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The Riverside Press THURSDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 4, 1875 Flight of the Balloon. More than two weeks had passed since the balloon had burst the bonds which held it to earth and sped away as free as the air through which it sailed, and once more the people gathered together to witness the ærial voyage. And again they were doomed to disappointment, for the wind was so high that it was impossible to inflate it, and after wasting an immense quantity of gas on the inside of it, and perhaps as much more on the outside, the project was abandoned. Next day, which was Saturday, dawned bright and cold, and early in the afternoon the people began to gather at the gas works to witness the third attempt. All sizes and ages, races and colors mingled together, and the eyes of the ebon-hued Egyptian, as well as the fair-featured Saxon, were turned in expectancy toward the bag of car buretted hydrogen, which wriggled and gyrated in the wind as if impatient to "Scoot athwart the ether sky And hide itself from mortal eye." Tender babes were there also, and many an infantile squall joined in the general whirlwind of humanity which lined the creek on either side. Old men hobbled thither and raised their spectacled orbs in wonderment and awe. The Sunday school boys were also represented and perched in inimitable attitudes upon the tops of the lumber piles; they caressed the rest of the spectators with pebbles and sang out, "Shoot the b'loon!" "Mumble your pins old man-she'll git away!" "Hush your bizness!" "Let her flop!" and other pious exclamations. Altogether it was a novel and interesting sight. At 3:20 the Professor got into the basket and ordered the men who held it to let go. Being released the balloon shot up to the height of about 2,000 feet and then sailed away as graceful as an eagle. It moved in a southeasterly direction, and in forty-eight minutes afterward landed the Professor eight miles below Hamburg, on the Illinois shore. He crossed the river three times, and the probable distance he traveled is about 40 or 50 miles. Finding himself descending he threw out his drag-rope, which caught in a tree, and having climbed out he fastened the balloon to a tree, but a violent gust of wind struck it and the cords snapped, thus setting it free to roam again, and it was lost in very few minutes. THE JOURNAL LOUISIANA, MISSOURI FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1875. THE BALLOON ASCENSION.-As announced in the JOURNAL, Prof. Wise made an attempt last Friday evening to inflate his balloon for the purpose of making an ascension, but was compelled to desist, on account of the high: wind that prevailed, after having over 3,000 feet of gas forced into the bag. The professor knew the inevitable result of proceeding further would be a collapse, so, not wishing to fight against fate, he opened the valve and emptied the balloon, to the disappointment of a great many at the time. His course was generally commended, however, when, soon after, the storm increased and the rain poured down in torrents. On Saturday, a more successful effort was made, though the wind blew big guns and threatened more than once to tear the "Century" and its paraphernalia into ribbons. It seemed as though the elements had a spite against this monster that dared to invade their invisible but mighty domains. Our readers who did not witness the inflation may know with what force the atmosphere bore against the balloon when we tell them that it required the combined strength of 20 men to hold it down. After the inflation was completed, the cords attached to the car, and the intrepid aeronaut had taken his place in the car, the balloon surged and rolled, and twisted its neck, reminding one of a drunken elephant on a spree. Several times the globe was in danger of collapsing, and many strong men who had contributed toward the ascension would most gladly have quadrupled the amount if Mr. Wise had abandoned it altogether. To add to the excitement of the occasion, the neck of the balloon, in its wild twirlings and gesticulatory motions, grasped the valve cord (which was [[fastened]] to the hoop that supported the car) much like an elephant's trunk seizes an object, and with a whip-like jerk broke it off inside the globe, leaving the aeronaut at the will of his balloon to descend, and consequently at the mercy of the winds where the descent was made. Nothing daunted, however, at ten minutes past 3 o'clock the word "let go" was given, and in a moment more the air ship was floating gracefully in a southeastwardly direction, as calmly as though there was not a ripple in the atmosphere which supported it. It was an object beautiful to behold-a sight never to be forgotten-witnessed by a larger number of citizens than ever before assembled at one time in this city. We are sorry that so many people were disappointed on Friday; but no one was to blame but the ruler of the elements. We know the spirit of the readers of the JOURNAL well enough to believe that their sympathies are with Prof. Wise in all his misfortunes since his arrival in Louisiana. It will be seen by reference to the aeronaut's narrative elsewhere that he descended in a wilderness in Calhoun co., Ill., and lost his balloon. -Since the above was put in type we have learned that the balloon desended in Pope Co., Ill., the same evening, after having traveled over 250 miles. The news reached us through E. S. Hosmer, the jeweler, who had placed an advertisement in the basket of the balloon for distribution. Some of his slips were in the car when it was found.
