the dominion of the air-第50节

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o　orbits；　the　earth　taking　some　five　or　six　hours　in　transit。　　Calculation　shows　that　the　meteor　train　is　to　be　expected　at　this　crossing　every　thirty…three　and　a　third　years；　while　the　train　is　extended　to　such　an　enormous　lengthtaking　more　than　a　year　to　draw　clearthat　the　earth　must　needs　encounter　it　ere　it　gets　by；　possibly　even　two　years　running。　　There　could　be　no　absolute　certainty　about　the　exact　year；　nor　the　exact　night　when　the　earth　and　the　meteors　would　foregather；　owing　to　the　uncertain　disturbance　which　the　latter　must　suffer　from　the　pull　of　the　planetary　bodies　in　the　long　journey　out　and　home　again　among　them。　　As　is　now　known；　this　disturbing　effect　had　actually　dispersed　the　train。

The　shower；　which　was　well　seen　in　1866；　was　pretty　confidently　expected　in　1899；　and　to　guard　against　the　mischance　of　cloudy　weather；　it　was　arranged　that　the　writer　should；　on　behalf　of　the　Times　newspaper；　make　an　ascent　on　the　right　night　to　secure　observations。　　Moreover；　it　was　arranged　that　he　should　have；　as　chief　assistant；　his　own　daughter；　an　enthusiastic　lady　aeronaut；　who　had　also　taken　part　in　previous　astronomical　work。

Unfortunately　there　were　two　nights；　those　of　November　14th　and　15th；　when　the　expected　shower　seemed　equally　probable；　and；　taking　counsel　with　the　best　authorities　in　the　astronomical　world；　it　seemed　that　the　only　course　to　avoid　disappointment　would　be　to　have　a　balloon　filled　and　moored　in　readiness　for　an　immediate　start；　either　on　the　first　night　or　on　the　second。

This　settled　the　matter　from　the　astronomical　side；　but　there　was　the　aeronautical　side　also　to　be　considered。　　A　balloon　of　56；000　cubic　feet　capacity　was　the　largest　available　for　the　occasion；　and　a　night　ascent　with　three　passengers　and　instruments　would　need　plenty　of　lifting　power　to　meet　chance　emergencies。　　Thus　it　seemed　that　a　possible　delay　of　forty…eight　hours　might　entail　a　greater　leakage　of　gas　than　could　be　afforded。

The　leakage　might　be　expected　chiefly　to　occur　at　the　valve　in　the　head　of　the　balloon；　it　being　extremely　difficult　to　render　any　form　of　mechanical　valve　gas　tight；　however　carefully　its　joints　be　stopped　with　luting。　　On　this　account；　therefore；　it　was　determined　that　the　balloon　should　be　fitted　with　what　is　known　as　a　solid　or　rending　valve；　consisting　simply　of　balloon　fabric　tied　hard　and　fast　over　the　entire　upper　outlet；　after　the　fashion　of　a　jam　pot　cover。　　The　outlet　itself　was　a　gaping　hole　of　over　2　feet　across；　but　by　the　time　its　covering　had　been　carefully　varnished　over　all　leakage　was　sufficiently　prevented；　the　one　drawback　to　this　method　being　the　fact　that　the　liberation　of　gas　now　admitted　of　no　regulation。　　Pulling　the　valve　line　would　simply　mean　opening　the　entire　wide　aperture；　which　could　in　no　way　be　closed　again。

The　management　of　such　a　valve　consists　in　allowing　the　balloon　to　sink　spontaneously　earthwards；　and　when　it　has　settled　near　the　ground；　having　chosen　a　desirable　landing　place；　to　tear　open　the　so…called　valve　once　and　for　all。

This　expedient；　dictated　by　necessity；　seeming　sufficient　for　the　purpose　at　hand；　preparations　were　proceeded　with；　and；　under　the　management　of　Mr。　Stanley　Spencer；　who　agreed　to　act　as　aeronaut；　a　large　balloon；　with　solid　valve；　was　brought　down　to　Newbury　gas　works　on　November　14th；　and；　being　inflated　during　the　afternoon；　was　full　and　made　snug　by　sundown。　　But　as　the　meteor　radiant　would　not　be　well　above　the　horizon　till　after　midnight；　the　aeronautical　party　retired　for　refreshment；　and　subsequently　for　rest；　when；　as　the　night　wore　on；　it　became　evident　that；　though　the　sky　remained　clear；　there　would　be　no　meteor　display　that　night。　　The　next　day　was　overcast；　and　by　nightfall　hopelessly　so；　the　clouds　ever　thickening；　with　absence　of　wind　or　any　indication　which　might　give　promise　of　a　change。　　Thus　by　midnight　it　became　impossible　to　tell　whether　any　display　were　in　progress　or　not。　　Under　these　circumstances；　it　might　have　been　difficult　to　decide　when　to　make　the　start　with　the　best　show　of　reason。　　Clearly　too　early　a　start　could　not　subsequently　be　rectified；　the　balloon；　once　off；　could　not　come　back　again；　while；　once　liberated；　it　would　be　highly　unwise　for　it　to　remain　aloft　and　hidden　by　clouds　for　more　than　some　two　hours；　lest　it　should　be　carried　out　to　sea。

Happily　the　right　decision　under　these　circumstances　was　perfectly　clear。　　Other　things　being　equal；　the　best　time　would　be　about　4　a。m。；　by　which　period　the　moon；　then　near　the　full；　would　be　getting　low；　and　the　two　hours　of　darkness　left　would　afford　the　best　seeing。　　Leaving；　then；　an　efficient　outlook　on　the　balloon　ground；　the　party　enjoyed　for　some　hours　the　entertainment　offered　them　by　the　Newbury　Guildhall　Club；　and　at　4　a。m。　taking　their　seats　in　the　car；　sailed　up　into　the　calm　chilly　air　of　the　November　night。

