Ohio History Journal

TOM D. CROUCH

Thomas Kirkby:

Pioneer Aeronaut in Ohio

The decade of the 1830's marked the dawn of American aeronautical history.

Although the first American balloon ascent had been made on June 24, 1784, when

Edward Warren, a thirteen year old Baltimore lad made a captive flight in a home-

made balloon, the citizens of the young republic remained aloof from so impracti-

cal an enterprise as free ballooning.1 The American tour of Jean Pierre Blanchard

in 1793 demonstrated that even a highly successful European aeronaut, the first

man to fly the English Channel, could rarely draw a large enough crowd of paying

spectators to meet his expenses. While the flights of Louis-Charles Guille in 1819

and Eugene Robertson in 1825 attracted wide attention, balloon ascents remained

infrequent and were confined to the large cities of the East Coast.²

The return of Charles Ferson Durant to the United States in 1830 heralded a

"golden age" of American aerostation. Having studied in Europe with Eugene

Robertson, Durant was to become the nation's first professional aeronaut. His

ascents were well publicized and attended. Durant's first American flight, at Castle

Garden, New York, was followed by a national tour which proved that an aero-

naut could profitably devote full time to ballooning. George Elliot, Samuel Wal-

lace, Hugh Parker, Nicholas Ash, and others followed his lead in introducing the

wonders of manned flight to the people of New York, Baltimore, and Charleston.

Despite the fact that no ascents had been made in the state, Ohioans had taken

an early interest in aeronautics. As early as 1815 a Mr. Gaston had announced to

the citizens of Cincinnati that he would release a large free balloon prior to a fire-

works demonstration.³ Cincinnati newspapers carried front page accounts of major

European and American ascents, placing particular emphasis on such sensational

events as the death of Madame Blanchard in 1819.⁴ The "aerial steam-boat" con-

1. Jeremiah Milbank, Jr., The First Century of Flight in America: An Introductory Survey (Princeton,

1943). Milbank offers a fine introduction to nineteenth century ballooning.

2. Ibid., 35. Milbank reports that Louis-Charles Guille brought a balloon to Cincinnati in 1819.

However, a check of the city's newspapers for the period failed to disclose any mention of his presence.

In view of the fact that the Cincinnati papers regularly printed accounts of Guille's eastern ascents, it

seems improbable that they would have ignored a flight in their own city.

3. Cincinnati Liberty Hall, May 15, 1815. Gaston's Fourth of July exhibitions were a yearly tra-

dition in Cincinnati. The balloon portion of the program was evidently designed to attract crowds for

the more important pyrotechnic display. Although Gaston's aerostat was large enough to carry a man,

no manned flights were attempted.

4. Mme. Madeline-Sophie Blanchard, wife of aeronaut Jean Blanchard died when her balloon

caught fire during a fireworks exhibition in Paris.

Mr. Crouch is supervisor of education at the Ohio Historical Society.

Thomas Kirkby                                                               57

structed by a Mr. A. Mason of Cincinnati is further evidence of the interest which

Ohioans took in flight. Mason's flying machine consisted of a standard small boat

hull, about ten feet in length, covered with silk rather than wood to reduce the

weight. A two-horsepower steam engine turned four "wings" which were placed on

rotating shafts. Similar "wings" were positioned at the rear of the craft to provide

forward motion. The "ingenious mechanic" exhibited his invention at the Com-

mercial Exchange in August 1834 and drew much favorable comment from the

local press. Although Mason expected his machine to "ascend beyond the surface

of this earth to an altitude of, say, 100 feet," the outcome of the experiments was

not recorded.⁵

Little is known of the background of Thomas Kirkby, Ohio's first successful

aeronaut. He is reported to have come to Cincinnati from Baltimore, so we may

assume that he had witnessed the flights of Durant or other members of the "Bal-

timore school." It is quite possible that Kirkby had purchased his balloon and

received some instruction in its operation prior to his appearance in Cincinnati in

the late summer or early fall of 1834.6 Upon his arrival he immediately began to

prepare for his first ascent by ordering the construction of a large amphitheater

capable of seating 4000 to 5000 persons. The admission charge of fifty cents would

permit the spectator to observe the inflation of the balloon, witness the release of

small trial balloons to test the direction and velocity of the wind, and enjoy the

fine "Band of Music" provided by Kirkby for the "entertainment of the specta-

tors."⁷ Preparations were complete by November 20, and the aeronaut announced

his intention of taking to the air on the 27th. The gates were to open at noon and

the ascent was to take place at 3:00 P.M.

By noon on the appointed day the apparatus used to inflate the balloon was in

place. A number of casks, connected by leather pipes, surrounded the two uprights

which supported the limp envelope. Another pipe ran from the casks to the neck

of the balloon. Each of the casks was filled about half full with soft iron scraps

to which water was added until they were two-thirds full. If all went well, a quan-

tity of sulphuric acid, usually about one-tenth the volume of the water, would be

slowly introduced into each. The casks were then tightly sealed, and the resulting

hydrogen gas was carried to the balloon through the system of pipes. As gas gen-

erators became more sophisticated, washers and dryers. were added to cool and

purify the gas, but Kirkby's use of such refinements is doubtful.⁸

The balloon had a 10,000 cubic foot capacity, which meant that two and one-

half hours time would be required to fully inflate it. As afternoon passed into eve-

ning, however, it became apparent that the balloon was not filling properly. By

dusk Kirkby, forced to admit defeat, distributed "checks" which would admit the

bearer to a second attempt. The problem lay in the generating apparatus, not the

balloon. Laboring through the night, he attempted to seal the casks so that the

precious gas would not leak out of the pipes.

