The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-03-30
TALKING ON H AIR
SECORD FOR LONG DISTANCE CON-
vESsA7!Ofl WITHOUT A WIRE.

SECORD FOR LONG DISTANCE CON-
vESsAT!ora WITHOUT A WIRE.
How Carlotta Got IN Amateur BalloOnis:
Out Of G Fix s. Mile Up In the Air-Eer
Voice Reached Over Four Milcs-Gas-
bags Acted as Receivers.
Tales are plenty Of long distances over
which mems voices have been conveyed
by the medium Of placid water. An
Adirondack guide tells of having talked
in ordinary tones, on a very still day,
with q companion ~ miles distant at
the other end of a lake, and another
guide caps this story with one OF yells
which were heard and returned nea q
water extent of three miles. These tales
are quite outdone by a we'll authenti-
Gated story told by Carlotta, once the
most famous woman balloonist in the
world. In her story air, instead Of wa
ter, was the medium, and the distance
of the conversation was four miles. 1t
took place above the outskirts of ST.
Louis some years ago.
ut was an aeronautic exhibition
says Carlotta in telling the story, land
a young man named White, who was
inexperienced in ~ballooning, had agreed
to make an ascension. l had already
gone up and was quietly drifting east
N m easy air current when he started
out. He had had enough experience to
know how to handle the valves and
sandbags, and he intended to go up a
mile Or SO and then descend easily. Now,
the upper air is full Of varying currents.
You may be going due west at a half a
mile altitude, and when you get up a
few hundred yards farther you may
strike o current that carries you due
east. Mr.. White checked his upward
career in a west bound draft, SO that
when he finally drited out of that cur
rent into mine We were a good long dis
lance apart.
II always have apowerful glass with
me when I make an ascension. When /
turned this on him, l saw that he was
in trouble. His balloon had twisted a
little in such q way that / judged it
was likely to twist more, and he was
clambering around the ropes trying to
right it, but without much apparent
conception Of what was best to do. /
was frightened for him, for when the
bag Of a balloon turns too much the gas
begins to escape rapidly, and the results
are likely to be serious. l knew that
voices could be heard a long way in the
air, for l had often heard people a mile
below me shouting, &c without know
ing how far the two balloons were apart
l decided to hail the other one. l gath
cred all my breath and shouted:
"'Hello, hello, hellov
"Then / turned my glass on the other
balloon again. Up where the air is SO
clear as it is a mile above the earth one
can see at great distances with wonder
full distinctness. Through my glass l
could see Mr.. White start and look all
around him. That was quite awhile aft
er / had shouted. He didn't seem to un-
dersJand where the voice came from,
but finally | saw him put his hands to
his mouth, evidently making a speaking
trumpet of them. l waited and waited
and was inst about to shout again when
the hinge gasbag above me began to
thrill with sounds. They seemed to buzz
along its sides and diffuse the air, only
to collect and come whirring and rum
bling down the funnel to be poured into
my ears, and they formed in q tone that
seemed made up of a million other
tones:
Hello! Where-are-you?'
1T was the most peculiar sound I had
ever heard. When it had scattered itself
into silence. / took out my watch. and
timing myself shouted:
"'Throw out one sandbag. I'll come
to you,
Forty seconds later my balloon be.
gan to yibrate again, finally forming
the words:
"'A1l right. In troublev
There was method in my telling
him to throw out the sandbag, as il
was afterward Of use. I threw out q
number myself, for l reckoned that q
little above ne | would find a current
to carry me toward MIR. White. This ]
did and was soon within a short dis.
lance Of him, aerially considered. The
trouble with his balloon was a slight
d'Sarrangement of tha reyes. Tr'k:ci