The Virginia enterprise., 1903-07-03
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euC spring CcFlu 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 icon.
ditioned,' and had 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
for the examinatfen; and thought for
4s hours he haf'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. II won't
spend the Fourth in railway car!
Let's stay here and shake the old
town up! Let's send up balloon at
midnight! Well make it rain here
tomorrow"
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 ou1
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
a 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
ticular ear-splitting explosion
We finished the balloon, and ha6
the gas generated at little past
II o'clock; and then, after charging
a large Leyden jar from the static
electrical machine, we started out tc
astonish the quiet little town, and
usher in the Fourth of July.
We had a large ball of strong ma.
Mia twine and spool of small COD.
per wire. the ends of which were at
tached for spark at the base of the
balloon.
We led our balloon, like frisky
colt, along the lane at the rear OF
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 and
west, and there was a frequent glow
of lightning in that quarter.
'There's a shower coming!" Jarvis
exclaimed, as the balloon began its
ascent. I'VE shall have to make
haste" r..
But as yet there was not breath
of wind stirring; the balloon had
risen and hung directly overhead, and
was pulling hard at its restraining
string. .. ..- -?
We knew from past experience that
when the electric spark acted on the
two gases the explosion would be
something tremendous. but we
thought that at a height Of 500 or 9o(
feet, out there by the woous, nc
damage would follow. . d: IS r.
And perhaps none would have fol
lowed if all had gone as we planned
but jaws had great deaf Of trou
! BILE sesnestsag the wires. He VA.