Amador ledger., 1905-12-08

''Last fall I participated in an experience
that for its wonderful phases has never
been duplicated.
John Bennett reached for his pipe, filed
and lighted it. and then glanced toward me
as if to ask If 1 wished to hear what he
had to divulge. He is a very remarkable
man, of that rare type fast disappearing.
For more than half a century he has made
his home in the heart of California's majes-
tic mountains. and like the Poet of the
SierraS," he wears flowing patrlarchal
beard, and hair to match, and is himself
q student and a poet by nature.
I settled myself in my chair with an ap-
preciative nod, and John Bennett began
what is truly a most remarkable story.
''I am the oldest graduate of Yale In
California, he said; ''and 1 tnink it was
this that brought to the ranch a party
of scientists from my old university. am
not at liberty to name them, for they are
coming again to try another experiment,
and until that has been made, the whole
thing is secret of theirs. 1t will not do any
harm to tell as much as l intend to, how
"They brought with them dirigible bal
loon, and cOnfided that they were going to
make an ascent and study the topography
of the Sierras so as to be able to make an
accurate map of the entire range. 1t didn't
turn out that way however, as you will see.
% In sort of superficial way 1 have al
ways been interested in aerostatics and
kindred sciences; and when they asked me
to accompany them as guide and compan-
ion l accepted the invitation with alacrity.
We went farther up into the range, and
made camp. They took their machine out,
and began the work of assembling the
parts; and I want to say here that it was a $
complete a thing as ever man made. There
was everything calculated to make the trip
a success and every appliance to prevent ac-
cident. It's pretty cold up on top of the
range above timber line, and arrangements
had been made to prevent this condition
from retarding the experiments. The car
ball frfTa
frame of aluminium. 1t was entirely en-
closed, and was heated from an electric
motor, which also propelled the machine.
Hydrogen gas was used as the lifting
power, supplemented by another motor. and
oxygen was manufactured and supplied to
the occupants of the car when the atmos-
phere became too rarified for comfortable
breathing. Provisions were stored for the
party-enough to last six men a week
and when the ascension was made it seemed
that not a thing had been overlooked. All
mometers were taken along, and everything
necessary for the proper study of the con-
ditions that might confront the party after
leaving the earth.
1T was q sparkling morning when the
signal was given, and we arose with a
bound and were soon soaring over the tops
OF the snowy peaks. Never shall 1 forget
that sight as I gazed through the sides and
bottom Of the transparent car. So bright
was the sunshine that we were forced to
draw the green silk curtains at some of the
windows. Within five minutes we were
looking down on toy mountains that were
dropping away from us as stone drops
from the top of tall building; and the
atmosphere had become so rarefied that the
oxygen tank was opened into the car, and
the heating motor was started. Far off
to the west, we could see the tiny valleys,
and, still farther. an endless blue expanse
that marked the Pacific Ocean. Many men
have exulted in the view from a balloon.
but few have ever had the experience Of
making an ascension to height above