5. Liberty Hall and Cincinnati Gazette, June 26, 1834; Cincinnati Chronicle and Literary Gazette,

October 25, 1834; Daily Cincinnati Republican and Commercial Register, August 23, 1834; October 22,

1834.

6. Commercial Register, November 27, 1834.

7. Ibid., November 20, 1834.

8. Milbank, First Century of Flight, photo facing page 55; "Field Hydrogen Generation: Vitriol

Process," Balloon Bulletin No. 17, Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps, United States Army, May 21,

1917.

58                                                                  OHIO HISTORY

On the morning of November 28, Kirkby offered a public apology and prom-

ised that a second attempt would be made at two o'clock that afternoon, ". . . at

which time the public may rest assured it [the ascension] will positively take

place."⁹ That afternoon, as those who had paid the day before filed into the amphi-

theater, a crowd began to gather outside where they could have a fine view of the

proceedings once the balloon was launched. When it became apparent that the gas

generator was still not functioning as it should, Kirkby again distributed checks

to the paid audience and promised a successful ascent in a few days. The crowd

outside was unwilling to allow a second failure to pass so lightly, however. Some

had been standing in the cold since noon without benefit of the band music inside.

Realizing that the aeronaut was about to give up for a second time, they refused

to allow anyone to leave the amphitheater. Although the crowd was inspired by a

"determination to level every thing connected with it [the balloon]," Kirkby was

able to convince them of the folly of mob action, and they dispersed.¹⁰

The next morning the mob collected outside the amphitheater again, threaten-

ing to destroy the balloon and the apparatus. The timely arrival of Mayor Samuel

W. Davies and a squad of nineteen officers saved the aeronaut and his equipment

from a fate not uncommon for nineteenth century balloonists. Mayor Davies

assured the crowd that an ascent would take place and that on the occasion either

he or John J. Wright, a prominent auctioneer, would take a place in the car with

Kirkby. The mob, feeling that this demonstration of faith was sufficient guarantee,

broke up. Nevertheless, the nineteen men stood guard all that night.11

On November 29, in a considerably less confident tone, Kirkby placed the fol-

lowing announcement in the Cincinnati papers:

Thomas Kirkby exceedingly regrets that the apparatus which he had prepared for the

inflation of his Balloon was insufficient. He regrets the disappointment of the citizens,

and pledges himself that no exertions on his part shall be wanting to furnish the respecta-

ble audience who waited on him on Thursday last, with an ascent in a few days, such as

has never been witnessed West of the Mountains.

He returns thanks to the Mayor of the city, the Police officers, and the numerous Gen-

tlemen who so kindly assisted him on the occasion, and solicits the indulgence of the citi-

zens of Cincinnati and the vicinity, for a few days, to give him time to prepare for a

second attempt, which he trusts will be successful.12

A week later the aeronaut "respectfully informed" the citizens that the fault

had indeed been in the generator and that the ascent would take place in the

middle of the coming week. Kirkby had solicited the aid of a number of "scientific

gentlemen," including Drs. Slack, Flagg, and Riddle of the medical college.¹³ With

their help, he built an entirely new generator and announced December 15 as the

date of the next attempt. A cannon was to be fired on the half-hour from nine

o'clock to three o'clock on the day of the ascent. Every precaution was taken to

9. Commercial Register, November 28, 1934.

10. Rebekah Gest to Erasmus Gest, December 4, 1834. Erasmus Gest Papers, Ohio Historical Society.

11. Ibid.

12. Commercial Register, November 29, 1834; Cincinnati Gazette, December 4, 1834.

13. Kirkby is undoubtedly referring to the Reverend Elijah Slack, Professor of Chemistry and

Pharmacy, and Melzer Flagg, M.D. The identity of Dr. Riddle is not clear. John L. Riddell, the

botanist, was in Cincinnati during this period, however, and, as a man of universal interests, would

certainly have been attracted to Kirkby's project.

60                                                               OHIO HISTORY

The wind, which was blowing from the southwest at takeoff had shifted to the

west, carrying Kirkby over the bend in the Ohio River. Approaching Columbia,

east of Cincinnati, he had already reached his maximum altitude of two and one-

half miles. From this height, the village appeared as "a confused mass of build-

ings with no discernable outline." In order to fight the cold, Kirkby put on his

overcoat and resorted to "a draft of generous cordial which I had in the car as a

companion." Again the wind shifted, carrying the balloon over Cincinnati a sec-

ond time, giving the aeronaut a fine view of the Queen City:

It was indescribably beautiful. The regularity of its plat, the bright light cast upon it by

the setting sun, covering the roofs with apparently a tissue of silver, contrasted with the

black lines which marked the streets running north and south and the sombre shades of

those laid out east and west--the landscape of the country surrounding it, drawn out in

miniature, dotted by the cheerful hand of industry with innumerable farms;--the beautiful

Ohio appearing like a silver cord carelessly thrown upon the picture.

