Year: 1878

Boston Post.


The many Thousand persons who saw the
mon on Thursday morning admired the cool
uess of the operator, Mark Qninlan, in making
the attempt 10 the strong wind.


Toe word let CO. was given FIVE minutes
before nine O'Clock, and the machine suddenly
shot upward to a height of 1000 feet, instead
of ascending gradually and smoothly, as was
the intention. In attempting to work the
cranks, bv means of which the fans are put in
motion, Qlinlsn found, to his horror, that
something was binding the gearing, and that
the machinery would not work. The balloon,
being il rflated with hydrogen gas, which has q
greater expansive power than the ordinary
illuminating gas that ID generally used in bal
looming, bscame of greater susceptibility to
the influence of the rarifed atmosphere at
began 10 crack, aud the bands surrounding the
vulcanized rubber cylinder or balloon began
to snap.


The situation of the -onaut was now ore
of extreme danger. He must do something,
and that Immediately he must get his ma
chnery in motion to descend into q lower at
mospheIe, or accomplish the same result by a
more hazardous expedieut of cutting bole in
the balloon. He resolved that nothing b 1T the
direst necessity would tempt him to resort TO
the latter method of regaining terra firma.
He determined rot to resort to the emitting
until all the other expedients had failed, aud
around his left ankle, and then removing his
foot from the ntirrup, be fastened it securely
to one of the brass pipes of which the frame
of the machine is constructed.


Having fasteue9 his left wrist in the same
way to the frame of the machine, Mr.. Quinlan
got out OF his saddle and let himself down
under the machine Having discovered the
cause of the difficulty to be o loosened screw,
the bead of which, projecting out, came in
contact with one of the small gear wheels, he
took out his jack knife, and using the point of
blade as Q screw-driver, he turned the screw
back into its place and fastened it securely.
He then regained his seat and found that the
of reverse motion to the central or Iizont tai
fan, he was descending. He madeteis first
landing at Farnumsville, near Grafton, at
twenty minutes after 10 o'clobk, having made
the forty -four miles in one hour and twenty
five minutes.


After q luncheon and @ rest, he made another
ascent, with the hope that he might reach
Boston in time to make two other exhibitions,
as auyertsad. The machine this time worked
well, but after he had got we'll up he found
that the lower current of wind was blowing
in the same direction from which he bad come,
and in order to rectify this, he started for the
higher current, and found that it was blowing
toward Boston; but yet he was a great way
from the city, and with everything in his
favor it was yet another thing to make the
desired point. Contrary winds proved too
much for his courege and skill. and after learn
ing that the wind was increasing. and that the
lower corrent had not changed at all since he
started, he concluded it best to land in the
most available place, and he did SO without
much trouble, this time at Dover, and
hbout hour after be left Farnumville.
He concluded to start for Boston by rail, which
he did. reaching bere about 6:30, and bringing
his machine with him, which was found to be
in good condition, and which, be says, worked
perfectly after he fix sd it securely.