The evening world., 1895-08-24
1900 FEET FROM THE GROUND
The Reporter Tells How It Seems
to Be Suspended Between
Heaven and Earth.
some ROUGH EXPERIENCES.
The Sensation Delightful When the
Wind Blows Gently and
Steadily.

Very few persons know the sensation
Of being up in a balloon. but there is
no reason why they should not see how
II looks.
For the benefit of those who are un-
able to take a trip to Highland Beach.
that pretty Summer resort seven miles
below Sandy Hook where the balloon
ID sent up. 1.-THE Evening World" has Sc
cured . series Of photographs. some Of
which are here reproduced.
One Of the pictures shows the balloon
Just after the ascension. when the great
yellow bag, flled with hydrogen gas. 10
only thirty feet in the air. The balloon
proper IL eighty feet long, or high. and
requires 1900 cubic feet Of gas to fill It.
Another picture shows the balloon at
an altitude OF about 100 feet. and the
third about 800.
"The Evening World" conceived the
idea Of reporting yacht races from a
balloon just before the races Of July 20
and q. Preparations were hastily made.
and while the first two attempts were
not Q complete success. they clearly
demonstrated that the scheme was
practicable.
Experience Is a great teacher. and
man; faults have since been retiied
and Q host of difficulties have been
overcome.
The initial ascensions were made from
. hill 200 feet above the sea level.
Downward currents Of air were encoun-
tered which seriously interfered with
the handling Of the balloon.
90 . change Of base was decided upon.
and the third ascension was made at
Highland Beach. right on the edge of
tho ocean. with Scotland Lightship
three and one-half miles of shore and
Sandy Hook Lghtship eight miles dis
tant.
A special telegraph line was con-
structed to convey the wire to the
scene OF operations. and It was also
necessary to put a 6oO-foot cable, weigh
ing more than 5000 pounds. under the
Shrewsbury River drawbridge.
This third ascension was a great sue
cess. the only drawback being a delay
Of fifteen minutes in sending the bal
loon up. The reporter was not up in
time to see the yachts start, but caught
them on their first tack to windward
and followed them closely oil the way
through the race of twenty miles, re-
porting the important manoeuvres of
both boats anywhere from five to
twenty minutes ahead Of any other re-
porter assigned to the task.
To do this he had to sit on a board
l-2oo feet in the air for two hours and
forty minutes. And he IL prepared to
repeat the performance every time the
big yachts race.
OF course. everybody Is curious to
know how It feels up in a balloon"
''The Evening World reporter who
has made the three ascensions and
experimental with aerial reporting,
which IL found to be not only feas-
ibis. but desirable. says it's great"
ITS unlike any ether sensation ]
ever experienced" he said. land under
favorable circumstances Is delightful
OF course. a captive balloon is not 5,
pleasant as one that is free. but al
times. when the wind is light and
steady. the car remains stationary ant
then the feeling is one OF gentle ex
hilaration-
I'm a heavy blow. however. or wheI
the wind comes in strong. irregular
gusts. 1t is anything but pleasant
Then a captive balloon behaves llk,
. ship anchored in a heavy seaway
only more 80. She dips and darts a abou
in a most bewildering manner an,
strains at the guy ropes like a thin,
Of life.
Last Tuesday ! thought ! would b
compelled TO do what people do al Sc
when they are seasick. but STAYED
of. somehow. / used to go 10 sea whel
q boy. and have twice weathered Cap
Horn. once In the Winter season.
never was seasick or even threatene
with II. But this motion in a captlv
balloon beats Did Neptune In a canteI
A ship that was buffeted about TO tn
aAme degree q balloon " would neve
reach port
On the whole. the reporter said h
liked It. and that each trip into the al
suggested improvements that made
more comfortable and pleasant the neY
time
"The Evening World" balloon wi
aaks another ascension at HighlAn