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class thunder storms.  On this particular day, a storm rolled in quickly.  Thick, black clouds filled the sky and blotted out the sun.  I heard deep rumblings of thunder.  The air was quiet, but hot.  It was the kind of day that your underwear stuck to you closer than a penniless next of kin!  Just before the storm broke, I started the ascent.  On reaching an elevation of about 2000 feet, the balloon seemed to remain stationary.  From above, the noise of the on rushing storm was greatly exaggerated as the earth served as a sounding board and every sound was echoed and reechoed.  Then came a puff of wind and a cold blast!  I began to ballast overboard.  Then the storm broke.  It tossed the balloon around and caused it to spin slowly. Static electricity was all over the equipment, the netting and myself.  My hair stood out.  I lost my cap overboard.  Next I was drenched with rain as a dense black cloud completely enveloped me.  Blinding flashes of lightning and deafening crashes of thunder merged into an almost continuous roll.  The experience was terrifying.  The balloon, by this time, was fully distended.  It was so full that the gas was expanding out of the bottom through the appendix.  If the gas was ever to catch fire it would certainly do so now when the lightning played all about.  

At the time the ascent started, I had no fear and was determined to satisfy myself concerning the possibility of an explosion or fire of the hydrogen gas.  I confess that the experience was enough to put the fear of God upon even the bravest.  Again I was scared.  I thought of a thousand things to do, but mainly I wanted to get above this maddening strata of air to safety.  I stirred about to do just that when I realized that I was seasick, drenched and cold.  The air had become icy.  In fumbling for sand, I became aware that I had thrown overboard most of my ballast.