The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-19
BALLOONING At NIGHT.
Interesting Experiences During a
Novel Moonlight Ride.

4 correspondent OF the London Chron-
ic!e tells the following story of balloon
ride at night. the ascension being made
from the Crystal Palace:
AT 1000 feet high we were over some
suburban railway station. and the sight
of 81 train rushing along a curved cutting
a comet With fiery gold head and silver
tell. The moonlight on the trail of smoke
made 1t look like the rapids of a river IN
moonlight, rushing mass OF silver water;
saw no train. At 953 the small OF gas told
lis We were rising. and we commenced the
work OF testing echoes. | may here re-
mark that there are two grave objections
TO balloon traveiirg-the one ia that you
cannot smoke. and the other that you per-
petualiy smell gas.
In testing acoustlcally l am afraid we
did not succeed In gaining any air echo,
though one at Loo feet--we went up in all
to nearly 1900 feei-was suspected. Echoes
distinct we had in plenty. but they un-
doubiediy came from the balloon above us,
and none-except, perhaps, the one dubious
one have referred to--from the empyfean.
Echoes from the earth showed the air to
he very variable In its carrying power.
For long distance travelling at a height
OF loo feet. the air remained singularly
opaque aceustically, and not trace OF
echoes could be caught: but later. at 2ifn
feet, they became and remained very loud.
Again, twenty-five minutes later and so
feet lower. they had become distinctly fee
BILE The resonator. which Mr. Bacon. a
showed the same striking acoustic vatia-
ton, and the murmur Of earth carried up
TO us on the night breeze proved TO he
principally OF grave tones.
MI Bacon had with him an exquisltely
sensitive air thermometer. which shovel
remarkably the variations !n temperature
during the steady ascent Of the balloon.
The temperature rose rapidly up to about
so feet. at which elevation we encountered
a colder stratum Soaring through this.
We rose another 100 feet. again into warmer
air. Then through second ani a thlrt
shallow cold stratum but At l.esl feet We
had entered an equable region. for an as
cent OF Loo feet or 100 feet higher gave
us TO practical change in tne conditions.
and As acoustic experiments were ia be q
principal part OF the nights work. w kept
below an altitude Of 500 feet A. the
higher attitudes there WIS no water Vapor
noticeable in the spectrum, and the coa-
euicuous telur.c lines Mr. Bacon had de-
tected In his previous nights experiments
mad disappeared.
The briilancy of the moon vas very
markedly increased AZ Wa few algheE. ami
lunar details easily seen with field glasses
from earth became difficult - gaze al.
Seen through g0ot glasses. indeed. the
moon was simply daa@lng!y ard iryinSlY
brilliant. as bent To 'Ae Davy lamp We
carried 20 read The aneraii 70 Mr. Bacon
Mr.. Spencer could read X b. Tia moon
light--it recorded l,so0 feet. md i clock be-
low could be heard distinctly striking 10
~ 900 fac. Il was marvellous % note the
clean-cu. shadow Of the balloon which the
moon gave AZ We threw oat sand is
shadow could be seen dropping from ;Ae
halioon. fire. In a broad stream. tnen a. K
dlsintegrated ana the particles separated
widening into nebg!ous shade to dtsap-
pear altogether "a Il dropped eafthNarcl .
| have never known what moonlight can he
TIL last night. Every roa AWAY. hedge and
rivuls; stood oug clear as X We were
looking down on large scala map.
Il have ALREADY alluded % the acoustic
experiments that were made ard these
s.-a*ed amusing as vel as instructive. A.
l.ef feet We were getting spieHd.4 ground
echoes. from both v0ics aad trumpet anf
a. l1is height. passing over one village. a.
created quite an excitement our hasi OF
'Waa. j. the name & fhis Place 2 was
heard anA answered. hut ~ c9uId IA.
eaten the name, except tha. L ended IN
row or road Not az every village sd
get word sE0n The human aen5xegss. aut
never failed 70 r0uss the dogs r. a
'hul.o' didn't DO s.. the trumpet never
failed. over Eyuesford, a. ~ feet. the
time berg l9.ij we got meas Of our where
abogts Where are you off go snoute!
the Hp@n Who gave Us tas name. u viii 4
OR answer vas. To find The Rongeru0r7t
god fields. At 2tt3 feet So clear was the
Esss, that you could see the postcards ne
threw cut futter down. down. a.megt 10
tie Kougas A. lass assk.ss s.ss iss EgaGcS