The times., 1897-04-25

BtHbiy but sttdtuly, Nlt0 uHnL DTeeLc
| at north, which bore Us in the direction of
the British Channel. Found the ascending
force greater than we had expected; and as
wearose higher and so gotclear ofthe cliffs,
and in the suns rays our ascent became
very rapid / did not wish. however, 20
lose gas absoeaTly period ofthe adventure,
and SO concluded to ascend for the present.
We soon ran out our guide rope; but even
when we had raised IL clear OF the earth.
we still went up very rapidly. The balloon
was unusually steady, and looked beautiful.
In about ten minutes after starting, the
barometer Indicated an altitude OF $4,000
feet. The weather was remarkably fine,
and the view OF the adjacent countTya
most romantic one when seen from anv
pOint-was now especially sublime The
numerous deep gorges presented the ap-
peaIance OF lakes, on account OF the dense
yapors with which they were filled, and
the pinnacIes and cTags TO the southeast,
piled in InextIicable confusion, reseInbled
nothing so much as the giant cities OF
eastern fable We We're rapidly approach
iEg the mountains in the south; but our
elevation was more than sufficient 10
enable Us to pass them n safety. In few
min utes we scared over them in fine st yle;
and Mr. AinswOrth, with the seaInen,
were surprised at their apparent want of
altitude when viewed from the car, the
tendency of great elevation in a balloon
being to reduce inequalities OF the surface
below to nearly a dead level At half past
IL, still proceeding nearly south, we
obtained our first view OF the Bristol
Channel, and, in fifteen minutes arterward,
the line of breakers on the coast appeared
Immediately beneath us, and we were fairly
out at sea We now resolved to let off
enough gas to bring our guide rope, with
the buoys affixed. into the water. This
was Immediately done, and we commenced
gradual descent In about enty
minutes our first buoy dipped. and at the
touch OF the second soon afteTward, we
remained stationary as to elevation. We
Were all now anxious TO test the efficiency
of the rudder and screw, and we put them
both into requisition forthwith, for the
purpose of altering our direction more TO
the eastward, and in a line for Paris.
Bymeals ofthe Tudder rweinstantly reflected
the necessary change OF direction, and
our course was brought nearly at right
an giles to that of the wind: when we set in
motion the spring OF the screw, and were
Tejoiced to find IL propelled us readily as
desired. Upon this We gave nine hearty
cheers, and dropped into the sea bottle.
enclosing slip or parchment with brief
account of the principle OF the invention
Hardly, however, had We done with our
re- ioiCings when an unforeseen accident
occurred which discouraged US in no little
degree The steel rod connecting the
spring with the propeller was suddenly
jeTked out OF place at the car end Thy
swayIng of the car through some movement
of one Of the TWO seamen we hadtaken up,
and in an instant hung dangling out of
reach from the pivot Of the axis OF the
screw. While we We're endeavOring to
regain il our attention being completely
absorbed, we became involved in a strong
current of wind from the east, which bore
US, with rapidly increasing force toward
the Atlantic. We soon found ourselves
driving out to sea at the rate OF not less,
certainly, than fifty or sixty miles an hour,
so that We came up with Cape Clear, at
some forty miles to our north, before
We had secured the rod and had
time TO think what we We're about.
1t was now that MI AinsWOTth
made an extraordinary, but. to ny fancy.
a by no means unreasonable or cIimeriCal,
proposition, in which lie was instantly
seconded by Mt. Holland viz, that we
should tnEe advantage of the strong gale
which bore lis on, and in place OF beatInl,
back to Paris, make an attempt TO reach
the coast OF North America. After slight
reflection ] gave willing assent TO this
bold proposition, which, strange tn say,
met with objection from the two Seamen
only AS the stronger party. however, we
overruIed their fears aud kept re>olutely
upon our course. We steered due west,
but as the trailing of the buoys mate-
rially impeded our progress and we had
the balloon abundantly a Command, either
for ascent or descent, we first threw ont
fifty pounds of ballast and then wound
up, by means OF windlass, SO much Of
the rope as brought it quite clear of the
sea We perceived the effect OF this ma
nenver Immediately in vastly increased
rate of progress; and as the gale fresh
ened we flew with a velocity nearly in
conceivable the guide-rope flying out
behind the car like a streamer from "A
vessed. II is needless to say that a very
short time sufficed us to lose sight OF
the coast We passed over innunieraLge
vessels of all kinds, few Of which. were
endeavoring to beat up, but the most of
est excitement on board all Ian excite
ment greatly relished by ourselves, and
especially by our two men, who, now un-
der the influence of dram OF Geneva,
seemed resolved to give all sCruple, or
fear, to the wind. Many of the vessels
fired signal guns, and in all we were sa
ulted with loud cheers, which We heard
with surprising distinctness, and the
waving OF caps and handkerchIefs. We
kept on in this manner throughout the
day with no material incident, and, as the
shades of night closed around US, we made
a rough estimate of the distance traverse se,l
1t could not have been less than 300
miles, and was probably much more The
propeller was kept in constant operation
and no doubt aided our progress materially
AS the sun went down the gale freshened
into an absolute hurricane and the ocean
beneath was clearly visible on account
| of its phosphorescence. The wind was
from the east all night and gave us
| the brightest omen of success. We
suffered no little from cold, and the damp
| ness of the atmosphere was most unpleas-
| ant: but the ample space i'll the carenabled
US to lie down, and by means of cloaks
| and few blankets, we did sufficiently
well.
PS-(By Mr. AinswOrthl. The lastnine
hours have been unqueStionably the most
exciting Of my life. l can conceive moth
ing more sublimating than the strange
| peril and novelty of an adventure such as
| this May God grant that we succeed
| l ask not success for mere safety Co my in
| significant person, but for the sake OF
| human knowledge and-for the vastness os
| the triumph. And yet the feat is only So