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THE LATEST NEWS BY MAIL.

  TERRIBLE STORM ON THE LAKES; It seems
that the hurricane encountered by the crew
of the balloon "Atlantic," when over the Lake on Saturday last, was even worse than represented by Prof. Wise, in his account of their voyage. The Buffalo Republic says:
  "On Saturday afternoon this vicinity was visited by a squall of wind and rain, which, though short in duration, was furious while it lasted. Buffalo was not alone in this visitation. The same storm swept over Lake Erie, but with more startling and terrible effect. 

SYSTEMATIC BALLOONING.

To the Editor of The N.Y. Tribune.
  Sir: In The Daily Tribune of July 12, 1859, there appears a communication over the signature of John La Mountain, which, from the remarks you make below, would seem to require no reply from me. I think, with Mr. Gager, that we ought to have no controversy about this matter, but be thankful that our lives were saved, and we thus enabled to communicate to our fellow-men the results of our experience. I desire to detract from no person's glory in this eventful experiment. I desire no controversy with any of my associates in it; my whole aim and object is to promote the art of aerial navigation and with it the science of meteorology. It is only when I am wrongfully and willfully assailed by respectable journals that I deem defense necessary. Yours is one of that class of journals, and in it I crave a reply, not in anger, but in a wish that the true relation existing between Mr. La Mountain and myself may be better judged. If he feels himself wronged by my being a partner in the balloon, and having, by a written contract, the "chief directorship" of it, I will only say that he can buy me out at what I have invested in it in cash. 
  To give you and your readers as little trouble about this matter of controversy, and as the only and last allusion to it, I send you herewith two letters from Mr. La Mountain to me about the building of the balloon with which we made the trans-continental trip. I will only add that Mr. O. H. Gager is the projector of the whole thing, so far as the balloon Atlantic is concerned, and with him and his partners--not La Mountain--I have and hold the contract. I here submit two of a great number of letters I received from Mr. La Mountain on the subject of the balloon Atlantic. He is an aeronaut of one year's practice, and I furnished him his balloon "Pride of America," with which he made a number of ascensions, and with which he took up Mr. Gager at Bennington, Vt.
  Without consulting Mr. Gager on what I state here, I pledge you my word that he will vouch for its accuracy.
  Here are two original letters from Mr. La Mountain to me, which please publish, and I will no more trouble you or your readers with anything that Mr. La Mountain or his friends may say about me, believing that time and truth will correct all things.
  Respectfully yours, JOHN WISE.
Lancaster, Pa, July 12, 1859.
                             Lansingburgh, Dec. 16, 1858.
  John Wise--Dear Sir: Ever anxious to  correspond with you, your generosity is sending me instructions during my apprenticeship will ever remain a lasting proof of that goodness for which you have long been justly celebrated  I can never sufficiently express my thanks to you for your kind advice to me, which has been the cause of my past success; and I must look to you for more. Since I wrote to you I have been to New-York City to see about the rubber I told you of, and to see about the motive power. now, Sir, I want to see you in New-York City, because I want to show you some things there which will pay you well for the coming city. If you can meet me there on the 1st of January next, let me know in due time. You will have a chance of seeing the motive power that I spoke of, and all about the rubber and so on. As I told you before, you shall have the job of making my balloon, for I know you can do it better that I can. When we meet we will talk it all over. In this letter I will send you a sample of rubber-coated silk. On the rubber we can have a lay of silk, and give the silk a coat of oil; and that way it would, I think hold the gas almost forever. You will see that the silk is very light. It can be coated as light as we please to have it. Please to write to me soon. Send your letters to Lansingburgh, N.Y. I am, Dear Sir, yours, truly, JOHN LA MOUNTAIN.
                              Lansingburgh, Jan. 16, 1859.
  Mr. John Wise--Dear Sir: I wrote you a letter two days ago, and I was in a great haste, as I was ready to go to Bennington, Vt., with Mr. Gager. As I might have forgotten something that I wanted to ask you, I write to you again before I get an answer from the last, as it has not had time to reach me yet. As I told you in my last, Mr. Gager has got the money ready to buy the silk for the balloon that I told you of. Now, all we are waiting for is the right kind of silk to be bought, and as I am at a loss what to get, you must help me to decide in the case. The heavy gray pongee that you spoke of, I could not find any in Boston. I can get plenty of lighter silks, but, for as large a balloon as 60 feet, it is too light. And I thought of a plan, that is, to make the ball double for two-thirds of the upper part of the balloon.
  I have found a kind of white silk that is very strong, and would make the best of balloon--that is for a balloon of about 49 feet--and it would be strong enough for the lower part of the sixty-foot balloon, and the upper part might be made double. I have taken some silk and varnished it; I gave it one coat of varnish, and let it get well dry, then I took about one part of copal and two parts of balloon varnish, and stuck it together. I cannot yet tell how well it will stick together, for it is not yet well dried; but I think that a balloon can made in that way, and it would increase its imperviousness very much. It will cost more to make a balloon in that way, for it will take more silk--the white silk, I forgot the name of it--but it will cost around 70 cents per yard; it is but 50 inches wide. For the inside layer of the balloon, I can get a very strong and light tassle silk; it will cost 50 cents per yard; it is also 50 inches wide. Now, Sir, I want you to well consider the question I ask you, and let me know right  Send me some of the twine you spoke of; let me know how much it will cost to get the balloon made in Lancaster. The money for the balloon will not be got by a company. Mr. Gager and myself will find the funds. Be as light on us as you can. I told Mr. Gager about you, and he said he would be very glad to have you have a hand in the balloon, if you wish, and use your name. I do not think that I will try to cross the Atlantic next Summer, but I hope that we can make money enough next Summer to build the Atlantic with. This letter is about the same as the last, but in the case it might not reach you, I send you this. As soon as I hear from you, and we decide on the kind of silk to be used, I will be right on to Lancaster with the silk. I will stop some time in Lancaster, as I would like to knit the net myself, as you would not have time to do it yourself. The car and the propellers I will have made in Troy. I can get oil here for 65 cents per gallon. the kind of oils that you bought in New-York, when I was with you, I do no like, for it is very rotten. I can get plenty of it for $5 a piece, but I think it is very poor stuff. The kind of pongee that you spoke of, we might not get in market in six months. Let me know what you think best to do about silks.
          Truly Yours,         JOHN LA MOUNTAIN.
   P.S. Send your letters to Lensingburgh, N.Y.

