Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-18
WEllMAN NOT FIRST.
Donaldson Attempted Over Ocean
Balloon Voyage in 1873.

| The recent historic failure of Walter
Nellman's dirigible balloon America
| TO cross the Atlantic is believed by
| most people TO be the first attempt
| ever made to cross the ocean by bal
| loon. This is, Of course, untrue; be-
sldes the attempts of nobody knows
how many scores of Missionaries. and
| leaving aside the famous fake story
sold To the New York Sun in 1874 by
Edgar Allen Poe of a successful trip,
there las been one perfectly we'll
known and public attempt made in
October. 1873, starting from Brooklyn
and winding up in Connecticut.
| The balloon was huge, round af-
fair, not a dirisib.e. but the lifeboat
which was a feature of Wellman's bal
ioon. was used in this earlier one. and
the equilibrator-which is, after all.
| only J drag rope, and has been used
n all drifting balloons since gas bal
looms We're passenger carriers-was al
50 feature.
| The aeronaut of the 1873 balloon was
Washington Harrison Donaldson and
| the enterprise was backed. as SO
many have been. by a newspaper, the
| Ne" York Daily Graphic the first of
tllt lHlStr3ted newspapers.
Donaldson was the son of David l..
Donaldson. a Philadelphia artist, and
was born oct. 10. 1910. He was an
adventurous boy. forever seeking
stunts Of skill and deXterity that 9TH
crs could not do. When still child
he could run mp an unsupported eight
foot ladder and balance himself on the
topnost round in q way to startle
the cieverest professional acrobats. He
quickly graduated to slack rope walk
ing and spent hours of his boynood in
perfeetinS himself as a rope walker
From this 1t was but d Step-a side
step. to be sure-to legerdemain and
rentriliquisan, and he is said to have
been one of the cleverest entertainers
in his day.
Donaldson made his deput in Longs
Varieties Theater on South Third
street. Philadelphia. But sensational
feats OF rope walking in public at
tranted him more than theatrical
shows. and Incidentally made him
famous.
In 1867 lie walked across the Schuyl-
kill river at Philadelphia on rope
LOO feet long Gnd 1900 feet above the
water. Two years later ne walked a
rope 1900 feet long and 200 feet aoove
the Gcresee Falls at Rochester, y. Y.
Five years later than this he was the
first man To ride Il Velocipede across
It tight Wire from stage to gallery of
theatre.
In 1871 Donaldson took up aeronaut-
les, raking his first ascent on August
81. His career was short. for his last
trip was rad" on July Is, 1875. and he
was never seen again after he started.
1nGeed he vas accused of throwing a
companion overheard to save himself,
but this vas entirely out of accord
with every other known act of his life
and never gained any credence.
His first trip showed the mans char
acteristics. His balloon was very
ST.. Ill. holding only 5000 feet of gas
The gas was OF poor quality. and whei
Donaldson was ready to start he
found it impossible to rise until he had
thrown out all his ballast. Even then
tie balloon came down within a few
moments on the roof of "a neighboring
house
Donaldson thereupon threw over
board all loose objects, ropes, anchors,
provisio ms. anG even his coat and
boots. Then he made trip of is
miles.
Early in 1873. Donaldson having
made % or so ascents. yearned for
something more sensational 10 do than
5allooning across country. He ac-
coraingly began making plans for an
attempt at a Atlantic voyage.
based apparently upon no more scfen-
titic reason than that he had noticed
in all his trips aloft tendency to
drift continually eastward.
He was by no means the first to
dream of the possibilities Of trans
oceanic ballooning. AS early as 1S43
Prof. John Wise had tried TO raise
funds for such a journey-it is entire
j