The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-01-25
6ALOONING A CRAZE.
AZ Much "a Rad in the Last Century
As Cycling 10 Now.

~ "uch Fnd in the Last century
As Cycling is Now.
Ballooning in the eighteenth century
WAS as much Il craze "a bicycling in
the ninteenth. aud writer recounta
some half-forgatten stories Of the days
of Horace Walpole. who, old grumblcr
that he was, had 4 special dislike 10
the aerial eontriyances. In the early
days OF the sport the balloon MAS sent
Up much after the fashion of kito-ny-
ing, later, animals were attached To
the balloons, and their immunity seems
to have emholdened many notable per.
sons To hazard the aerial ascent. 1t be-
| came the popular craze its yefy dan
ger lending Il charm 10 men Of dar-
Ing minds
In 1854 the sky was crowded with
| these aerial carriages. and 10 make a
balloon ascent was one of the achieve
ments Of men Of fashion. The Due dc
Chartres undertook short voyage
| from 81. Cloud, piloted by the brothers
Robert. and reverend father of the
| 0ratoIian Order came from Nantes in 4
balloon. In 1855 blanchard. accom-
paulei by Or. jeffrles. crossed the Eng
llsh Channel 20 Calais, and Dr. Potatn
flew over ST Georges Channel from
Dublin to London These daring eX-
plot Increased the popular ndmIra-
tloa. AMI England did not escape the
balloon c0ntagion
Vincent lunard. secretary to Prince
Caramand the Neapolltan Ambassador.
WAS the first to follow on Montgoliier's
track lunardi seems to have heen u
nun u Juragc not easily daunted by MI
nor difficulties, else he would neverhaye
succeeded in launching his balloon.
Tile correspondence between him and
friend IN ltalv is fall Of interest, and
sets before US in a life-like manner his
experiences. while the freshness and
sincerity which the letters display have
the charm which always attends a per
sonal narrative. We gather from this
correspondence that LUnardi was by
no means man TO whom money was
no object On thu contrary. the outlay
caused ~ building the balloon made
1t n matter of necessity that he should
make II a pawn success
After many eontretemps aud disap-
peintments our Secretary carried his
project into effect on september 10.
list The ascent was to take place
from the grounds or the Royal Artil-
lery COMPANY The charge Of entrance
MAS guinea for chairs close 10 the bal
eony, with admission to view the con
struetion Of the balloon four times.
Half guinea tickets admitted TO seats
behind the first row o. chairs, also two
admissions 10 view the construction OF
he balloon Horace Walpole writing
TO Sir Horace Mann. tells him how he
would not stir one step or pay ! guinea
to sec one Lunardi, an Italian, mount
into the clouds, such navigation APP
pearing to him as childish as the Tying
kites OF schoolhoys"
AT 1880 the Prince OF Wales arrived,
aud shoa" sd ts1g ,ftTnost ts.teYest In thu
! fliiHg Cf the balloon with hydrogen
| THIS delicate operation, which, as every
one knows, Is Il slow process. was con
| Quoted under the personal superinten
dence OF Or. George Fordyce, Before
| It was half filled the hour mentioned
| fol The start was far exceeded. Lun-
ard, seeing that the Impotence Of the
crowd was getting uncomfortable and
afraid that the destruction of his bal
loon might follow. hastily determined
to commence his voyage without the
necessary force, and. To lessen the
weight he left hi1 companion behind
and took with him a dog. Il cat and
pigeon
A. go O'Clock the cords were let so,
AMI. a gun being fred off to announce
the event the balloon sailed away amid
thu shouts Of the populace who were
now convinced that no imposition was
Intended When the balloon had risen
to certain height the pigeon man
aged to escape, and Its flight through
the air was greeted with acelamations
by the gazing crowd below.
Lnnardi describes how he occupied
himself on his aerial voyage First
looking after his inner man. he tells
his friend how much he enjoyed his
lunch Of cold chicken. This despatched.
he took to writing letters. Three OF
these he dropped from the balloon,
trusting to the chance that some kind
Samaritan might pick them NJ and
post them One, ut all events, was de-
liyered, ful to II We owe n vivid picture
II the aerouaut's first Impressions: Il
could distinguish St. Paul's and other
churches from the houses. ! saw the
streets IN lines all animated with be-
ings, whom knew 10 be men and wo-
men. but who / should otherwise have
difficulty IN describing. Il was an enor-
nous beehive. but the industry ~ Il
was suspended.
An the moving mass seemed 10 have
no object but myself As for me it
seemed az II had lel. below all tho
cares and passions that molest man
kind. had not the slightesi sense of
motion in the machine. | knew not
whether 1t assembled or descended
whether It was agitated or tranquil
savo by the appearance OF the objects
en- the earth At 330 he descended.
by working his oars, on the Common
OF South Minis, where he landed the
eat. which was suffering from the cold.
People crowded around him, but he
was SO infatuated with his success that
after few minutes he assembled again
50 rapidly that the thermometer de-
.eended no degrees.
Warned by the intense cold that II
might be dangerolrs to remain much
longer exposed 70 its Arctic effects,
Laaardi wisely descended. lie came
down at 4 O'Clock In a large aud beauti-
lal meadow, which he found was near
Ware in Hertfordshlre. From this time
his success as an aeronaut was sc
cured
The stamp clerk often weighs otle.
peoples words.
Hus,.