Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Paullin, William

PAULLIN, William, aëronaut, b. in Philadelphia, 3 April, 1812; d. there, 1 Dec., 1871. At the age of twenty-one he began the construction of his first balloon, and in August, 1833, he made a trial-trip from Philadelphia, inflating with hydrogen gas, followed by numerous ascents, and on 26 July, 1837, made a private effort from the Philadelphia gas-works with the view of testing the practicability of using coal-gas for balloon purposes. He succeeded, and was thus the first, in this country at least, to use illuminating gas for balloon purposes. In September, 1841, he sailed for Valparaiso, Chili, and he made numerous ascensions during his stay in South America. On one occasion he rose from St. Jago and crossed the volcano, being compelled to ascend to such a height as to distress him severely. The heat was so great as to endanger the balloon, while the fumes that arose threatened the aeronaut with suffocation. Mr. Paullin made ascensions also in Cuba, Hayti, Porto Rico, and Mexico. After an absence of six years he returned to the United States, and made many ascents from the western states, and some in the east. During the civil war he was connected with the National army, making his last ascension under Gen. Joseph Hooker. He then resigned, and became a photographer. His intellect was affected for some time before his death.