UP IN A BALLOON WITH BALDWIN.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2587, 9 February 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

UP IN A BALLOON WITH BALDWIN.

— i The "Vagrant" of the Dniiedin Star gives nn interesting account of a balloon ascent with Baldwin and a descent by himself, somewhat as follows When Professor Baldwin courteously offered me a scat beside him in his projected ascent, I eagerly accepted tho offer. The professor was sorry lie could not aiso accommodate me with a share of his parachute for the purpose of descent, for as he sadlysaid, it was only built for one, and he had no wish to be my companion in a still lower journey than to the surface of the earth, hut I might if I chose remain with the balloon after he jumped off and bring it to earth, "But," I said with trepidation, "you will have all the fun, and I all the other thing." " Not at all, stranger," said Mr Baldwin. As these were the best terms available. I had no other course than to accept, for my persuasive powers could not prevail on the professor to change places with

ine. The preparations for our joint, aerial journey wore soon under way. The crowd of curious spectators around became denser and denser, and I ouh) fee! myself tho object of many wondering "lances and of ejaculations, probably made by some student of the Ingoldsby legends of "That's him!" I was instructed by my kind mentor to take off all my upper garments, and further advised how to proceed when up in the air. I was not to hold on to him at all, but to pass my arm round his hack, and to hold on to the sides of the swing, leaving him free to make his leap when ready. Then T had nothing to do but to sit 9teady and do nothing. "Only," he said, "If you strike the top of a house or a chimney hang on there and sing out for a ladder ; you will be all "right." I now glanced nervously at the stale of the weather. An evening breeze had sprung ud, and the waters of the bay were fleeked with white crested waves. But above the filtny clouds were lazily floating-, thus showing that our wind was purely local. Mr Baldwin noted the apprehensive glance I had given to the bay, and being beside me, felt my pulse. Not tho slightest acceleration betokened fear. "You're grit" said lie admiringly. " We shall have you doing this paraehnte biz yourself some day." From that moment I felt roas«ured. His confidence had been imparted to mo. All this time the silicon spheroid was developing itself, the crowd surrounding t.ho enclosure bee una more and more compact, and more and more intent upon tho scene. The adjacent heights of Montecillo and Caversliam Rise were deeply fringed with human beings, all sharing the general eagorncss to seo two men take their livos in their own hands. All being now ready, and tho ponderous globe madly struggling for liberty, the professor mounted a sumd and made a short spcech. I did not hear a word lie said so eager was I with anticipation. Tho sand bags which held the balloon down were detached, and tho numerous ropes which formerly held them were taken by men and extended to their full length. Now was revealed tho contrivance in which wc were to f-it, and I was gaily told to take a seat. Tho professor then bade adieu to bis wife. I nm a married man myself so I knew the details. He took his scat beside ine, and called out " Let go." For a moment the balloon poised itself as if doubtful yet of its freedom, and then shot straight up into tho air. The sensation was not tliat we were rising, but that the earth below us was receding. A tingling in my cars and a sinking sensation in my stomach testified to the great speed we were rising at. But, withal, there was a sense of exhilaration, of bouudless joyousnsss and power of flight, which soon held sway over our feelings. I now looked down and saw the crowds we had left but a moment before, seeming like irregular inky blots upon the mottled surface of the earth. The sinuous length of the harbour lay like a newly thrown down girdle of old silver, and the ships on its surface seemed fropi this new point of observation like so many toys. To our right lay the ocean, shimmering in the declining sun, aiui fringed with a thin irregular line of white surf. Inland, the fertile Taieri plain could be seen, and it appeared almost immediately below us, so completely hid my ideas of perspective become confused. But I remember observing how nearly it resembled a checker board, with its rectanglor divisions of fields, and their alternations of light and dark green. And another curious illusion was that alt the surface of the earth below seemed flat. At this elevation one gains a wider horizon, and loses in a measure tho effect of tho earth's rotundity. Single people seemed like insects, and animals like larger ones. All those impressions were gained in the space of a moment., when our balloon poised itself as if hesitating which course to take. An aeronaut has generally something else to do besides admiring landscape. We were now about 2,000 ft high, the professor said; and he calculated it was about time to step down. He gathered to himself tho ring of bis parachute and said " Good-bye ; take care of yourself,'' and then leaped off. He did not stop to shake hands. For a second, the balloon, relieved of half its pendent, weight, shot upward, ns I could feel by a renewed tigbtpninir of the chest, but I could plainly hear Iho whistling of tho escaping gas above inn, and leel the relaxing of th" c lrds. The same net which detached the parachute from the side of the balloon also opened a means of egress for the gas. I had the curiosity to look down to seo bow my late companion fared. At first ho shot away from me like a plummet. Then our relative positions changed, for my balloon held on its wind borne course, while he descended perpendicularly. Gradually the bottom end of the folded bag to which ho was hanging bsgan to flutter at the edges. Next the parachute assumed the appearance of a huge old fashioned brush and comb bag inverted, then it gracefully expanded itself into umbrella shape, and the daring athlete alighted like a bird into the middle of a grassy quarter.acre sectiou. It seemed about time to attend to my own affairs. The earth seemed now to advance towards me. My former sensations wero reversed. All the blood in my body seemed to be rushing to my head, and I felt so giddy that I almost let go. Much to my alarm my speed seemed to be increasing, and I began to look for a soft place to fall, The volume of gas in the balloon had now sensibly diminished and huge wrinkles began to appear on its quilted sides. Still we rushed downward, and I felt so giddy and sick that I lost all anxiety as to the result. Kecollect I was still sitting in the swing, as I did not dare to change my position. All that I remember further was that the earth seemed to come to me with a final rush, and it struck me with such violence on that part of my body most exposed to attack that I was dislodged from my scat and lay panting on the ground. The balloon, freed from my weight, made another ineffectual bound, but sank in the effort, and lay gasping and heaving beside me. At this interesting juncture I awoke, and found myself on tho floor in the most undignified of attitudes and a most alarming condition of nudity.