Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-02-12
TALKING ON THE AIR
RECORD FOR LONG DISTANCE CON-
vERSATIoN WITHOUT A WIRE.

VeNSa IlOf WIIFOOl WINE.
How CarIotta Got an Amateur Baiioonlst
Out Of Fix Mile Up In the Air-Her
Voice Reached Over Four Miles-Gss-
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 very still day,
with 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 near
water extent Of three miles. These tales
are quite outdone by well authent-
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. lt
took place above the outskirts OF st.
Louis some years ago.
1T was an acronautic exhibition,
says Carlotta in telling the story, "and
a young man named White, who was
inexperienced In ballooning, had agreed
TO make al ascension. | had already
gone up and was quietly drifting east
on OH 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 90 up
mile or so aud then descend easily. Now,
the upper air is full Of varying currents.
You may be going due west at a half n
mile altitude, and when you get up u
few hundred yards farther You may
strike current that carries you duo
east. Mr.. White checked his upward
career in west bound draft, so that
when he finally drited out Of that cur
rent into mine We were a good long dis
tance apart
Il always have powerful glass with
me when I make an ascension. When l
turned this on him, saw that he was
in trouble. His balloon had twisted a
little in such a way that judged it
was likely TO twist more, and he was
clamboring around the ropes trying 10
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, aud the results
are likely % be serious. | knew that
voices could be heard long way in the
air, for had often heard people mile
below me shouting, SO without know
ing how far the two balloons were apart
| decided 10 hail the other one gath
cred all my breath and shouted
"'Hello, hello. hellop
"Then turned my glass on the other
balloon again. Up whore the air Is so
clear as il is a mile above the earth one
can see at great distances with wonder.
ful distincmess. Through my glass |
could see Mr. White start and look all
around him. That was quite awhile aft
er hal shouted He didn seem TO un.
derstand where the voice came from,
but finally saw him put his hands 10
his mouth, evidently making speaking
trumpet Of them. waited and waited
and was Just about TO shout again when
the huge gasbag above me began to
thrill with sounds. They seemed TO buzz
along its sides and diifuso the air, only
to collect and come whirring and rum
bling down the funnel 10 be poured into
my ears, and they formed in tone that
seemed made up Of million other
tones:
Hellol Where-are-you.
1T was the most peculiar sound had
ever heard. When It had scattered itself
into silence. took ont 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:
All right. In troubleP
There was method in my telling
him To throw out the sandbag, as it
was afterward Of use. threw out a
number myself, for | reckoned that u
little above me | would find a current
10 carry me toward Mr.. White. This /
did and was soon within short dis
tance Of him, aerially considered. The
trouble with his balloon was a slight
disarrangement of the ropes, which L
had myself experienced, 20 | told him
what to do, and he was soon all right.
AS | explained to him when we reached
the earth, we had been talking over an
aerial telephone, the gasbags being the
only material objects up there collecting
all the sounds and acting as huge receiv-
ers. >"
"Well, said he, you got me out OF
very bad scrapc. but never was so
scared in my life as when that voice
surrounded me. thought the balloon
was talking, ard that | bad gone crazy
1T was pretty long talk, said |.
for, allowing the voice to travel five
seconds to a mile by my timing, we must
have been close 10 four miles apart.
"'Thats simply impossible, said he
+" Very well, | said. That's why
told you TO drop that sapdbag threw
some out, too, and we can find out how
far they landed apart.
1T wasn't much trouble TO find peo-
pie who had found the bags and knew
just where they were. Fortunately they
had landed near a railroad track, so the
distance estimating was made easy for
Us. twas 4 miles. Iguess that is the
record up to date for long distance talk
ing without wire.
His Names.
A pair Of twins was born in the Back
Bay district A bright boy set about TO
try 10 name them. He said, will they