The Journal here ceases. Some particulars of the descent werecommunicated, however, by Mr. Ainsworth to Mr. Forsyth. It was nearly dead calm when the voyagers first came in view of the coast, which was immediately recognized by both the seamen, and by Mr. Osborne. The latter gentleman having acquaintances at Fort Moultrie, it was immediately resolved to descend in its vicinity. The balloon was brought over the beach (the tide being out and the sand hard, smooth, and admirably adapted for a descent,) and the grapnel let go, which took firm hold at once. The inhabitants of the island, and of the fort, thronged out, of course, to see the balloon ; but it was with the greatest difficulty that any one could be made to credit the actual voyage the crossing of the Atlantic. The grapnel caught at 2, P.M., precisely ; and thus the whole voyage was completed in 75 hours ; or rather less, counting from shore to shore. No serious accident occurred. No real danger was at any time apprehended. The balloon was exhausted and secured without trouble ; and when the MS. from which this narrative is compiled was despatched from Charleston, the party were still at Fort Moultrie. Their farther intentions were not ascertained ; but we can safely promise our readers some additional information either on Monday or in the course of the next day, at farthest.
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This is unquestionably the most stupendous, the most
interesting, and the most important undertaking, ever accomplished or even attempted
by man. What magnificent events may ensue, it would be useless now to think of determining.
* Note. Mr. Ainsworth has not attempted to account for
this phenomenon phenomena?, which, however, is quite susceptible of explanation. A line dropped from an elevation of
25,000 feet, perpendicularly to the surface of the earth (or sea), would form the perpendicular of a right-angled triangle, of which the base would extend from the right angle to the horizon, and
the hypothenuse from the horizon to the balloon. But the 25,000 feet of altitude is little or nothing, in comparison with the extent of prospect. In other words, the case base and
hypothenuse of the supposed triangle would be so long when compared with the perpendicular, that the two former may be regarded as nearly parallel. In this manner the horizon of the
aronaut [[ζronaut]] would appear to be on a level with the car. But, as the point immediately beneath him seems, and is, at a great distance below him, it seems, of course, also, at a great
distance below the horizon. Hence the impression of concavity ; and this impression must remain, until the elevation shall bear so great a proportion to the extent of prospect, that the
apparent parallelism of the base and hypothenuse disappears when the earth's real convexity must appear.
[The line breaks of the original have been imitated here only in
the headlines, from "Astounding News . . . " to ". . . full particulars of thevoyage!!!" In the original, these are comprised of a number of differing styles and sizes of lettering, of which only the general effect has here been captured.]
[The regular issue of the newspaper included the following notice:
"Postscript
By Express
"Astounding Intelligence by {Private Express from Charleston
via Norfolk! The Atlantic Ocean crossed in three days!! Arrival at
Sullivan's Island of a Steering Balloon invented by Mr. Monck Mason.
"We stop the press at a late hour to announce that by a
Private Express from Charleston, S. C., we are just put in possession of full details of
the most extraordinary adventure ever accomplished by man. The Atlantic Ocean has been actually traversed in a balloon and in the
incredibly brief period of Three Days! Eight persons have crossed in the machine among others Sir Everard Bringhurst and Mr. Monck
Mason. We have barely time now to announce this most novel and unexpected intelligence; but we hope by 10 this morning to have ready an
Extra with a detailed account of the voyage.
"P.S. The Extra will be positively ready for sale at our
counter by 10 o'clock this morning. It will embrace all the particulars yet known. We
have also placed in the hands of an excellent artist a representation of the "Steering Balloon," which will accompany the particulars of the
voyage."]
[A retraction concerning the article was printed in The Sun on April 15, 1844: "BALLOON The mails from the South last Saturday night not having brought a confirmation of the arrival of the Balloon from England, the particulars of which from our correspondent we detailed in our Extra, we are inclined to believe that the intelligence is erroneous. The description of the Balloon and they voyage wa written with a minuteness and scientific ability calculated to obtain credit everywhere, and was read with great pleasure and satisfaction. We by no means think such a project impossible." The author of this retraction has not been determined and is perhaps Poe himself.]
[A facsimile of this article was printed by Clarence S. Brigham, "Poe's 'Balloon Hoax'," The American Book Collector, vol. I, No. 2, February 1932, pp. 94-95. The facsimile, which appears at the front of the issue, is so reduced in size that only the text of the headline can be effectively read. Mary E. Phillips reprinted the headline and the illustration of "The Victoria" in Edgar Allan Poe the Man, Chicago, 1926, II, pp. 872-873. Inadvertently, Mrs. Phillips gives the picture of "The Victoria" upside down, with the basket and propeller above the balloon. (In her own copy of this book, left to the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore and kept in the collection of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Mrs. Phillips notes this error as one of several corrections for an intended second edition which was never published.) The top half of the page containing the article, but not including the picture, is reproduced in Thomas & Jackson, The Poe Log, 1987, p. 459.]
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