The Portland daily press., 1898-09-20
27,5oo FEET ABOVE THE EARTH.
The Highest Balloon Ascent But One
Ever Made.
no substitute.

Prof. Berson and Mr. Spencer Nearly
Frozen at Temperature of 30 Degrees
Over Five Miles Above Engiand's South
Coast-Grew Faint Till They Inhaled
Compressed 0xygen-Good Scientific
Results.
Especial Gable Despatch to the New York Sum-
London, Sept 17.-Great interest has
been excited by the remarkable balloon
ascent by Prof. Berson of Berlin and MIR.
Spencer, an aeronaat from the Crystal
Palace, on Thursday. The large balloon
filled with hydrogen. reached height OF
1850 feeJ-more than five miles. Prof.
Bsrson carried q complete equipment of
Instruments for all manner of purposes.
The observations and scientific results
We're most satisfactory. This altitude has
only once been exceeded, and that was
by Glaasher and CoxweH, Ia 1862, Ewhen
they asocended 81. 600 feet. Mr.. Spencer
says:
when the balloon was let go it shot
straight up at a perpendicular rate OF
AS0Ov Aopt @ AllAdVO tOE Az wv loCu. t5uul bH
air current bore it in a southeasterly
direction. When the balloon was IS, 0oC
feet high to took a southwester1y direc.
ton. Whom we were over the isle of Dogs
we saw magnificent panorama. The
English Channel lay at our feet Ships
were little black dots. The coast OF
France was distinctly visible, and The
vast expanse of the North Sea touched
the horizon.
cat q, 900 feet we had a. decided feeling
of dizziness. Breathing became difficult.
I was about to remark to Rrof. Berson
that felt peculiar sensation, when he
called:
" Spencer, Oxygen, oxygeni'
"That was the signal abfanged for the
inhaIing of compressed oxygen, which
had been taken along in tube. seized
and so did Prof. Berson. The result was
marvellous. We felt new life and could
attend to the sandbags and the manipu-
lation of the balloon as well as if on the
ground. Prof. BeFson was very pale, and
he told me that I was, too.
"We continued to soar upward, but
there was no appreciable difference in the
rarity Oh bl6 dtIlUSpuoTo- WuS1l III u Q1g0
er altitude I was curious to ascertain the
effect of the atmosphere and removed the
respirator.
Tin about quarter of minute felt
the same feeling Of giddiness creeping
over me. Then Prof. Berson called
again: "Spenoer, oxygenp" I inhaled the
oxygen and had the same sensation as
before. Finally Ewe reached 27,a0D feet,
which was not quite the record OF Glais.
her when he was nearly asphyxlated. In
my opinion, we might have gone much
higher without Inconvenience, as long as
we inflated OUT lungs with oxygen. But
there were only four bags of ballast left,
and therefore warned Prof. Berson that
it was not safe to throw any more away.
At ~, 500 feet the thermometer showed
30 degrees below zero. We felt limp and
weak. We shivered and trembled although
wrapped in lots of flannel. The cold was
shocking. All the metallic articles, the
ballast bag hooks, the steel tube of the
compressed oxygen, and other metal sub
stances were coated with ice. The sky
was an intense blue. The sun was SO
dazzling that We dared not look at it,
tWe made the descent at terrific speed
in the upper attitudes. When the ballast
bags were thrown out to steady the tal-
loon, the sand scattered In the air and
played around the fittings of our car. 1t
was only when we were within 10000 feet
of the earth and in a warmer atmosphere
that the balloon began to descend steadily
We alighted gently in field OF stubble. I"