THE LATE BALLOON VOYAGE.

A CARD FROM MR. GAGER.
To the Editor of The N.Y. Tribune.
  Sir: Having noticed the many articles published in various journals in reference to the late aerial voyage from St. Louis, many of which are incorrect, and do much justice to the several parties, i would respectfully ask you, for myself, to make some corrections.
  An account was published in The Troy Times, and copied into your own and other papers, as my account, and in Frank Leslie's Illustrated as an "account of the voyage in my own words." that account was not written by me, and it does Mr. Wise much injustice, as it represents him as using language which he did not use; and many other declarations which are therein contained are far from being "my own words." That account was first published in The Troy Times, and gleaned by their reporter for about ten minutes' conversation with myself, and the account of Mr. John Wise, as published in The Albany Journal. The Troy Times did me the favor in their next edition to say that "it was not, as many supposed, written by me;" but as it has been so extensively copied into the various journals, I feel that justice to all parties interested demands of me this explanation. It has also been stated that I furnished the capital of the enterprise, and that the ride bad cost me $2,000, although the balloon was wrecked in her descent to the earth, she can be made as good as when she started upon the voyage for a sum not exceeding $200. The interest the public have felt in this great enterprise seems to me to demand of us who were intimately connected in carrying it out a correct statement of its whole history, from its first inception to the termination of our voyage; and I feel earnestly desirous that such statement should be given to the public over the signatures of Mr. Wise, Mr. La Mountain and myself, both in justice to that public and to ourselves. I have not seen either of those gentlemen since we parted for our several homes. Such a statement shall be given to the public at as early a day as practicable; and at this time I would only add that I truly hope each one of the parties interested may be actuated only by such motives in every respect as shall tend but to the advancement of so noble a science and art.
                Truly yours,          O.H. GAGER.
  New-York, July 13, 1859.

American and Gazette

PHILADELPHIA:
TUESDAY, JULY 19, 1859.

