I'm Welcome to 1001 classic short stories and tales.

Jack London wrote An Adventure in the Upper Sea in 1906, the same year that Wilbur and

Orville Wright were finally granted a patent on their new flying machine, which had taken flight

in 1903, becoming the first powered craft to fly. The subject of today's story, the hot air balloon, originated in China centuries ago,

and is today one of the most recognizable leisure transports in the world. The first manned

and untethered balloon took flight on November 21, 1783, when French scientist Jean-Francois and balloon pioneer Francois Laurent

Darlanez took off from the center of Paris and flew to the suburbs, making a journey of around

25 minutes.

The event was witnessed by one of the founding fathers of the USA and fellow scientist

Benjamin Franklin. He described the liftoff as the most majestic and described how the adventurers

lowered their hats in salute to the watching spectators. Contemporary reports claim that over

400,000 spectators watched the launch.

Many even paid toward the venture.

Unfortunately, DeRosier would lose his life in another balloon endeavor.

He attempted to cross the English Channel in 1785.

His hydrogen and hot air balloon crashed in the attempt.

Although balloon rides are considered very safe today, there have been disasters in the past,

and this short story by Jack London provides a testimony from a captain of a hot air balloon

who describes just how they could happen.

An Adventure in the Upper Sea by Jack London.

I am a retired captain of the upper sea.

That is to say, when I was a younger man, which is not so long ago, I was an aeronaut

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