to
danger, the balloon could have collapsed
entirely and we would haev hoated
along with the ease and agility of a duck
because had taken the precauion al
ways take Of providing my balloon with
life preservers These are of my own
make, and consist of ordinary fruit cans
sealed Theoretically, and placed in cam
vas case, which / lash aorund the basket.
This would keep the basket afoat, just
as an ordinary boat with air-tight COM
partments floats. Before we sighted the
revenue cutter Andy johnson, we passed
ana SdluU6Q a schooner. HuSn We IlO-
ticed the approach sof the schooner Miss
Boles called my attention to it, ssand then
we began a race to see which would reach
shore first-you see how. scared we were,
don't you?
when the cutter finally reached us,
called for it to keep away, for fear the
smokestack of the CUTTER would come in
contact with the balloon and do some
damage. A boat was sent out, to which
our drag-rope was. madess.fast, and for
some time we towed it through the
water at very rapid rate. The wind
was blowing northwest and was carry
ing us considerably north of Chicago, SO
the little boat did us good service by
affording storage. We landed about
twenty miles north of Chicago, where
we collapsed the balloon, and were then
carried back to Chicago on the Andy
Johnson. We landed at Van Buren,
street wharf, and by 10 o. clock was in
bedn.
Professor King is extremely modest
about his adventure and refuses abso-
lutely to admit thatSs.the trip was any
thing else than delightful little sail.
The balloon was damaged to the extent
of 800, after the landing had been,made,
but it is now on the way east and will
soon be once more in condition as good
AS new. 1t is the same air-ship-the
Eagle Eyrie-in which Squire Nc Mullen
made his famous trip on the Fourth of
July. Philadelphia North American.