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1879

OCTOBER 3, 1879.

JOHN WISE, THE AERONAUT.

Fears That He and a Companion Have Been Lost In an Air Voyage.

No tidings have yet been received of Professor John Wise, the veteran aeronaut of this city, and his companion, George Burr, receiving teller of the St. Louis National Bank, who made an ascension from St. Louis on Sunday evening last in Professor Wise's new balloon, the "Pathfinder," and it is feared that they have met a similar fate to that of Donaldson and Grimwood, who ascended from Chicago several years ago and were lost.

Professor Wise intended to remain in the air as long as the sustaining power of the balloon held out. A brisk breeze was blowing when the fastenings were cut loose, which carried the balloon in a northerly direction for perhaps two miles, at an elevation of from 1,200 to 1,500 feed. It then turned due east and sailed away out of sight. Professor Wise expected to enter what he calls a permanent eastern wind current at an elevation of about 1,500 to 2,000 feed, which is desired to keep in if possible and make observations; and to effect this more surely his ballast consisted only of a three-quarter inch rope, 1,800 feet long, which trailed from the balloon. When the gas should become exhausted the balloon was to descend, and the end of the rope dragging on the ground was to relieve the balloon of part of its weight and hold it steady in the current. Mr. George Burr, who ascended with Professor Wise, had previously made three ascensions, and took great interest in the subject of air navigation. On Monday afternoon the first words of the appearance of the "Pathfinder" after its departure were received. It had passed over Alton at thirty minutes after five o'clock Sunday afternoon, sailing eastward. A heavy cloud was in the faces of the men in the air. It seemed to dispute their passage. They sailed right into its depths and were lost. At six o'clock it was seen going as if driven by a burst of wind over Bunker Hill. It was still bearing east of north, and looked to be about three-fourths of a mile high. After leaving St. Louis the balloon was next heard from at Alton, Illinois, the same evening, and on Monday word came that it had been seen twenty miles west of Laporte, Indiana, a quarter of a miles south of Lake Michigan, still drifting rapidly in a northeasterly direction. This would take it over the lake, in which case there is only too much reason to fear that they must be lost, though some hope is felt that they may have been carried safely over and landed somewhere in the pine woods of Michigan. Professor Wise's son, Charles E. Wise, said yesterday that he had received a dispatch from his son, John Wise, Jr., who was in St. Louis with his grandfather, and who made an ascension in the "Pathfinder" from Sterling, Illinois, not long ago, saying that the voyagers were either dead or lost. Mr. Wise, however expressed the belief that his father was safe. 

John Wise was born in Lancaster, in this State, on the 24th of February, 1808. He learned the trade of a cabinet-maker, and subsequently worked at pianoforte making, which he finally abandoned for professional ballooning, in which he became a genuine enthusiast from its scientific attractions. He made his first ascension from this city in 1835, from the corner of Ninth and Green, and his last ascension from this city was in 1875, when he left Broad and Diamond streets in a large balloon, with Professor C.C. Cresson, who had made several trips with him before. Professor Wise has made altogether 462 successful voyages. One of his attempts which attracted wide attention at the time was the project to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a balloon which was organized by the New York Graphie in 1873, and in which Professor Wise was to be assisted in the preparations by W.H. Donaldson, the well-known aeronaut. A balloon 130 feet high and 100 feet in diameter was built for the purpose, Professor Wise believing that there was an upper easterly current of air which would take him across the ocean. The scheme was a failure, the balloon bursting while it was being inflated, on the 12th of September. Professor Wise said afterwards that Graphic people had agreed to construct such a balloon as he suggested, of materials of good quality, and it was to be equipped with approved scientific instruments and facilities for the sustenance and preservation of life. Instead of acting on his recommendations they built a balloon after their own ideas. They procured different materials from that which he suggested, employed a superintendent of construction who was utterly unfit for the position, and entirely disregarded the Professor's advice. He had merely an advisory position in the councils of the enterprise, and whenever his views differed from those of the managers they were disregarded. The balloon, instead of being placed under cover at the ship-house in the Navy Yard, was exposed to the action of the elements for five weeks, until the material was actually rotten and could not contain the gas. Instead of having an ample force of twenty-five men at the grounds for the purpose of inflating the balloon, Donaldson and a few boys were there, and they, of course, could accomplish nothing. He did not think that he had been justly treated by the Graphic. He had spent his summer, all of his energy and industry upon the matter, and had remain in the city at a large cost to himself.