The times., 1897-04-25

to admiration. I regard the pfo5sd5 III
thoroughly successful, and the easy nsv
CATION Of the air in any direction tnfE
exactly In the teeth OF galel as no
longer problematical We could poe
have made head against the strong wind
OF Yesterday; but, by ascending, we
might have got out OF its influence, TX
requisite. Against q pretty stiff breeze
feel convinced we can make
our way with the propeller at noon
today ascended TO an elevation OF nearly
$4,000 feet by discharging ballast. Dlq
this to search for a more direct currents
but found none so favorable as the one We
are now in We have an abundance Oh
gas to take us across this small pond, even
should the voyage last three weeks. :
have not the slightest fear for the result.
The difficulty has been strangely exag-
seraten and misapprehended- L can choose
my current, and should | find all currents
against me, ean make very tolerabla
headway with the propeller. We have
had no incidents worth recording The
night promises fair
Z. Shy Mr. Ainsworth3 / have
little to recOrG, except the fact ito me-
quite a surprising Onel that, at an elevation
equal TO that OF COtopaxi, L experienced
neither very intense cold, nor headache,
nor difficulty of breathing; neither, L
find, did Mr. Mason nor Mr.. Holland nor
Sir Everard. Mr.. Osborne complained OF
construction OF tie chest-but this soon
wore off. We have flown at great rate
during the day, and we must be more than
half way across the Atlantic We have
passed over some twenty or thirty vessels
of various kinds, and all seem To lie de-
ii..htfuIly astonished. Crossing the ocean
in a balloon is not so difficult feat, after
all .'Omne ignotum pro Hat,iiTico."
Mem: At $4,000 feet elevation the
sky appears nearly black, ami the stars
are distinctly visible; while the sea does
not seem convex tas one might suppOse),
but absolutely and most unequiy OCaIly
concave.
Monday, the Sth-(Mr. Mason's MS)
This morning we had again some little
trouble with the rod OF the propeller,
which must be entirely TemOdeled, for
fear OF serious accident-I mean the steel
rod, not the vanes. The latter could noo
be improved The wind has been blow
ing steadily and strongly from the north
east all day; and so far fortune seems bent
upon favOring Us. just before day We
were all some what alarmed at some odd
noises and conclusions in the balloon, ac-
coInpanied with the apparent rapid sub
sdence of the whole machine. These
phenomena were OccasiOned by the eX-
pansion Of the gas. through increase OF
heat in the atmosphere, and the conSeque9s'
disruption or the minute PARTICLES OF ice
with which the network had become en-
crusted during the night Threw down
several bottles 70 the vessels below. See
one OF tncm picked up by large ship
seemingly one UF the New YORK line pack
cts. Endeayored to make out her name,
but could not be sure OF il. Mr. OsbOrne's
telescope made ft out something like
''Atalanta' 1t is now II at night, and
we are still going nearly west al rapid
pace. The sea is peculiarly Phosph6-
resent
p s.-tBy Mr. Ainsworth9 II is now
2 a, IN. and nearly calm, as well as I can
Judge, but il is very difficult 70 determine
this point, since we move with tie uir so
completely 1 have not slept since quit
ting WeaLvor, but can stand it no longer,
and must take nap. We cannot be far
from the American coast.
Tuesday. the 9th-tAlr AinswOrth's
MS One p m. We are in full view
OF thesOw coast Of South Carolina. The
great problem is accomplished We have
crossed the Atlantic fairly and easily
crossed it in a balloon! God be praisedi
Who snail say that anything is impossible
hereafter?