Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-12-29
BALLo 10 BY NIGHT.

London Chronicle. III
!, correspondent formed ono Of Mrs.
cncncer,a marty in q balloon ascent
srnn, Tho CRYSTAL Palace last Wednesday
,';ght His experiences arc interesting.
..st ! 90 feet high no writes, we
yere over some suburban railway sta
lion. and tho sight Of train rushing
aiony Il curved cutting was one not to
la FORGOTTEN, II was like comet with
n iiery gold head and silver tail. Tho
wooniieht an the trail Of smoke made
Il look like the rapids of . river In
moonlight, a rushing mass Of silvery,
water; the engine was glow OF fiery
re1 You saw no train. At. 0.53 the
smell Of gas told us we were risingf
ana va commenced the work OF testing
echoes. may here remark that there
nro two grave objections TO balloon
travelling Tho one is that you cannot
smoke, and the other that you PER-
petunlly smell gas. Nh
"The lrilliancy Of the moon was vrrg
markedly increased as we tiew higher,
and lunar details easily seen with held
glasses from earth became difficult to
eaze at. Seen through good glassess
indeed the moon was simply dazalingly
and tryingly brilliant. As | bent to
the Dsvy lamp We carried, to read the
aneroid to Mr., Bscon--Mr,. Spencer
could read it by the nioonlight--it re-
corded l,a00 feet, and a clock below
could be heard distinctly striking 10.
At 1000 feet 1t was marvellous 10 note
the cleap-cut shadow. Of the balloon
which the moon gave, As we threw,
out sand Its shadow could DO seen
dropping from the balloon, first In q
hos, Atets. kaa t.,1
and the particles separated, widening
into nebulous shade, to disappear
altogether al, 1t dropped earthward, 4
have never known what moonlight can
be TIL last night. Every roadway,
hedge and riyulept stood out us clpaar
as 4 We were looking down on u large.
scale map E .v
'The acoustic experiments that were
made proved amusing, as well rs in
structjye. At i,2OU feet we were getting
splendid ground echoes from both voice
and trumpet, and at this height, pass.
ing over one village, we created IN cg
citement, Ou- hail Of What Is the
name Of this placer was heard and an,
seered, but we could not catch the
name, except that 1t ended In row or
read. Not at every village did we
get word from the human denizens, But
We never failed to rouse the dogs. II
'hullo didn't do it, the trumpet
never failed. Over Eynesford, at 000
feet, the time being 10, 40, we got news
Of our whereabouts. Where are you
of tor shouted tho men who gave us
the name, to which our answer was
To find tho Rougemont gold fields.
AT 2,i00 feet so clear was tho night
that You could SET tho postcards we
threw out flutter down, down, almost
to the ground. At that height, also,
tho ground echoes came up quite clear,
ii somewhat faint, and dogs barking
might almost have been Id ones mex;
door neighbours garden.
"One superb effect WIS that OF the
moons rays Oh any large collection Of
glasshouses--- passed over several
nursery gardens. Over {. spread d
these the sight was magnificent,
though the effect was but momentary,
and had to be caught at the proper
angle, but for the moment Ii turned
the whole into lake of molten; silver.
1t was eerie to look down aud see the
trail rope stretching $50 feet down int
space. but NJ was grand way ol
realizing the idea OF speed. IT yor
sat ut the bottom of the, car you fell
absolutely as II you were motionless
though We were, really travelling 1.-The
rate Of some 20 or 25rmiles an hour,
Lacking over the edge Of the car dowr
on the trail ropo you could easily mott
how fast the rate OF speed WAS, ior
Watching the end, as 1t hung In I
pumbline from the car, you coult
mark how swiftly huge wood or tielt
was left behind. The only sensation
in the slightest degree unpleasant, fell
at the highest altitude we reached
was a slight singing in the cars, TIL,
party alighted at Aylesford without
mishap."