Up, Up, and.. [crickets]

Did you know... there was once a great Balloon Mail experiment? The balloon mail craze was a short-lived one, primarily because it was an absolute failure.

The first transatlantic flight was attempted in 1860 by aeronaut T.S.C. Lowe. First called "The City of New York," it caused a huge stir in New York City where it was to launch. Expectations and enthusiasm deflated when the New York Gas Company couldn't get enough gas pressure to lift the balloon.

Dr. Cresson of the Franklin Institute to the rescue! The operation was moved to Philadelphia, the balloon name was changed to "Great Western," and it took of September 8, 1860.

And then immediately plummeted back down. Apparently, too many practice runs left the balloon fabric weak.

There had been great hopes for not only the success of the flight itself, but also in air mail delivery. The balloon basket was equipped with

nautical and meteorological instruments, lanterns and signal rockets, a large supply of provisions; and for emergency purposes a metal boat suspended from the basket. The mail was contained in waterproof bags marked "U.S. Mail" with parachutes attached so that messages cold be dropped over ships en route and over towns once the European continent was reached (Stamps, May 29, 1976, p. 662).

The only piece of mail known to survive was probably handed on board at the last minute because it wasn't cancelled. It reads,

Phila. Sept, 1860.
Dear mother
As the Great Bloon is going today I thought I would write but dont whether this will reach you in four days from the time it is written. Mary gave birth to a daughter this morning about five oclock. She is pretty well and it is a fine child. If this note should reach you please take good care of it.
                                                                                      your affectionate son
                                                                                      Philip

This is a great undertaking for Professor Lowe of the Great Western Bloon

It certainly was, poor man. But it didn't go so well. And his second attempt was thwarted by the Civil War. But then that gave him the chance to serve in the Balloon Corps. No, your eyes are not deceiving you. There was a civilian contract group called the Union Army Balloon Corps, and he really did go up in a balloon, using a telegraph to report troop movement in the Peninsula Campaign and the Battle of Seven Pines. His ballooning days were pretty much over by 1863, and he refocused more on technology involving water and gas.

Though Lowe's experiment in balloon mail wasn't a rousing success, it wasn't the only attempt at it.

Next week: The pigeon-and-dirigible publicity stunt by The Daily Graphic. Stay tuned.