The Portland daily press., 1893-07-05
THE BALLOON.
1T Was Very Late Starting, But Was Much
Admired When 1t Did Go.

The balloon ascension was both graft
fication and a disappointment. Two
ascensions were advertised, but there
was only the single one on the Western
Promenade. The time was set at o.
clock, but it was after o'clock when
finally the big black bag was ready to
take its flight. An immense crowd
covered the promenade at / o'clock, all
anxious for the spectacle Around the
western and northern horizon great
thunder clouds advertised shower that
was as tardy about arriving as was the
balloon about going up. About Q o'clock
little rain fell, about enough to drive
portion of the people into the Union
station for refuge. When the sun came
out again the patient crowd again went
back to the hill and began their vigil
again. The delay seems to have been
caused by lack of preparation on the
part of the aeronaut or his assistants. At
l o'clock, the time advertised for the as
cension they were just putting up the
guy poles, work that might have been
done long before. There was also hole
in the balloon which should not have
been left for discovery until the last
moment. However, little after 4 o.
clock the balloon was filed with hot air
and ready to 60. The method of filing
it was simple. A little oven had been
built SO that the hot air and smoke from
a hire OF barrel slaves would be conducted
into the great cotton bag. 1t was then a
matter of not more than 40 minutes to
fill it.
The younger Bready, youth of about
IL years, was the one for the ascension.
He was dressed in tights, and when
ready to start was strapped to the
horizontal bar of the parachute in such
way as to allow him freedom of action
in his gymnastic exercises; but to be
sufficient to hold him in case he should
become dizzy and lose his grip. The
parachute was attached to the lower
peak of the balloon in such way that
by pulling rope the aeronaut could |
cause knife to cut the connection, thus
freeing the parachute, which fills when
it begins to fall
After the balloon was once started, |
everything worked to a charm. The |
aeronaut was carried straight up for |
about 1000 feet. As he went up he |
amused the crowd by swinging his hat,
ond by hanging by his heels from the |
bar. When the balloon attained its
greatest altitude, it was directly over
the promenade, and there was a lively |
scramble by those who fancied that the
aeronaut might come down on their |
heads. He did shoot directly for the |
crowd, but as the parachute expanded it
drifted slightly to the westward, ana the |
performer landed on the edge of the |
promenade near the summer house as
lightly as feather. The balloon, when
left to itself, gradually turned over,
emptied it's smoke, collapsed and fell ON |
Vaughan street, just in the rear of the |
house of County Attorney True.
Everyone seemed satisfied with the |
spectacle.
As it was clearly impossible at the
hour at which the first ascent was COM
pleted to transport the balloon to the |
Eastern Promenade an arrangement was
made for a second ascent at the Western
Promenade after supper. The word was |
passed along down town and a large |
crowd went to the eastern portion Of the |
city to witness the spectacle. But the |
aeronaut would not make the second as
cension at terms which seemed reason
able. The disappointment of the people
was great.