He　could　then　do　no　more；　and　presently　subsiding　to　earth　again；　he　acquired　the　welcome　knowledge　that　even　in　such　precarious　circumstances　a　balloon　may　make　a　long　fall　with　safety　to　its　freight。
  Mr。　Wise's　zeal　and　indomitable　spirit　of　enterprise　led　to　speedy　developments　of　the　art　which　he　had　espoused；　the　road　to　success　being　frequently　pointed　out　by　failure　or　mishap。　　He　quickly　discarded　the　linen　balloon　for　one　of　silk　on　which　he　tried　a　new　varnish　composed　of　linseed　oil　and　india…rubber；　and；　dressing　several　gores　with　this；　he　rolled　them　up　and　left　them　through　a　night　in　a　drying　loft；　with　the　result　that　the　next　day　they　were　disintegrated　and　on　the　point　of　bursting　into　flame　by　spontaneous　combustion。　　Fresh　silk　and　other　varnish　were　then　tried；　but　with　indifferent　success。　　Next　he　endeavoured　to　dispense　with　sewing；　and　united　the　gores　of　yet　another　balloon　by　the　mere　adhesiveness　of　the　varnish　and　application　of　a　hot　iron。　　This　led　to　a　gaping　seam　developing　at　the　moment　of　an　ascent；　and　then　there　followed　a　hasty　and　hazardous　descent　on　a　house…top　and　an　exciting　rescue　by　a　gentleman　who　appeared　opportunely　at　a　third　storey　window。　　Further；　another　balloon　had　been　destroyed；　and　Wise　badly　burned；　at　a　descent；　owing　to　a　naked　light　having　been　brought　near　the　escaping　gas。　　It　is　then　without　wonder　that　we　find　him　after　this　temporarily　bankrupt；　and　resorting　to　his　skill　in　instrument…making　to　recover　his　fortunes。　　Only；　however；　for　a　few　months；　after　which　he　is　before　the　public　once　more　as　a　professional　aeronaut。　　He　now　adopts　coal　gas　for　inflation；　and　incidents　of　an　impressive　nature　crowd　into　his　career；　forcing　important　facts　upon　him。　　The　special　characteristics　of　his　own　country　present　peculiar　difficulties；　broad　rivers　and　vast　forests　become　serious　obstacles。　　He　is　caught　in　the　embrace　of　a　whirlwind；　he　narrowly　escapes　falling　into　a　forest　fire；　he　is　precipitated；　but　harmlessly；　into　a　pine　wood。　　Among　other　experiments；　he　makes　a　small　copy　of　Mr。　Cocking's　parachute；　and　drops　it　to　earth　with　a　cat　as　passenger；　proving　thereby　that　that　unfortunate　gentleman's　principle　was　really　less　in　fault　than　the　actual　slenderness　of　the　material　used　in　his　machine。
  We　now　approach　one　of　Wise's　boldest；　and　at　the　same　time　most　valuable；　experiments。　　It　was　the　summer　of　1839；　and　once　again　the　old　trouble　of　spontaneous　combustion　had　destroyed　a　silk　balloon　which　was　to　have　ascended　at　Easton；　Pa。　　Undeterred；　however；　Wise　resolutely　advertised　a　fresh　attempt；　and；　with　only　a　clear　month　before　the　engagement；　determined　on　hastily　rigging　up　a　cambric　muslin　balloon；　soaking　it　in　linseed　oil　and　essaying　the　best　exhibition　that　this　improvised　experiment　could　afford。　　It　was　intended　to　become　a　memorable　one；　inasmuch　as；　should　he　meet　with　no　hindrance；　his　determination　was　nothing　less　than　that　of　bursting　this　balloon　at　a　great　height；　having　firmly　convinced　himself　that　the　machine　in　these　circumstances　would　form　itself　into　a　natural　parachute；　and　bring　him　to　earth　with　every　chance　in　favour　of　safety。　　In　his　own　words；　〃Scientific　calculations　were　on　his　side　with　a　certainty　as　great　and　principles　as　comprehensive　as　that　a　pocket…handkerchief　will　not　fall　as　rapidly　to　the　ground　when　thrown　out　of　a　third　storey　window　as　will　a　brick。〃
  His　balloon　was　specially　contrived　for　the　experiment　in　hand；　having　cords　sewn　to　the　upper　parts　of　its　seams；　and　then　led　down　through　the　neck；　where　they　were　secured　within　reach；　their　office　being　that　of　rending　the　whole　head　of　the　balloon　should　this　be　desired。　　On　this　occasion　a　cat　and　a　dog　were　taken　up；　one　of　these　being　let　fall　from　a　height　of　2；000　feet　in　a　Cocking's　parachute；　and　landing　in　safety；　the　other　being　similarly　dismissed　at　an　altitude　of　4；000　feet　in　an　oiled　silk　balloon　made　in　the　form　of　a　collapsed　balloon；　which；　after　falling　a　little　distance；　expanded　sufficiently　to　allow　of　its　descending　with　a　safe　though　somewhat　vibratory　motion。　　Its　behaviour；　at　any　rate；　fully　determined　Wise　on　carrying　out　his　own　experiment。
