Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-07
TRAVEL THROUGH. THE SKY.


 Our watches mark two o'clock in the morning, and from every point in the gky horizon great, grayish, cumulose clouds rush toward us with terrifying rapidity. We are imprisoned in a cir ale of fog that grows constantly thick Pr and hides the earth from view. We .ise with it to height of six thousand two hundred feet. Then, as if to play with us, the perfidious fog disappears again, and again we catch glimpses of the earth, but for brief spell only, for soon the mists gather again beneath us nt a height of about five thousand one hundred feet. The moon appears to Us surrounded by a circle of iridescent cOlors, called the halo, q phenomenon whose full spendor is enjoyed only by RerOnauts. CastillOn sleeps a little on the floor of the car while I watch over the equilibrium of the "Centaure." We have used four hundred pounds of bal last. and if no accident happens We have the best chances to remain in the air all day, and perhaps the following night Hence it is necessary for us to rest. for, if we land during the second night, we shall have need of all our strength. Pupils of the same school. that of Maurice Mallet, Castillon. and l have the same method of managing q baloon and unlimited confidence in each other. When one watches, the other sleeps tranQuilly.
 At half-past four the fog in the east whitens, becomes more and more transparent, and then a ruddy spot, all ragged, reddens the horizon. Dawn ap- pears. We cross large river.
 Half-past five! It is broad daylight. Through the chilling of the air, which immediately precedes the appearance of light, we drop to within fifteen hun dred feet of the earth. Everywhere shouts make known our presence. We try to get information. and hail the people with the megaphone we carry but. alas. without success. The words that reach our ears are unintelligible. Moreover, that matters little to Us. for we are certain of our direction. and we have all Europe before us. The coun- try we pass is very much broken. The mountains look like wooded balloons furrowed with abrupt. inclosed gorses. Picturesque landscapes grow more numerous We should be over SaXOny in the midst of the Thuringia MOun- tainS.
 SiX-twenty. The sun appears before our eyes, then mounts slowly and ma jestically above the horizon line We examine the sky all about us and per ceive behind us higher than ourselves. a balloon We aim ouf' tield-glass at it. and think we recognize the 'St LOuis, but it is too far away for us to be sure Soon the rival balloon disap- pears in the clouds. With the heating of the sun, the "Centaure" also begins to rise. In turn we penetrate into the midst of the clouds, and soon have reached the altitude of the night, four thousand, six fundred feet. Great cumulosc clouds roll ill serried ranks beneath our feet, and we find agan our rival balloon. .,s ,..,.. ...,5
 Seven-twenty. The upward movc- ment continues. Here we are at seven thousand, seven hundred feet. We float above sea of clouds, and the shadow of the "Centaure," surrounded by the famous aureole of the aer0- nallts. is projected on the aerial waves. Our competitor follows us at d slightly greater altitude. Then, suddenly, the clouds disappear as if by magic. Mountains flee behind us. We pass ill., to q country of immense plains, and are going toward Silesia. The weather clears more and more, and the "St Louis," which has conie nearer to us, and been distinctly recognized, mounts toward the zenith.
 The country is thickly settled. Cities succeed cities without our being able to name them certainly. Our direction is ever the same. We are stationary at height of eight thousand, six hun dred feet. BalsCn, the aeronaut of the St Louis," still goes up. He throws out ballast, passes us. and scuds in Il more southery direction than we.- Success.