Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-10-02
A RUNAWAY BALLOON
GENERAL FlTz JOHN PoRTER's SUD
DEN FLIGHT INTO SPACE.

An Incident at tho Siege of Yorktown,
The Balloon Cast Loose by Plot and
Carried Over tho Confederate Camp,
Danger of Ballooning In War Times.
My experience with q runaway balloon
Mt Yorktown has in it q lesson to aero
nauts who ascend upon the borders Of dan
gerous territory" said General ritz John
Porter. my balloon had tantalized the
Confcderates for many days. They saw
that it was doing somo very valuable spy
work and tried in every way to bring ii
down. I was wholly unprepared for Il
fight into space and 1t was wonder
that under tho circumstances l gained
control of myself and of the machine and
made the ascent valuable one from
military point of view. The accident to
my safety ropes was most extraordinary
one. In fact, that part Of the affair was
no accident at all. 1t was the result of
plot. The accident lay in the fact that
came near being the victim Of the plot in
stead OF a member of the balloon corps.
II made the ascent just at the time by
speeial direction of General Mcclellan,
who wished me to take some observations
of affairs inside the Confederate lines,
with a view to ordering an immediate at
tack. This was wholly unexpected by the
balloon corps 1t seems that "a certain
member Of the corps was n new arrival in
tho camp, and as he ranked little above
some of the old hands they were jealous
of him and made up their minds that the
best way to get rid of him was to have an
accident happen to the balloon under bis
management. They deliberately removed
all the safety ropes but one, and to that
they applied acid, which cut tlfe strands
almost in two. The moment the balloon
assembled far enough to strain the remain
ing strands they parted, and the airship,
with its occupant, who happened to be
myself, leaped into space
with every confidence in the balloon
cords, l entered tho basket hastily, not
noticing that there was only ono safety
rope and ordered the men to cast off.
had my field glass out and was sweeping
the field with it, unconscious of what was
taking place with the balloon, until felt
myself flying upward far beyond the usual
limit. A glance downward told me that
the balloon was running away. At FIRST /
was uncertain what to do, because it was
new situation for me. AS rule Profess
sor Lowe, tho chief aeronaut, had accom-
panied me- and l had left the manage
ment Of the balloon to Others.
Surprising one of the small ropes dan
Cling in tho basket to be valve rope, l
attempted to pull it and let myself down.
1t did not work Seeing another rope
dangling in the rigging, / climbed ont Of
the basket and grabbed that, with better
success I noticed that l was ascending
through stratum of escaping gas.
81 knew that 1 had control of the bal
loon and determined to carry out the OBJ
ject of the ascension. l had my glass with
mo and swept the whole field around
Yorktown, up the peninsula TO Richmond
down toward Fort Monroe and Norfolk. l
saw the fleets in the harbor, l saw the
camps Of the enemy along the James river
and around Richmond, with their flags
flying. Beneath me was Yorktown, and
tho horses in the streets appeared to be
ants, while columns Of soldiers were NOV
ing masses of little speck5.
My second startling sensation was
when / found that by letting out some
more Of the gas dropped into a current Of
air which swept me over the enemy's
camps. That meant capture, the loss Of
the balloon and the failure Of the expedi
tion. For the moment l was unconscious
Of everything except that l wished to get
the balloon again under control and back
into the current of air which passed
through farther down, that was blowing
in contrary direction. Ono thing l did
notice, ard that was that the Confederate
soldiers were running out of their camps
and cheering in the expectation probably
that l would descend among them.
"Tho current was in was rapidly bear
In 70 int So for,
tory, and pulled the valve until the bal
loon sank into stratum of air moving
directly east. pulled with all my strength
and felt tho balloon sinking rapidly. AS
the gas left the silk bag the latter fell over
and formed sort of parachute with the
air beneath it, This caused the whole
machine TO sway ard made me very dizzy
and uncomfortable. As soon as l found
my course changed to the cast took my
glass and examined the camp where
thought would fall. I saw the stars and
stripes there, and that treasured me- l
then gave all my attention to personal
safety.
SAT first thought was about to be
caught in tall tree, but l escaped that
and then floated over long lines of stacked
bayonets. did not relish being impaled
upon them and gave the valve another
pull, bringing the balloon down upon
tent. l was in the camp of the Seventy
second Pennsylvania, Baxters zouayes.
The men had been excited spectators Of
the flight of the balloon, but they all sup
posed that its occupant was Professor
Lowe. wore no insignia Of rank. did
not undeceive them. They told me that
when the balloon was seen making in the
direction of the Confederate camps a body
of our cavalry had taken the field and rid
den out with tho intention Of charging
into the enemy's lines to recover the runa-
way.
II had landed moro than a mile from
headquarters, and after giving directions
for packing and shipping tine balloon I
borrowed horse and rodo to General Nc
Clellan's headquarters. The general was
astonished to sec me safe and sound. He
said that when he SAW the balloon speed
ing through tho air toward Dixie he had
begun to speculate upon whom he should
appoint in my place as director of the
siege Of Yorktown, for my troops were al
ready in close contact with the enemy and
engaged in very difficult operations under
my personal direction.
1.-THE extent of my flight in that runa-
way have never been able to determine
/ circled around above cur own camps,
over Yorkto7gn and the Confederate
camps, moving back and forth some dis
tance. At the time 1 estimated 1 was
1900 feet above the ground at the highest
point / may have been farther than that
l know the entire peninsula, from 20 to
so miles in length and 80 to 40 in breadth,
appeared to be no larger than mans
hand. Our camp, some miles in extent
and holding from 10000 to so, 600 boys in
blue, seemed no larger than a 10 cent
piece New York Sun.
Running,
II wonder why they call the expenses of
a church the running expenses?" said Mrs.