SYSTEMATIC BALLOONING.
  During the recent terrible battle on the Mincio, a Frenchman, named Godard, who for some years attracted attention by his balloon ascensions in Philadelphia, made an attempt to ascertain the strength and positions of the Austrian army by observations from a balloon, and a correspondent of the London Times, on the Austrian side, supposes the attempt to have been successful, and the Emperor Napoleon to have been in full possesion of this important information. This is, of course, a mere guess, and not likely to be true, as the whole field of a great battle is covered by the densest volumes of sulphurous smoke, constantly augmented by the volleys of musketry and artillery. Moreover, the positions were so perpetually changing, and the confusion was so great, that one like Godard, unfamiliar with military movements, could scarce have made out anything, even though he had seen the field clearly.
  It is possible that a thoroughly educated military man, in a balloon car at a suitable elevation, furnished with proper signal flags to convey information to his friends, and spyglasses of strong power to see clearly the objects moving below, might be very useful to an army in battle. But the opposing force could easily put an end to his observations by a well directed rocket or bomb, so that the service would be rather hazardous. Still the attempt made in this case shows well for science, and will no doubt be followed up in future warlike maneouvres, by military commanders of the shrewdness and sagacity of the Emperor Napoleon, whose adaptation of the electro-magnetic telegraph to field service, in the operations of aid-de-camps, marks the capacity of a truly great intellect.
  But ballooning as a science is yet in too crude a state to be used with safety for any specific purpose, and so little are the currents of the air understood, that a balloon sent up by one army to perform spy service might be carried into the opposite ranks and furnish news to the enemy, since it is impossible for an aeronaut to direct his course wherever he chooses. He who assumes the office of a spy, takes the risk of death, if caught by the enemy. There is no chance of his escape, that being the one offence never forgiven in a camp. Self preservation teaches military men the stern necessity of this policy, and they would be foolish to relent where their own lives might pay the penalty of their ill judging mercy. Ballooning, then, may dignify the spy service, but the risk remains the same, and every aeronaut who undertakes the office, does so at the peril of his life.
  Our American balloonists, who recently made the long trip from the Mississippi to New York State, have gone about the matter much more practically than any others have yet done, and the results attained by them are of vastly more importance to the world than all the spy service of Godard. We have already spoken of the great upper current of air discovered by them. Mr. Wise thus refers to it in a letter to the New York Tribune:
  "I say there is a current of air blowing from west to east continually, and this current runs never less than fifty miles an hour; oftener sixty, seventy and eighty. Prof. Henry thinks it is the return current of the trade winds. As we ascend higher in the current, it runs faster, until we find it changing a little south of east. The lower current near the earth runs towards the north of east. t have found these currents at all times of the years, from the 1st of April to the 12th of December. In my correspondence with Charles Green, of London, a scientific aeronaut of much experience, I learn from him that these currents exist likewise in Europe. From my experience of finding them thirty-nine time out of forty trials, I contend that regular and precise voyages can be made from west to east, and to places fifteen and twenty degrees north of east, from the point of starting. Why, then, it is asked, did we not sail to the city of New York and deliver our express bag? It is a very rational inquiry, and deserves a rational explanation.
  "It could have been done and should have been done. The reason why it was not done is this: some of our party did not provide themselves with extra clothing. Immediately after leaving St. Louis, I took the balloon to an altitude at which she was making due east. In this current we sailed until some of my companions shivered with the cold, so that the balloon quivered with a tremor. Mr. La Mountain had taken no extra clothing, and the other two were not fully provided for the change of temperature. I had on two undershirts, woolen drawers, cloth coat, cassimere pants, and when over these I had two woolen blankets, the expostulations of my companions to come down into a more congenial temperature could not be unheeded. I admonished them, however, of our advertisement to sail for New York; but in response was told that if we got into the State the programme would be fulfilled. I also told them that the lower current would take us on the lakes, as it was coming from the southwest; but to this was answered that we could cross the lakes if we had ballast enough when we got to them.
  "We finally agreed upon that plan, and to make the voyage one of distance and experiments. One experiment was to try and sail near the earth or water. We did sail one hundred and seventy miles down over Lake Erie, and at no time over six hundred feet above the water. This showed that balloons have no greater tendency to water than to earth. Many aeronauts have stated that balloons will not keep up over the water."
  By this it seems tolerably clear that the party might easily have reached Philadelphia or Baltimore by taking the current running south of east. And it is a curious fact that the current tending toward Philadelphia runs much faster than that which they struck and kept in, so that, in fact. the elements are in our favor not less that the arterial channels of commerce. All this can only be brought to a system for use by numerous experiments, and we cannot doubt that, if a company with sufficient capital were to be formed for the purpose of experimenting, the end desired would be arrived at. Even were no other great air currents discovered, these which are now known might be used for various purposes, by rising to different elevations to turn in a certain course. The exact height required to go in any given direction might be mad known, and a tabular statement formed, which would be the aeronaut's chart of navigation, informing him how he ought to alter his course, by rising or sinking to this or that current of air, and the amount of ballast to be thrown over for the purpose of rising, or the amount of gas to be let out of sink. We consider these things all possible at the hands of able men, but much experience is required yet, and we look with interest for the future developments which are to follow in the wake of the experiments made by Wise and his companions.

ANOTHER BALLOON VOYAGE.

MR. JOHN WISE PROPOSES TO MAKE ANOTHER TRIAL TRIP FROM ST. LOUIS TO THE EAST.
 Mr. John Wise writes the following letter to a friend of his in this city:
                                                Lancaster, July 20, 1859.
  My Dear Friend: To-morrow my son Charles leaves here with our big balloon "Jupiter." which is capable of carrying up four men, with ballast.
  With her I intend to feel the air currents, provided with a good "Smithsonian" barometer, furnished me by Prof. Joseph Henry.
  The "Jupiter" will be accompanied by her consort, the "Ganymede," sailed by my son.
  My intention is, if I can make the necessary arrangements, to sail from St. Louis eastward, to some city in that longitude, or north of that line, say Terre-Haute, Indianapolis or Lafayette; there descend, and, if necessary, replenish with a fresh supply of gas, and re-ascend to go on further eastward and repeat again.