Samuel Archer King

Samuel Archer King (9 April 1828 in Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania – 3 November 1914 in Philadelphia) was a ballooning pioneer in the United States.

In consequence of a scant supply of gas, it proved only a partial success, and he received rough treatment in the tree tops and in being dragged up the Schuylkill River and over the dam.

On another occasion he ascended from Boston Common with a party, and alighted in Melrose, where a long rope was procured, and he treated some of the passengers to a bird's-eye view of the village by moonlight.

The start was excellent, but the balloon was carried out over Lake Erie, where, in efforts to navigate it, by means of an undercurrent, to reach the land, the car twice struck the surface of the water.

The balloon moved at the rate of forty miles an hour, the cold was intense, night came on, and the party were in the midst of a driving snow storm.

In February 1870, he ascended from Augusta, Georgia, and after a journey of 130 miles descended, although not until his balloon had become injured and he had been precipitated to the ground from a height of nearly 60 feet.

In September of the same year an ascension was made from Cleveland at 11 A. M. At first the balloon moved westward, but, rising higher, it floated out over Lake Erie for eight hours, until Buffalo was nearly reached; then descending to the lower current, it drifted back past Cleveland toward the Canada shore, reaching Point au Pele near 7 P. M. He descended just in time to avoid being carried out over Lake Huron; but, the current changing, he again mounted and the balloon was carried across the lake, up the St. Clair River, finally landing in Michigan near Port Huron, after having traversed a distance of nearly 500 miles.

On a trip made in July, 1875, with the “Buffalo,” he carried a photographer with him, who took numerous views of cloud effects, and the journey proved of special interest, as they passed through a series of thunderstorms, which they watched from beginning to end.

In August 1887, he made an ascent at Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, in his balloon, the “Great Northwest,” accompanied by Henry Hazen of the U. S. Signal Service, and, after four hours drifting in the vicinity of the city, descended opposite Manayunk.

Over the subsequent years the publicity generated by King and other balloonists during frequent demonstration ascensions led to an increase in the general interest in the navigation of the air.