In spite of this graphic description of the sights, Kirkby was in no position to

enjoy the scenery. Although the balloon was no longer rising, it was spinning "in

a constant whirl" and the aeronaut became airsick. Also, as he passed between

Milford and Batavia, it began to lose altitude rapidly. Realizing that the flight

could not continue much longer, Kirkby prepared to descend in Clermont County.

As he approached a large swamp three miles from Williamsburg, he brought his

epic voyage to a successful conclusion in the top of a tree on the farm of one

Samuel Riley. The farmer and a number of his neighbors arrived soon after and

were able to extricate the balloonist and his equipment from the branches. The

flight had covered a distance of about thirty-one miles in slightly less than

an hour.¹⁶

In the wake of this successful ascent Kirkby was referred to as a man of science

and his voyage described as a "beautiful and sublime spectacle."¹⁷ He was, how-

ever, in financial trouble. The expense of the balloon and equipment, the construc-

tion of the amphitheater, and the acid and iron scraps, as well as the necessity of

readmitting those disappointed by the abortive attempts and the cost of an entirely

new generator had taken what small profit he might have expected. Now several

hundred dollars in debt, Kirkby welcomed the opportunity to recoup his losses

with a second ascent.¹⁸

He announced that, weather permitting, the next flight would be made on

Christmas Day, 1834. As on the previous occasion, a cannon would be fired at

half-hour intervals to inform the public that the ascent would take place. It was

hoped that the balloon would develop sufficient lift to permit Dr. Riddle to accom-

pany Kirkby so he could conduct scientific tests in the upper atmosphere.19 Unfor-

tunately, the sky was overcast on the 25th and 26th, but the 27th dawned cold

and clear. The extreme cold kept attendance to a minimum, and preparations for

the ascent proceeded without incident. Dr. Riddle was disappointed, however, for

in spite of the trouble-free inflation, the balloon refused to leave the ground with

16. Commercial Register, December 18, 1834. This article contains Kirkby's personal account of the

first flight.

17. Cincinnati Gazette, December 18, 1834.

18. Ibid., January 1, 1835.

19. Commercial Register, December 23, 24, 25, 1834.

20. Ibid., December 29, 1834.

Thomas Kirkby                                                             61

both men aboard. Kirkby then decided to go alone. Free of the restraining lines,

the aerostat made a rapid vertical ascent, describing a half-circle over the city at

an altitude of three-quarters of a mile before disappearing behind a range of hills

to the east. Kirkby remained in view for thirty-seven minutes. He brought the bal-

loon to rest in a soft, plowed field two miles from Milford after a flight of thirteen

miles.²⁰

Although he had now completed two successful flights, the aeronaut remained

"poorly remunerated for his trouble, expense and risk."²¹ His second Cincinnati

ascent was also his last in the state. While he is reported to have made a flight in

Louisville on March 7, 1835, no further mention of him is to be found in Cincin-

nati newspapers.²²

The achievements of Thomas Kirkby were soon overshadowed by the spectacu-

lar flight of Richard Clayton from Cincinnati to Monroe County, Virginia, in

April 1835.23 Compared with this flight, which set a world distance record for free

balloons, Kirkby's ascents seemed insignificant and his pioneering efforts were

soon forgotten.

21. Ibid.

22. Literary Gazette, March 7, 1835.

23. Maurer Maurer, "Richard Clayton--Aeronaut," Bulletin, Historical and Philosophical Society

of Ohio, XIII (1955), 142-150.

* When Kirkby took coach from the earth to the sky,

And gavefolks a sample of how he could fly,

Some thought he ne'er meant it, t'was nought but a joke,

And that on us a hoax he was meaning to poke;

I doubted myself, but determined to see,

So to have a good view I climbed up in a tree.

But Kirkby ascended, and grand was his flight,

And great was the wonder we felt at the sight;

Like an eagle he soared on his heavenly track,

But the next point of wonder was how he'd come back;

I came down from the tree, and I looked all about,

To find some sage who could clear up this doubt.

I saw a great man who, to judge from its size,

His head must holdplenty of brains to be wise;

I asked him the question, which he answered quite bluff

"Why he'll let out the gas, when he's gone far enough."

"Och no," said an Irishman, standing hard by,

With a humorous shrug, and a wink of his eye,

"He's not sich afool, I swear by the crass,

"To do any sich thing, I should count him an ass;

"He's gone off to glory, where he's free from all sorrow,

"If he's not there to-night, he'll be there to-morrow,

"And Heaven I'm sure has forgiven his sin,

"For I saw the sky open, and saw him pop in."

* This poem was probably written on the occasion of Kirkby's first flight from Cincinnati. Liberty

Hall and Cincinnati Gazette, January 8, 1835.