Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-29
FIVE MILES ABOVE THE EARTH.
Bnt for Cylinder of Oxygen tho Aero
nauts Would Have Died-Thc Cold Was

Intense.
The balloon ascent made at the Crystal
Palace by Stanley Spencer. the we'll
known acronlutic expert, and DR.. Betscn,
the Berlin scientist, mas aroused great in
tcrrst in scientific circles simultaneously
Dn ascent was made i'm Berlin, with IL
view to comparing observations taken of
the density OF the atmosphere at different
attitudes there with similar observations
bN,r London
stanley Spencer narrated his expert
tnCcS as follows:
THE balloon had a capacity of $1,000 Gu
bic feet but was inflated to the extent Of
bmly 10000 feet, with pure hydrogen. to
allow for expansion in high attitudes
When we started. at 2 r. m, we went al
most straight up for 1000 feet, when the
gas expanded the balloon TO It's full ca
pdcity.
MAGNIFICENT PANORAMA.
"Whcn VIC reached go eco feet we had
magnificent vicw.Wc had drifted over
Essex and could trace the whole south
east coast of England and the coast Of
France for a hundred miles with absolute
distinCtncss The English Channel was a
pale glare, dotted with ships, looking like
black spots. \ little beyond us was the
great gaping mouth of the Thames. while
the North sea stretched away in far oN-
Idnse. Rivers and estuaries on the En-
flish coast were distinctly traccablc as in
mammoth map.
AT 23000 feet / threw out more ballast
and as we rose to $1,000. at which altitYlc
the rarchCation of the atmosphere began
10 tell on us We had the utmost lif-
ncuty in breathing. Prof. bcrser was
ivid and easpng; | was the some. We
had n large cylinder of compressed oXy-
sen gas strapped To the side Of the car,
with two tubes. each terminating in a
face mask. We each took mask and
brcathed the pure oxygen. and We're i'm
stantly restored. It was a delightful cX-
lericncc. this sudden relief from deaf My
oppression.
OVER FIVE MILES HIGH.
THE balloon remained stationary at
5000 feet, so more ballast was thrown
out until we reached the enormous al
titude of 1850 feet. At that height
enough mad been accomplished, so We
descended slowly and steadily TO 500
!cct Then the speed increased and the
balloon began to rush through the aiI
with frightful velocity, dropping GOO fee
IN fifteen seconds. had thrown out bal
last fast to stop her, and when we haC
fallen 10000 feet at this rate our down
ward course was checked by a current o.
warm air, which caused the balloon al
most to take the form of Il parachute
linus checking its descent.
The sand we had thrown out now over
took us, rafting on the balloon in mos
startling and unexpected manner.
SfXTY-ONE DEGREES FROST
The alterations of temperature we un
Gerwcnt were extraordinary. We startc,
in a blazing sun with the thcrmomete
ut 90 in III" shade; at 27,5oo feet we regis
tered 81 degrees frost. In spite of on
thick flannels and the uncouded sunshir
while people five miles below us wer
swcltering in tropical heat We were sh!v
ering Violently our metal oxygen tube
We're thickly coated with ice.
I'VE eventually reached the ground &
safety, having been up ninety minutes,
Why did you not try to break the rec
ord by completing the other 800 feet?
MIR. Spencer was asked
TOO DANGEROUS.
THAT would have been too dangerous,
DE answered. I'VE should have had
have had sacrificed our ballast and woul
have none left to check our descent. BE-
sides. although Coxwell and Glaisher sa
they attained $4,000 fet in 1862. am inclr
cd to doubt the authenticity of that re-,
oyd. We were nearly dead at 1850 feet,
"As to the scientific results, neither
nor DR., Bersen can say anything unit
comparison has been made with the n
suits of the Berlin ascent, 1t was II
most exciting and altogether deightf
ascent | have ever made"