Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Horror of the Heights
Withaterrificwrench,throwingmyweightalltooneside,Ilevelledmyplanesandbroughtherheadawayfromthewind.InaninstantIhadshotoutoftheeddiesandwasskimmingdownthesky.Then,shakenbutvictorious,Iturnedhernoseupandbeganoncemoremysteadygrindontheupwardspiral.Itookalargesweeptoavoidthedanger-spotofthewhirlpool,andsoonIwassafelyaboveit.Justafteroneo’clockIwastwenty-onethousandfeetabovethesea-level.TomygreatjoyIhadtoppedthegale,andwitheveryhundredfeetofascenttheairgrewstiller.Ontheotherhand,itwasverycold,andIwasconsciousofthatpeculiarnauseawhichgoeswithrarefactionoftheair.ForthefirsttimeIunscrewedthemouthofmyoxygenbagandtookanoccasionalwhiffofthegloriousgas.Icouldfeelitrunninglikeacordialthroughmyveins,andIwasexhilaratedalmosttothepointofdrunkenness.IshoutedandsangasIsoaredupwardsintothecold,stillouterworld.
"ItisverycleartomethattheinsensibilitywhichcameuponGlaisher,andinalesserdegreeuponCoxwell,when,in1862,theyascendedinaballoontotheheightofthirtythousandfeet,wasduetotheextremespeedwithwhichaperpendicularascentismade.Doingitataneasygradientandaccustomingoneselftothelessenedbarometricpressurebyslowdegrees,therearenosuchdreadfulsymptoms.AtthesamegreatheightIfoundthatevenwithoutmyoxygeninhalerIcouldbreathewithoutunduedistress.Itwasbitterlycold,however,andmythermometerwasatzero,Fahrenheit.
