The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-03-10
AsroRIA FRoM THE CLOUDS.
As Described BY Prof. Miller Wit
Made Balloon Ascension.

Yesterday big crowd gathered at
7th and Exchange streets in eager an
ticipadon to see the balloon ascension
advertised by Prof. Miller, the aero
naut That worthy and his manager
were on hand promptly at l o'clock
with ropes, limp and helpless, between
couple Of tall poles. Not only on
7th and Exchange streets did the
crowd congregate, but on every avail
able point of the surrounding high
hills, hundreds looked down upon the
queer-looking machine that was soon
to carry the daring balloonist up into
the azure Of the blue sky, for the
itclouds had parted by this time and
old Sol cast welcome rays onto Mother
Earth, which seemed good omen for
the aerial artist. In the meantime the
balloon was rapidly filling and one of
the guylines had been cast loose when
of a sudden an unfortunate gust of
wind caught the balloon and carrying
it against the opposite pole tore a great
slit in the bag and let the gas out in
a jlffy. The crowd turned away dis
appointed but the professor assured
them that he would have the balloon
repaired and in readiness for an ascen-
sion couple Of hours later, and sure
enough lhe did and when he left the
ground and shot away into space like
an arrow, just as big a crowd was on
hand. Up, up went the big balloon,
with man dangling below the para
chute, apparently but by a thread.
Soon the balloon looked no larger than
a football, and the aeronaut looked the
size of an ordinary match. Then a
great "Ohw from the crowd below,
and an object was seen to leave the
ballon and shoot with lightning rapid
ity towards the earth 1t was the
parachute jump, and the odd looking
sailing machine gradually settled into
a steady descent, and alighted a few
short minutes afterwards on the We
=
and without a scratch. The balloon,
the instant it was relieved of the pas
senger and parachute, turned bottom
side up and q great cloud of black
smoke poured out into the clear air.
The balloon soon assumed the shape
of a great twisting serpent, and struck
the ground several MINUTES before the
parachute. A great crowd of boys and
men followed the professor to his hotel
and for a few minutes he was in imme-
dlate danger of being trampled under
the feet of an eager and excited mob.
In speaking of his trip into the air,
Prof. Miller said last evening:
81 guess l reached a height of fully
$500 feet before I parted company
with the balloon, and from that alti-
tude | had a most magnificent view of
the country around Astoria. AS !
went up the city began to rapidly grow
smaller till soon 1t looked as smooth
as the ground about it. l seemed di-
rectly over the river and the hills SEEM
ed to run straight into the water. At
a height of 1900 feet, people on earth
resembled rolling footballs. AT this
height a terrific wind was blowing and
both going UP and down 1 swayed
fearfully. Above this, though, the air
was perfectly calm. The river was a
beautiful sight as it wended it's way
from out Of the dark blue hills TO its
home in the glistening ocean which
doomed up a broad silvery sheet to the
westward. But 1t is a hard country
to come down in. with all its beauty"
Prof, Miller has been persuaded to
an ascen sion on Saturday next.