Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-20
AERONAUT ALLEN
Expected to Be Back for Sup
per But Was Not.
Professor Tells Of Exciting Balloon
Ride Among the Clouds.
Started in st. Johnsbury, w.. and Landed in
West Miaoi, Ne.

the aeronaut, had a very lively time as
the result of an ascension made by him
at ST. Johnsbury, VT, on Thursday.
Mr. Allen was engaged in making as
tensions at the fair at st. Johnsbury,
and on Thursday at Ais P. NJ, left that
city and just six and quarter hours
later he landed at West Minot on the
farm of Ward Harrington. about 10
miles from this city, having made a
flying trip before a gale across the
states of Vermont, New Hampshire and
into Maine, with a brief stop for lunch
at the loot of Mt. Washington.
Mr.. Allen tells an interesting story of
his trip through the air. He says that
on Wednesday he made several captive
ascensions and announced that on
Thursday he would cut loose. He con-
tinued:
"At 3.15 2. NJ, taking my daughter
Jennie. aged 20, in the car we cast off
from earth and sailed skyward. My
daughter has made number of Assem-
ions and enjoys it very much. Thous-
ands of people were watching us as we
ing their hats and gazing upward as
they dropped away.
There were clouds in the sky when
we went up. and it looked like showers.
After we had been up a short time it
began to thunder, and my daughter re-
marked on the black clouds and light
ming. We arose to the hight of a mile
and drifted about three miles to the
eastward. Here l made a descent and
let my daughter out. / hitched the
Caledonian--that's the balloons name
and hired man to carry Jennie back
to town.
1T was growing blacker in the sky,
but I thought it would clear up soon,
and told my daughter I'd cruise round
for a time.
asked.
Don't know said l, but I'll prob
ably be down somewhere for tea.
Your daddy doesn't very often take his
meals in the clouds
She laughed and rode away, and I
stepped into my car and castoff.
Where did l intend to go?
Nowhere in particular. Iawas just
going up to give the fair their moneys
worth. IL a balloonist comes down
within a mile or two of the starting
place, people don't think much about it,
but when you land over in the next
county and are carted back in triumph
it sort of catches the popular fancy and
booms the fair. I expected to land
wiEhin a radius of 25 miles. so that
coIIA get back in time for the next
days performance.
But things weren't so to be- No
sooner was l up in the air again than
| found that things had altered for the
worse. The clouds were filling in
thicker, the thunder was booming with
redoubled vigor and the lightning was
flashing in sharp, ziggag bursts that
made me wonder what would happen il
the fiery fluid should happen to take a
fancy to the Caledonian.
las l struck the upper current of air
| found that it was moving very fast.
The balloon ceased to ascend, but was
borne along on the wings of the storm
at terrific rate of speed. When the
clouds parted so that l caught a
glimpse of earth I saw that fields were
scudding by like telegraph poles when
you're on an express train and that
whole stretches of country rolled past
like merest nothings. Then the clouds
put out the earth and l was hustled
through the storm. the huge balloon
swaying like a willow. / knew from
the suns position that I must be sail
ing due east, or perhaps slightly to the
southwark.
when next the clouds parted l saw
the White mountains not so very far
away and coming nearer all the time.
The storm was abating somewhat ana
l began to think of touching terra
firma again.
II let out gas enough to bring the
balloon down near the surface. and in
this way SKINNED over Fabyans,
cleared the peaks of Jefferson and
Adams, and them whirled back and
made a landing on the foot of Mt
Washington. The anchor was only fast
to "A tree top, still thought it was Sc
cure, and started in to prepare my
coffee and eat my evening meal. al
ways carry provisions along with me,
for you may need them, and it isn't al
ways easy to find square meal mile.
and half from the ground.
Il ate leisurely and smiled to myself
to think that l was way over in the
White mountains, instead Of back in
ST. Jonesbury, where 1 expected to be.
But never mind said I to myself, I
can stay here tonight and get away in
time to catch a morning train and be
beck in st. Jonesbury in time for the
ascension tomorrow
"But about that time something hap
pened. The storm had only abated to
gather force, and it was now on again
in all its fury. The trees swayed like
PUSHES, and own those mountain gullies
the wind swept with tempestuous force.
The balloon tugged and jerked at her
moorings. For time the anchor line
held. but within an hour of the time
stopped I was underway again, the
cable having parted.
Trailing the fragment of her drag
line the balloon shot upward into the
blackness of the night. The clouds
closed about and not rift OF light
could discern.
II was by this time pretty well soaked |