UP IN THE CLOUDS.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3111, 6 February 1879, Page 1

UP IN THE CLOUDS.

I The following story of an exciting balloon adventure wan sent to the New York Herald by its correspondent in Scranton, Pennsylvania :—The exciting balloon ascension of Professor 8. A. King from this city, recently, when he went up in a storm and was swept orer the dreary mountain ranges south east of Scran ton, has caused much anxiety for his safety, and the telegraph and newspaper offices have been beseiged with eager inquiries for his whereabouts. Messages were sent in all directions asking if he had been seen: Easton, Allentown, Stroudsburg, Portland and other places, where it was thought he would probably pass, responded that the balloon had not been heard of in those places. Tonight the suspense had reached a painful climax, and fears wero felt for a sad fate for the aoronaut. A fugitive telegram from Phcßuixville, stating that the balloon passed the place late on Saturday with the basket torn away and a man clinging in the rigging served to heighten the anxiety. Your correspondent who, was to have accompanied Professor King but (or the storm which prevailed at the time of the ascension, is the only one here who has beard from him, and is pleased to say that, after an exciting and highly perilous voyage, the aronaut landed safely, although his balloon " King Carnival, was torn in pieces in making the descent.

The nronaut's story is a graphic des* criptioD of a perilous ride through the clouds. He landed in Providence town* ship. Montgomery county, Pa, a distance of about 125 miles from the starting poiut, making the trip in a little over two hours. The voyage was exceptionally exciting, and he describes the starting as being extremely thrilling,, there being barelj time to discharge ballast so as to clear obstructions in the city. He says when he turned to salute the crowd there was litt'e time to see the croud as he was whirled off and up in a gale. He saw but a conglomeration of bouses, railroads, round-houses, flaming furnaces, oars, chimneys, heaps of coal dust and swarms of people, all of which left a confused impression as they pained rapidly away. The earth was under ar cloud and looked dreary except a bright streak of sunshine running along the mountain top- west of Scran ton, making that particular spot by contrast to the surrounding!; appear an emerald green. The outlook ahead was anything but pleasant. The clearings were small; dense forests predominated, fringing the, approaches to the shades of death, a wilderness of swamp on the Pocon© ; Mountain. To land in such a place would, be to encounter innumerable dangers, and, the velocity of the wind, which at first' boded so much disaster, gave promise of a safe passage to the fields beyond. In seven minutes from the start the lower cloud level was reached, but the balloon disappeared in:the stratum aboto a few minutes later. The balloon was now expanded to its fullest tension] and the valve had to be opened repeatedly to relieve it, but the temperature of tot clotid was so warm that it rapidly induced! expansion of the gas, and the aeronaut rose rapidly. At last, after sailing through a dense mass of rolling olouH*» the sun was seen through a haze. A height of 12,000 feet was reached here, but frequent discharges of R«i brought the balloon down again nearly to the lower cloud stratum. Throujgh the 1 latter glimpses were obtained of the country beneath, which presented a dismal aspect. Nothing but hills, and, interminable forests, with an occasional stream of roadway threading through them, were to be seen. Again ballast was discharged, and the balloon mounted above the clouds. The mint had;disappeared and the sun, shining with full fordo on the balloon, caused a rapid aseeftt to the height of 17,000 feet. This situation was maintained more than an hour, when 'the balloon gradually desoended again. Tlte currents were all in one direction abov« and below, a little east of south at the start, and due south at the close of the voyage. Between the cloud rifts could now bei seen villages dotting the landscape, and a river ran directfy below the balloon. The nearer the aroninvap* proached the earth the more he realised how rapidly he was flying over the.land* •scape, and that the danger of landing in such a storm was imminent. "'

The moment the balloon fell into the cloud shadow descent was rapid. The •drag rope was lowered, the anchor made ready, and the shock awaited. After c ciiping a clump of woods, a field was reached, and the anchor quickly thrown out. Here ensued a series of frightful leaps across the fields. Whenever,, the anchor caught fdr an instant it brought the balloon down with a sudden bound da the earth canning it 'o leapinto the freedom p1 the air Again. The aeronaut held the collapsing cord, and at the first pull the iballoon struck the ground and rebounded violently, leaping over an immense pile of V»#ged posts into an open space beyond. v, nUe car. striking the earth again was nhpt tI»V .■%."»<*»* fence with the velocity bl ft b*M. *nd immediately afterward Se iSI/w n <*H«^d "»th a fall, spreadtms rl I2?'i. to» ik to shreds befote it Si h -seated. The car hUrig a could be...exti • tbe omdt , oi ? tn# short d.staoce h , ofal|rl f Tlli9 M ilie fTn t eSCu Pef T