Three Balloon Trips,

Evening Star, Issue 7233, 8 June 1887, Page 4

Three Balloon Trips,

Having served my ’prenticeship, and seen what most, if not all, other people’s balloons were like, I determined upon becoming owner and captain of my own vessel. Accordingly 1 bought the good balloon “ Eclipse,” of 28,000 cubic feet, and set to work to fit her up after my own fashion. I engaged a professional to arrange the first start (at Aldershot), and employed some soldiers of my company to assist at the inflation. But Mr Wright did not arrive till the balloon was half full, and then in duty bound complained of everything, declared that it was all wrong, and that I must never again think of doing these things by myself; in short, he would be most happy (for a consideration) to come and arrange it all for me any day. However, the time for the ascent was at hand. The balloon was full, and standing proudly under the lee of the gasworks. I got into the car with two friends, and two or three greatcoats; a basket of lunch and sundry other necessary luxuries were piled upon us —out went the ballast bags, till we “lifted.” Up we went—bump into a house. “Now, then, out with your ballast.” The balloon bounded off the house. It neared a wall, and was evidently about to try its strength against that structure. “Keep tight hold of the rope!” cried Wright from below—but I thought otherwise, and deemed it best to postpone this trial of trength—so let go one end of the rope, iu d, just clearing the wall, we soared up in line style. After an enjoyable voyage we determined to descend, came down with a good bump in one field, and bounding over a large hedge, in which the grapnel took a firm hold, landed softly in a grass field, A pack of harriers immediately surrounded us, and looked rather surprised at the huge, strong-smelling monster, while some rustics puzzled us with their anxious inquiries. “ Had an accident ? ” “ No.” “ Lost your way?” “No.” “Then why did ye come down here ?” The balloon was soon packed up by willing hands, not without some merriment; especially after I had requested a small boy to be so good as to get inside, which he willingly endeavored to do. Those only who have experienced inhaling a good mouthful of gas can appreciate the poor lad’s sensations. We had a curious journey to the nearest station, eight miles off. Ofle stout cob drew a cart containing us three—the driver, the balloon, and apparatus—and trotted the whole way, and the man was delighted to receive five shillings. Next time I went up I determined to manage the whole thing myself, assisted as before by some of my men. We did not bump against any houses or walls this time, although the day was, as my sergeant described it, very “blusterous.” Just as we were about to start, my companion’s thoughtful servant pushed his way to the fore, and with tearful eyes requested that before we went off he might have his book settled up. We shot away at lightning speed, and almost before we could look round we were a mile from our point of departure. But on getting up to about 4,000 ft our pace became more moderate. We saw a curious phenomenon. It is not unusual to see the shadow of a balloon, with halobedecked car, on solid ebuds, but on this occasion it was thrown on a thin mist between us and the ground. The result appeared like a huge shadow on the actual fields and woods below. The hills, gene rally indistinguishable from a balloon, stood out clearly above the mist.

We had an exciting descent. A “ guideline," about I,oooft long, with a flag at the

bottom, told us that the wind below was I blowing at a different rate from what it was f above. The line has a curious appearance j when looked ou from above. It hangs quite > straight for several hundred feet, and then bends out, apparently almost at right angles. As we came down, the lower end of the guide-line touched the ground. We went over some farm buildings, the line dragging over the roofs. A large _ open piece of ground, seemingly half-a-mile across, lay before us ; beyond that several woods. Now, I had always learned from aeronauts: “ Whatever you do, avoid trees and woods; come down in the open.” Down we came. We now saw that we were driving along at a tremendous pace. This is a moat alarming sensation. You are going along (perhaps 50ft up) over the ground like an express train—quite quiet and safe ; but you know that directly you touch, never mind how gently you descend, you must get a tremendous bump, like jumping out of a train at full speed. Also, that the bottom of the car will be the first point to touch, so that the result will be that the car must be violently upset, I throw out the grapnel; the bump comes, hard and cruel; we are rolled over, car and all; but we hang on tight, neither of us is any the worse, and the balloon bounds upward again. The grapnel gives a tremendous jerk and jumps off the ground, which is as hard as can be. It then bounds along, now and then catching for the moment, but only to communicate a good tug to the balloon. It is, however, a good test that the cable is all right. We can do nothing but hang on. lam hauling on to the valve-line hard, with my arm round the car-line, so as not to be thrown out. Suddenly we dash right into the bushes of the wood. We tear through them. The balloon seems like a maddened horse dashing on to destruction. But the anchor cannot follow through the wood. It holds tight; we are safe, and a great feeling of relief comes over us. My companion gets out, and wo try our best to tow the balloon out of the wood. But it ■won’t move an inch ; the cable is like a bar of iron, so strong is the pull of the wind, which has greatly increased since our start. The gnpnel is half ouried in the bank in which it caught. With a sorrowful feeling I proceed to let all the gas out. People collect; the balloon is lying spread out on the tree-tops ; how can it be got down ? A woodman is fetched, he makes sad havoc of the covert with his axe, and then all together we forcibly drag the poor aiirial steed down through the trees. Each tug must have caused him excruciating pain, the horrid branches and sticks tearing open his skin. He is laid on his car, and solemnly carried off.

The day after a post mortem examination is held. He certainly has two very bad wounds and several small ones ; but two days' work and they are all neatly sewn up and healed; he is all the stronger. I found after the balloon had been packed up that my aneroid was gone. We searched about the wood in vain, but I left word that if found I would give a reward for it, with the result that more than a year after I was surprised to receive by post the instrument, somewhat the worse for its long exposure. My next balloon trip was short, but gentle. Two brother officers were to accompany me, but the pressure from the gasworks was so insufficient that bag after nag of ballast was put out, but still we didn’t rise. At last, with ballast reduced to one small bag, we ascended slowly. But we had not gone far when the Eclipse seemed to think she had had enough, and down she came again. It was no use. We could not attempt a journey without any ballast at all, as it is most necessary to have plenty of sand ready to discharge, to avoid coming down in awkward places, etc. It came to a toss up, and our passenger got out. More ballast was then shipped, and we rose up well. On reaching 4,000 ft the thermometer had fallen 20deg, although we were basking in a warm sun. At this height we could distinguish Southampton Water in the distance. We travelled very slowly, and after an hour and a quarter had only gone eight miles. _ I gained a curious bit of experience on coming down, due to the dead level at which all things appear to be when seen direct from above. Below us was apparently a flat common. We descended gently. I threw out the grapnel, which began to drag through the bushes and furze. I then opened the valve to let out the gas, but, to my surprise, instead of our continuing to de-cend, I saw that the anchor trailing at the end of the cable had suddenly left the ground ; and on we floated, over some trees, in which the grapnel caught, and down we came, after making two or three shots for an open space, through the trees, to the ground. I found afterwards that the cause of all this was that the ground, instead of being level, was hilly. The place where we first touched was the top of a small hill, beyond which was a deep valley, over which, as it were, our grapnel jumped.