Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1903-07-03

kaaIASSAANS lar course of study that
year, and we spent most of
the spring term experimenting on our
own account and exploding vast
number of gas balloons.
The spring term closed on June &c,
and all the boys went home, except
my chum Jarvis and myself, who in
consequence of spending so much
time experimenting had been CON
ditioned," and had a weeks hard work
to make up in our Greek.
Rather than have it hanging over
us all summer and into the next year,
we agreed to do it at once and have
done with it. Permission was accorded
to us to go on living in our rooms
at the hall, and the resident profes-
sor in Greek consented to give us an
extra examination.
1t was dreadfully hot during the
last four days of June, but we toiled
away with Greek grammar and leXi-
con, hoping to get home for the
Fourth of July; and we should have
done so, but our Greek professor ate
too much cantaloup on the day set
4S hours he had appendicitis.
1t proved to be no such serious
trouble, but it hindered our plans.
The professor was not able to exam
inc us till the afternoon of the third,
so we could not possibly get home
for the Fourth.
Jarvis was furious.
"Confound cantaloup!" he grum-
bled. "And confound a professor that
doesn't know better than to eat it,
No use to start now. We couldn't
get home!" he ragged on. 81 won't
spend the Fourth in a railway car!
Let's stay here and shake the old
town up! Let's send up balloon at
midnight! Well make it rain here
to-morrow!"
Rather an incendiary sentiment, the
reader will say, but we had been shut
up with Greek for six long, hot days.
We had access to the laboratory in
Chemistry hall, where we had our
balloons, and generated the oxygen
and hydrogen gas for exploding them.
There was "A quantity of cotton
cloth, paper and glue, which had not
been used; and that evening we made
balloon ten feet in diameter, which
we succeeded in charging, outside the
window, with oxygen and hydrogen
from the laboratory retorts, in the
proportion of two to one, that being
the formula by which the two gases
unite to produce water-and a par
t.cular ear-splitting explosion.
We finished the balloon, and had
the gas generated at a little past
II o'clock; and then, after charging
large Leyden jar from the static
electrical machine, we started out to
astonish the quiet little town, and
usher in the Fourth of July.
We had large ball of strong ma
Mia twine and a spool of small cop
per wire, the ends of which were at
tached for spark,at the base of the
BALBOA.
We led our balloon, like frisllS
colt, along the lane at the rear ot
the chemistry building, and out across
the campus to the edge of the pine
woods. Then we let it rise.
The night was very dark and still
but clouds had risen in the north anC
west, and there was frequent glow
OF lightning in that quarter
"There's a shower coming!" Jarvis
exclaimed, as the balloon began it,
ascent. 1--WE shall have to max,
haste"
I2nt as yet there was not breatl
of wind stirring; the balloon ha'
risen and hung directly overhead an,
was pulling hard at its restraining
string,
We knew from past experience tha
when the electric spark acted on tn
two gases the explosion would b
something tremendous; but W
thought that at a height of 500 or 90
feet, out there by the woods, n
damage would follow
And perhaps none would have fol
lowed, If all had gone as we planned
but Jarvis had great deal of trou
BILE connecting the wires. lie wa