92 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. V., No. 104. 



which place the ascents will be made. This 

 can readily be done so as to give the aeronaut 

 eight hours' notice for the preparation of his 

 balloon, and the observers who accompany him 

 sufficient time to reach Philadelphia from Wash- 

 ington. The first ascent was expected to be 

 rather experimental and suggestive in its char- 

 acter. It was the intention to start at seven 

 a.m., on the 19th ; and a telegram to that effect 

 was sent to Mr. King, who responded that he 

 would be ready. But, owing to the extreme 



hour of starting, the observations made were 

 not so numerous as could be desired, although 

 seven complete sets were obtained before dark- 

 ness rendered further reading impossible. A 

 safe and quiet landing was effected at about 

 half-past seven p.m., near the village of Mana- 

 hawken, on the New- Jersey coast. The great- 

 est height reached was somewhat over one mile. 

 This trial-trip has suggested some modifications 

 in the plans, which will render future ascents 

 more successful. The danger incident to a 



'''S'////fc;;;;, v . " 



THE NEW SURVEYS OF THE KOWAK RIVER, ALASKA. 



cold, it was found that the balloon could not 

 be handled for filling without danger of crack- 

 ing ; and waiting for the sun to warm it up 

 caused so much delay, that the start was not 

 made until quarter-past four p.m. The balloon 

 was the Eagle Eyrie, holding twenty-five thou- 

 sand cubic feet when filled, and having a lift- 

 ing-power of about a thousand pounds. The 

 occupants of the car were Mr. King and Private 

 Hammond, a skilful observer detailed from the 

 office of the chief signal-officer for the purpose. 

 Mr. Hammond carried with him a complete 

 outfit for making barometric, thermometric, and 

 hygrometric observations. Owing to the late 



balloon ascent is greatly over-estimated by 

 many. In the company of an experienced 

 and skilful aeronaut the risk to life and limb 

 is hardly greater than on a railway-train or a 

 steamboat. Mr. Green, the famous English 

 aeronaut, made fourteen hundred ascents, and 

 lived to be eighty-six years old. The excur- 

 sion of the 19th was the two hundred and fifty- 

 eighth made by Mr. King. Volunteers for this 

 service are by no means wanting among those 

 connected with the signal-service ; and Pro- 

 fessor Abbe is so desirous of knowing what 

 is going on ' inside of a storm,' that he means 

 to make an ascent himself, in order to find out. 



