Year: 1859

DoAAOoA /" AAA"USs


From the New York Express.


Seeing a communication in your paper
headed, {" Is the Balloon Humbug? % in
duces me to say the few following words
abou: Mr.. Lowe, and l would not say a
word about it, had not Mr.. Lowe, first
through the newspapers, and subsequently
through pamphlet, appropriated to himself
in balloon sailing, that justly belong to me,
and which are so patent to the public, hav-
ing been published in my book, "History
and Practice of Aeronautics, "a copy of
which l present you,) issued eight years ago
for the very purpose of learning the world
all l knew then of ballooning. He also
perverts the origin Of the idea of great
eastern current in his pamphlet, so as to
make it appear that was not the first to
prove the fact. He claims the invention of
sounding-line of peculiar linseed oil
varnish, of copper float, of a power in fan.
wheels to elevate and depress the balloon.


All these things you will find in my book
published in 1850, and from which Mr..
Lowe has unscrupulously attempted to pirate
my hard-earned and weather beaten thunder
in balloon progress to his own glory, or
shame, as the case may yet be, and thus
only am l induced to speak word in self
defence, and to the maintenance of truthful
history in the progress of the art.


l may also be permitted now to say that
Mr.. Lowe is an aeronaut of seventeen
months chronology, and of no scientific at
tainments, and he has not made ten reputa-
BILE ascensions. By profession he is "ma-
gician )" by nature a man of very gentle
manly demeanor by practice in balloon
progress-an unscrupulous plagiarist.


When Mr.. Lowe first disclosed his plan
of big balloon to me, in August last, he
impressed me with the belief that he was
really in earnest to make the attempt to
cross the Atlantic, and he invited me to
take seat in his air ship for that voyage
but before he had progressed far in his work
plainly saw that he would not be likelyto
succeed, even so far as fair start, as be was
deficient in practical knowledge, and very
specifically versed in the philosophy of
ballooning, and consequently refused his
offer to take passage with him. Not be-
lieving in its possible success, refrained
from having my name associated with the
scheme.


am not disposed to say that Mr.. Lowe
never intended to try the experiment, but
like your correspondent, whose communica-
tion attracted my attention, would ask,
why was that most remarkable spell of
calm, favorable weather of twelve days.
just past, not taken advantage of, if there
was any sincerity in the world heralded
announcement. When Mr.. Gager provided
the Atlantic balloon, and had it announced
in Harper's Weekly that we would make the
attempt to sail from St. Louis to New York
we tried it at once, and succeeded in getting
over all the ground we proposed, and little
more. We did not fritter away our good
day of grace that served US to fill the bal
loon and start in good weather, and in good
faith to our announcement.


If Mr.. Lowe had been playing upon pnblic
credulity, in order to do something else than
try to cross the Atlantic, it should not only
be considered as one of his biggest slight
of hand " performances, upon very big
audience, with very big gas bag made out
of nine cent per yard muslin.


As l intend to try the Trans Atlantic
voyage myself next summer, you will excuse
me being thus plain, as am also willing to
be tried by the same exposure of intentions
and abilities that l have candidly awarded
Mr.. Lowe. JOHN WISE.


LANCASTER, Nov. IL, 1859.