The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-04-12
A DROP FROM THE CLOUDS.
An Artist Describes His Sensations in
Uncomfortable Balloon.

Uncomfortable Balloon.
Robert v V Sewell, in the Artists Adj
ventures Series in Tile Century for April, de-
scribes his first and last balloon ascension.
1t was in 1856, when Mr.. Sewell was stu
dent at the Academic Julian, that he made
his venture; taking advantage of a public
ascension. When the artist and the aeronaut
entered the basket, the ropes were cast Off
We did not rise, and being informed that
we must leave behind either a sand-bag or
my heavy Winter oyercoat, / heroically
sacrificed the latter. Standing in the basket,
/ tossed it to a friend, when, presto! he as
well as the rest of the world sank out of
sight. At that moment ] sat down. / can
still recall the howl of derision and delight
which greeted this commonplace act.
The cries of the spectators were succeeded
by most profound silence, broken only by
the fearsome creaking of the willow basket,
as my companion leaned from side TO side
was soon aware of another sound, to
which my ears seemed slowly to become at
tuned-the low, muffied roar of the great
city, which produced a continued note al
most as pure as a musical tone, but lower
in pitch than any note Of the musical scale.
The barometer soon showed an elevation
of half a mile, and, looking over the side of
the car II was still seated on the foor), / saw
the whole of Paris pass beneath me-the
public buildings, the Madeleine with it's
bright copper-green roof, the toy cathedral
of Notre Dame on its little island. The dis
tance was so great that all giddiness was
gone, aud the roar of the city was hushed.
Throwing out much of our store of sand,
we rose into great cumulus clouds. The
barometer indicated hight of two miles
the air had the pure but thin feeling of an
Alpine mountain-top. There was no sight,
no noise save the patter of the feet of two
pigeons on the summit of the balloon. They
had refused TO leave us, and, after hovering
like land-birds about a ship, had settled on
our rigging.
In the utter silence of these nights the
novice, awed by the sublimity of the situa-
tion, has no thought of danger. The vast,
sightless, silent void in which the bubble
hung self-poised impressed the mind with a
sense not of violence but of calm. Yet
danger there was, and that most imminent
Anxiously scanning the barometer, my
companion announced that we were falling
Selling a bag of tissue-papers, he threw a
| handful from the car. Instantly they dis
appeared, but above US. We were rushing
down to the city at an angle of about 45 de-
grees. Now the two pigeons left the balloon,
gave us short respite.
As we approached the earth we struck the
ground breeze, which we saw would carry
US nearly the entire length of the city
Quickly divesting ourselves of our coats and
waistcoats, We took a rapid inventory of the
pitifGlly-small remainder of ballast, with a
view to keeping the air-ship afoat as long
as possible.
To novice who has ever gone down a
toboggan-slide the horror of that rush over
the spires and chimneys OF the great city
may be dimly shown if he can imagine his
sensations increased a thousandfod Col
| lision with building meant almost sure
death, while the speed was so great that
| landing in boulevard was an impossi-
| bility.
The roar Of one etreet as it grew less dis
! tiDct was quickly followed by the roar OF
the next, as the excited and interested
| Parisians watched our flight. Several times
We avoided collision only by throwing out
a coat, basket or bottle, the balloon each
tine taking slight bound, and clearing the
/ obstacle.