78 



BALLOONING, MODERN. 



Long voyages are beset with many difficulties, 

 particularly from forests and large bodies of wa- 

 ter, over which a greater sense of security is 

 gained by the possession of a drag rope. Lake 

 Erie is crossed or run its whole length with the 

 drag rope more easily than a dozen miles of Long 

 Island Sound without. 



The open sea is the most threatening in its as- 

 pect, for no ordinary balloon could reach its far- 

 ther shore, and if caught within its domain, the 

 aeronant will be glad that he has a drag rope to 

 keep him out of the wet. There is one instance" 



A SAFE HARBOR. 



on record where two voyagers were brought back 

 to the land by a yacht, which gave steerage way 

 to the balloon while the latter towed the boat 

 with a wind blowing parallel to the shore. All 

 aeronauts agree that after hours spent over a 

 watery waste no more welcome sight could be 

 imagined than to see the land once more beneath 

 their feet. Forest wilds produce an intensely 

 lonesome feeling, and one wonders what would 

 become of him if the wind should fail or the gas 

 give out. Under such circumstances he clings 

 tenaciously to the ballast as his only salvation, 

 and the drag rope is made to do duty in climb- 

 ing the mountains before him. This is easy 

 enough, though he runs the risk of the rope'^ 

 becoming entangled in the tree-tops, yet he al- 

 ways has the satisfaction of knowing that the 

 rope can be cut loose, if necessity should arise. 

 Such a release would send him above the highest 

 peaks and perhaps into the still more solitary 

 clouds. But forced landings sometimes occur, 

 and the voyagers have to make the best of it. 

 It happens, however, that some of the most un- 

 promising descents turn out to be the best, fur- 

 nishing another chapter of /adventure in descend- 

 ing mountain streams, camping under primitive 

 forest trees, sighting tHe startled game, and 

 finally sharing the lumberman's rude cabin just 

 once before looking upon civilized life again. 

 Occasional calls may be made by means of an- 

 chor or drag rope, particularly where assistance 



is at hand, and these episodes are apt to be very 

 entertaining, as the ae'ronant is usually made 

 welcome. 



But if you are traveling through the South it 

 is best to be on the lookout for " Johnny and his 

 gun." He may mistake your intentions, for he 

 seldom sees a balloon, and when he does, if you 

 take him by surprise, he will shoot before he in- 

 quires into your motives. While visiting, or at 

 the end of your journey, you can amuse yourself 

 and the inhabitants by making a few captive as- 

 censions. This can be done, when the air is calm, 

 by paying out the drag 

 rope carefully, hand over 

 hand ; but if the men let 

 the rope slip, it may get 

 so much momentum as to 

 lift them off their feet, 

 and cause them to let go. 

 In case of wind, a land- 

 ing may be effected with 

 difficulty unless care be 

 taken to choose a sheltered 

 place. Cross a mountain 

 at the rate of forty miles 

 an hour, drop into the val- 

 ley on its farther side, and 

 the air will be found as 

 still as when the flags hug 

 their masts. Any depres- 

 sion is an advantage, and 

 a safe harbor will usually 

 be found behind a piece 

 of woods. 



In landing, look out for 

 dead trees ; every one is a 

 balloon trap. If you 

 should strike one. lose no 

 time in getting out of it, 

 for the limbs may break 



and drop their load, to your serious injury. If 

 you find yourself upon a strip of sandy beach, 

 with the open sea before you and your passen- 

 gers beginning to tumble out, that is one of the 

 best places to use the collapsing cord, and finish 

 by treading upon the sand rather than in the 

 water. 



Ordinary ascensions, such as are made for the 

 entertainment of the public, do not usually ex- 

 ceed the height of one to two miles. As gener- 

 ally expressed, low sailing say, within the range 

 of 1,000 feet is the pleasantest. We see all ob- 

 jects more plainly, can talk with the inhabitants 

 as we pass along, and realize something of that 

 sense of superiority which wings give to the 

 feathered tribe. 



Preference is given to the afternoon for ascen- 

 sions for several reasons, but principally because 

 of the preparations requiring considerable time, 

 and also that with a declining sun the wind gen- 

 erally falls, making a descent about sunset much 

 safer, as a rule, than at any other time of day. 

 Pleasant weather is, of course, the best, although 

 cloudy days are the most favorable for variety, 

 the cloud scenery being intensely attractive to 

 most persons. Aeronauts seem to have little 

 penchant for carrying instruments; it is the 

 passenger or the investigator of scientific ques- 

 tions that requires their use. The aeronaut is 

 satisfied with his barometer or without it ; he 

 has learned the appearance of objects from cer- 



