Real news doesn’t need to tell you that it’s true; it will provide enough evidence to support the claims it makes. Many readers in 1844 fell for the false story. As a result, two days after the story ran the Sun published the following retraction:
“BALLOON – The mails from the South last Saturday night not having brought a confirmation of the arrival of the Balloon from England, the particulars of which from our correspondent we detailed in our Extra, we are inclined to believe that the intelligence is erroneous. The description of the Balloon and the voyage was written with a minuteness and scientific ability calculated to obtain credit everywhere, and was read with great pleasure and satisfaction. We by no means think such a project impossible.”
The first transatlantic balloon voyage didn’t happen until 1978 and would take six days to make the crossing.