But　the　chilliness　did　not　last　for　long。　　A　height　of　1；500　feet　was　read　by　the　Davy　lamp；　and　then　we　entered　fogwarm；　wetting　fog；　through　which　the　balloon　would　make　no　progress　in　spite　of　a　prodigal　discharge　of　sand。　　The　fact　was　that　the　balloon；　which　had　become　chilled　through　the　night　hours；　was　gathering　a　great　weight　of　moisture　from　condensation　on　its　surface；　and　when；　at　last；　the　whole　depth　of　the　cloud；　1；500　feet；　had　been　penetrated；　the　chill　of　the　upper　air　crippled　the　balloon　and　sent　her　plunging　down　again　into　the　mist；　necessitating　yet　further　expenditure　of　sand；　which　by　this　time　had　amounted　to　no　less　than　3　1/2　cwt。　in　twenty　minutes。　　And　then　at　last　we　reached　our　level；　a　region　on　the　upper　margin　of　the　cloud　floor；　where　evaporation　reduced　the　temperature；　that　had　recently　been　that　of　greenhouse　warmth；　to　intense　cold。

That　evaporation　was　going　on　around　us　on　a　gigantic　scale　was　made　very　manifest。　　The　surface　of　the　vast　cloud　floor　below　us　was　in　a　perfect　turmoil；　like　that　of　a　troubled　sea。　　If　the　cloud　surface　could　be　compared　to　anything　on　earth　it　most　resembled　sea　where　waves　are　running　mountains　high。　　At　one　moment　we　should　be　sailing　over　a　trough；　wide　and　deep　below　us；　the　next　a　mighty　billow　would　toss　itself　aloft　and　vanish　utterly　into　space。　　Everywhere　wreaths　of　mist　with　ragged　fringes　were　withering　away　into　empty　air；　and；　more　remarkable　yet；　was　the　conflict　of　wind　which　sent　the　cloud　wrack　flying　simply　in　all　directions。

For　two　hours　now　there　was　opportunity　for　observing　at　leisure　all　that　could　be　made　of　the　falling　meteors。　　There　were　a　few；　and　these；　owing　to　our　clear；　elevated　region；　were　exceptionally　bright。　　The　majority；　too；　were　true　Leonids；　issuing　from　the　radiant　point　in　the　〃Sickle；〃　but　these　were　not　more　numerous　than　may　be　counted　on　that　night　in　any　year；　and　served　to　emphasise　the　fact　that　no　real　display　was　in　progress。　　The　outlook　was　maintained；　and　careful　notes　made　for　two　hours；　at　the　end　of　which　time　the　dawn　began　to　break；　the　stars　went　in；　and　we　were　ready　to　pack　up　and　come　down。

But　the　point　was　that　we　were　not　coming　down。　　We　were　at　that　time；　6　a。m。；　4；000　feet　high；　and　it　needs　no　pointing　out　that　at　such　an　altitude　it　would　have　been　madness　to　tear　open　our　huge　rending　valve；　thus　emptying　the　balloon　of　gas。　　It　may　also　be　unnecessary　to　point　out　that　in　an　ordinary　afternoon　ascent　such　a　valve　would　be　perfectly　satisfactory；　for　under　these　circumstances　the　sun　presently　must　go　down；　the　air　must　grow　chill；　and　the　balloon　must　come　earthward；　allowing　of　an　easy　descent　until　a　safe　and　suitable　opportunity　for　rending　the　valve　occurred；　but　now　we　knew　that　conditions　were　reversed；　and　that　the　sun　was　just　going　to　rise。

And　then　it　was　we　realised　that　we　were　caught　in　a　trap。　　From　that　moment　it　was　painfully　evident　that　we　were　powerless　to　act；　and　were　at　the　mercy　of　circumstances。　　By　this　time　the　light　was　strong；　and；　being　well　above　the　tossing　billows　of　mist；　we　commanded　an　extended　view　on　every　side；　which　revealed；　however；　only　the　upper　unbroken　surface　of　the　dense　cloud　canopy　that　lay　over　all　the　British　Isles。　　We　could　only　make　a　rough　guess　as　to　our　probable　locality。　　We　knew　that　our　course　at　starting　lay　towards　the　west；　and　if　we　were　maintaining　that　course　a　travel　of　scarcely　more　than　sixty　miles　would　carry　us　out　to　the　open　sea。　　We　had　already　been　aloft　for　two　hours；　and　as　we　were　at　an　altitude　at　which　fast　upper　currents　are　commonly　met　with；　it　was　high　time　that；　for　safety；　we　should　be　coming　down；　yet　it　was　morally　certain　that　it　would　be　now　many　hours　before　our　balloon　would　commence　to　descend　of　its　own　accord　by　sheer　slow　leakage　of　gas；　by　which　time；　beyond　all　reasonable　doubt；　we　must　be　carried　far　out　over　the　Atlantic。　　All　we　could　do　was　to　listen　intently　for　any　sounds　that　might　reach　us　from　earth；　and　assure　us　that　we　were　still　over　the　land；　and　for　a　length　of　time　such　sounds　were　vouchsafed　usthe　bark　of　a　dog；　the　lowing　of　cattle；　the　ringing　trot　of　a　horse　on　some　hard　road　far　down。

And　then；　as　we　were　expecting；　the　sun　climbed　up　into　an　unsullied　sky；　and；　mounting　by　leaps　and　bounds；　we　watched　the　cloud　floor　receding　beneath　us。　　The　effe