  Being　constructed　entirely　for　the　main　object　in　view；　the　balloon　had　no　true　opening　in　the　neck　beyond　an　orifice　of　about　an　inch；　and　by　the　time　a　height　of　13；000　feet　had　been　reached　the　gas　was　streaming　violently　through　this　small　hole；　the　entire　globe　being　expanded　nearly　to　bursting　point；　and　the　cords　designed　for　rending　the　balloon　very　tense。　　At　this　critical　period　Wise　owns　to　having　experienced　considerable　nervous　excitement；　and　observing　far　down　a　thunderstorm　in　progress　he　began　to　waver　in　his　mind；　and　inclined　towards　relieving　the　balloon　of　its　strain；　and　so　abandoning　his　experiment；　at　least　for　the　present。　　He　remembers　pulling　out　his　watch　to　make　a　note　of　the　hour；　and；　while　thus　occupied；　the　straining　cords；　growing　tenser　every　moment；　suddenly　took　charge　of　the　experiment　and　burst　the　balloon　of　their　own　accord。　　The　gas　now　rushed　from　the　huge　rent　above　tumultuously　and　in　some　ten　seconds　had　entirely　escaped；　causing　the　balloon　to　descend　rapidly；　until　the　lower　part　of　the　muslin；　doubling　in　upwards；　formed　a　species　of　parachute　after　the　manner　intended。　　The　balloon　now　came　down　with　zig…zag　descent；　and　finally　the　car；　striking　the　earth　obliquely；　tossed　its　occupant　out　into　a　field　unharmed。　　Shortly　after　this　Wise　experimented　with　further　success　with　an　exploded　balloon。
  It　is　not　a　little　remarkable　that　this　pioneer　of　aeronautics　in　Americana　contemporary　of　Charles　Green　in　England；　but　working　and　investigating　single…handed　on　perfectly　independent　linesshould　have　arrived　at　the　same　conclusions　as　did　Green　himself　as　to　the　possibility；　which；　in　his　opinion；　amounted　to　a　certainty；　of　being　able　to　cross　the　Atlantic　by　balloon　if　only　adequate　funds　were　forth…coming。　　So　intent　was　he　on　his　bold　scheme　that；　in　the　summer　of　1843；　he　handed　to　the　Lancaster　Intelligencer　a　proclamation；　which　he　desired　might　be　conveyed　to　all　publishers　of　newspapers　on　the　globe。　　It　contained；　among　other　clauses；　the　following：
  〃Having　from　a　long　experience　in　aeronautics　been　convinced　that　a　constant　and　regular　current　of　air　is　blowing　at　all　times　from　west　to　east；　with　a　velocity　of　from　twenty　to　forty　and　even　sixty　miles　per　hour；　according　to　its　height　from　the　earth；　and　having　discovered　a　composition　which　renders　silk　or　muslin　impervious　to　hydrogen　gas；　so　that　a　balloon　may　be　kept　afloat　for　many　weeks；　I　feel　confident　with　these　advantages　that　a　trip　across　the　Atlantic　will　not　be　attended　with　as　much　real　danger　as　by　the　common　mode　of　transition。　　The　balloon　is　to　be　100　feet　in　diameter；　giving　it　a　net　ascending　power　of　25；000　lbs。〃　　It　was　further　stated　that　the　crew　would　consist　of　three　persons；　including　a　sea　navigator；　and　a　scientific　landsman。　　The　specifications　for　the　transatlantic　vessel　were　also　to　include　a　seaworthy　boat　in　place　of　the　ordinary　car。　　The　sum　requisite　for　this　enterprise　was；　at　the　time；　not　realised；　but　it　should　be　mentioned　that　several　years　later　a　sufficient　sum　of　money　was　actually　subscribed。　　In　the　summer　of　1873　the　proprietors　of　the　New　York　Daily　Graphic　provided　for　the　construction　of　a　balloon　of　no　less　than　400；000　cubic　feet　capacity；　and　calculated　to　lift　14；000　lbs。　　It　was；　however；　made　of　bad　material；　and；　becoming　torn　in　inflation；　Wise　condemned　and　declined　to　use　it。　　A　few　months　later；　when　it　had　been　repaired；　one　Donaldson　and　two　other　adventurers；　attempting　a　voyage　with　this　ill…formed　monster；　ascended　from　New　York；　and　were　fortunate　in　coming　down　safely；　though　not　without　peril；　somewhere　in　Connecticut。
  Failing　in　his　grand　endeavour；　Wise　continued　to　follow　the　career　of　a　professional　aeronaut　for　some　years　longer；　of　which　he　has　left　a　full　record；　terminating　with　the　spring　of　1848。　　His　ascents　were　always　marked　by　carefulness　of　detail；　and　a　coolness　and　courage　in　trying　circumstances　that　secured　him　uniform　success　and　universal　regard。　　He　was；　moreover；　always　a　close　and　intelligent　observer；　and　many　of　his　memoranda　are　of　scientific　value。
  His　description　of　an　encounter　with　a　storm…cloud　in　the　June　of　1843　has　an　interest　of　its　own；　and　may　not　be　considered　overdrawn。　　It　was　an　ascent　from　Carlisle；　Pa。；　to　celebrate　the　anniversary　of　Bunker's　Hill；　and　Wise　was　anxious　to　gratify　the　large　concourse　of　people　assembled；　and　thus　was　tempted；　soon　after　leaving　the　ground；　to　dive　up　into　a　huge　black　cloud　of　peculiarly　forbidding　aspect。　　This　cloud　appeared　to　remain　stationary　while　he　swept　beneath　it；　and；　having　reached　its　central　position；　he　observed　that　its　under　surface　was　concave　towards　the　earth；　and　at　that　moment　he　became　swept　upwards　in　a　vortex　that　set　his　balloon　spinning　and　swinging　violently；　while　he　himself　was　afflicted　with　violent　nausea　and　a　feeling　of　suffocation。　　The　cold　experienced　now　became　intense；　and　the　cordage　became　glazed　with　ice；　yet　this　had　no　effect　in　checking　the　upward　whirling　of　the　balloon。　　Sun