Canada. When it was proposed, under the leader- ship of the Mathers, to establish associations of ministers in Massachusetts that should exercise authority that had belonged to the individual churches, Wise opposed the plan as being the first step toward a hierarchy, and published against it a pamphlet entitled " The Churches' Quarrel Es- poused" (Boston, 1710; 2d ed., with the "Cam- bridge Platform," 1715). In this he attacked the scheme with keen satire, utterly defeating it. Dr. Henry M. Dexter, in his "Congregationalism as Seen in its Literature," says the essay is unsur- passed " for density, for clearness, for largeness of vision, for conclusiveness, and for general ability and beauty of style." Later Mr. Wise amplified his views in his " Vindication of the Government of New England Churches," which was bound to- gether with another edition of the former pam- phlet (1717). This is a remarkable exposition of the general principles of civil government, and be- came, says a biographer, " the text-book of liberty for our Revolutionary fathers, containing some of the notable expressions that are used in the Decla- ration of Independence." The two essays were reprinted in a volume by the Congregational board of publication, with an historical introductory no- tice by the Rev. Joseph S. Clark, D. D. (I860). See, also, funeral sermon, by John White (1725).
WISE, John, aëronaut, b. in Lancaster, Pa., 24
Feb., 1808; d. in Lake Michigan, 28 or 29 Sept.,
1879. His first ascension from Philadelphia, Pa.,
on 2 May, 1835, was short and uneventful. During
his next, on 4 July, 1835, from Lebanon, Pa.,
he attempted to open the valve on the top of the
balloon, but lost control, and it burst, compelling
him to descend. On 1 Oct., 1835, he attempted
an ascension from Lancaster, Pa., but was thrown
from the car and became unconscious while the
balloon ascended alone, and on 7 May, 1836, he
ascended again from Lancaster, and landed in Harford
county, Md., about seventy-five miles distant.
While he was emptying the car of its cargo an
explosion of the gas occurred, burning the aëronaut
severely. He made a voyage from Philadelphia,
Pa., on 18 Sept., 1837, alighting in Delaware river,
where he was rescued. On this trip he set loose
two parachutes for the purpose of demonstrating
the superiority of the inverted parachute. In
October, 1837, he ascended again from Philadelphia,
and alighted in New Jersey, forty miles from his
starting-point. He left Easton, Pa., 11 Aug., 1838,
and when he had reached the height of 13,000 feet
his balloon burst, and in less than ten seconds all
the gas had escaped. The balloon descended rapidly
with an oscillating motion, and, on reaching the
earth, rebounded, throwing Mr. Wise ten feet from
the car. He next advertised that on 1 Oct., 1838,
he would ascend and in the air would convert his
balloon into a parachute, which feat he successfully
accomplished. On 4 July, 1840, he entered
into competition with William Paullin for a record
of the highest and longest balloon ascension, but
was defeated. In June, 1843, he announced his
intention of crossing the Atlantic in the summer
of 1844, advancing the theory that there was a
constant air-current from west to east 12,000 feet above
the ocean; but he failed to secure an appropriation
from congress for the purpose, and was compelled
to abandon the project. In August, 1846, during
an ascension from West Chester, Pa., he entered a
thunder-cloud, and, on descending, his car was
struck by lightning, but he escaped. During an
ascent, on 15 Aug., 1851, from Zanesville, Ohio, he
made experiments on the action of falling bodies,
and found that they all spin upon their axes. A
light, empty pint-bottle fell in a large spiral, giving
out a musical sound in its descent, and turning
slowly on an axis as it came down. On 5 Sept.,
1851, he ascended from Columbus, Ohio, and found
himself entering a stratum, 10,000 feet in height,
that was highly electrical and agitated by
“convulsionary air-wheels.” All parts of the balloon-rigging
acquired musical properties, the various
cords giving forth sounds similar to those of a
stringed instrument. At sunset he saw the clouds
tinted with the colors of the rainbow, and, although
more than a mile high, heard the voices of persons
below in conversation. This voyage was beneficial
to his health, which had been much impaired.
In 1851 he petitioned congress for an appropriation
of $20,000 for the purpose of constructing a
large air-ship with which to demonstrate the
possibility of destroying any fleet, fort, or army by
means of explosive missiles thrown from the car,
and also the possibility of crossing the ocean.
The petition was referred to the naval committee
and never reported on. Thereafter he continued
to make occasional ascensions until 1859, when
they numbered about 230. In that year, with
John La Mountain and others, he made the celebrated
voyage from St. Louis to Jefferson county,
N. Y., a description of which is given in the article
La Mountain. From September, 1871, till July,
1872, he was librarian of the Franklin institute.
He then revived his project of crossing the Atlantic,
and made efforts to raise funds for a balloon and
equipment, but without success until the enterprise
was taken up by the “Daily Graphic,” of New
York city. (See Donaldson, Washington H.)
Soon after this failure he removed to Louisiana,
Mo., intending to devote the remainder of his life
to farming; but he was unable to resist the fascination
of ballooning, and announced an ascension
from St. Louis, Mo., 28 Sept., 1879. With several
companions, in a new balloon named the
“Pathfinder,” he set out at the appointed time, intending
to stay in the air as long as he could. The
balloon moved in a northeasterly direction, and was
last seen at Carlinville, Ill. From that time no
tidings were ever received from the aëronauts, but
several weeks later the body of one of the party
was washed ashore on Lake Michigan. It is
supposed that they perished during one of the sudden
tempests of that region, and, like Donaldson and
others, were drowned in the waters of the great
lake. Mr. Wise published a “System of
Aëronautics” (Philadelphia, 1850).
WISNER, Benjamin Blydenbnrg, clergyman, b. in Goshen, Orange co., N. Y., 19 Sept., 1794 ; d. in Boston, Mass., 9 Feb., 1835. His father
was one of the first settlers in Goshen. Benjamin
was graduated at Union in 1813 and at Princeton
theological seminary in 1820, and in the interval
was principal of the academy in Johnstown, N. Y.,
also studying law. In 1821-'32 he was pastor of
the Old South church, Boston, Mass. He then
resigned on account of failing health, and became
secretary of the American board of commissioners
for foreign missions. In that capacity he did good
service in visiting various parts of the country and
in forming missionary associations. Union gave
him the degree of D. D. in 1828. His publications
include single sermons and memoirs ; " History of
the Old South Church " (Boston, 1830) ; and " Moral
Condition and Prospects of the Heathen " (1833).
See " Memorial Volume of the First Fifty Years of
the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign
Missions," by Rufus Anderson, D. D. (1862).
WISNER, Henry, patriot, b. in Goshen, Orange co., N. Y., about 1725; d. there in 1790.
