The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1824-07-20
FOREIGN.
Inknnx. Mar 2h.

presented a remarkably agitsted appcar-
ance 10 consequence of the Shocking accident
lhat hap ened 10 MIR. Harris.th Efouaui. and
Miss Stocks, his companion
The balloon, after ascending a copsisera.
bic height, took southwestern direction over
me metropolis, and about 3 o'clock, thirty
minutes after Che ascent took placcl was o.
served near Croydon, apparently descending
la short time The wind carried il 10 4 place
called bebb,n's Hill mile beyond Croydon.
and lire the unfortunate Eronaut made nj.
hrst descent. u appears that the want of a
lgrapplng-lr0n which lac had omitted TO pro-
wide himself with) was at this period severe
4 y fell. ard bal he been provided with one.
his life i'ight have been saved. Tie balloon
\ again lelt fl.e earth. aud having ascrndeI III y
considerab.e heighi. was blown ~ the wind
about two miles 70 The right Of Croydon, when
~ eronaut, u appears, resolved 20 make an
other descent, aud communicated Cd tie Young
lsdy. his companion, that such was hls inten-
ton, as a spot presented itself winch appeared
favorable for the purpose. The balloon al
that time was directly over Beddington Park
near Che mansion OF a lady Of rortuuc, named
Gee, who Is the owner of the estates in that
lady little alarmed az the descent, poured
ont glass Of brandy, and requested her 20
drink II, aud 20 hold fast TO the hoop, lest by
the car rebounding, on coming in contact
with the earth, she should be thrown out. Al
this time the valve was open, aud during the
time be was directing his attention to his com
panlon, the greater part Of the gas evaporat-
cd
| i may be here better 70 give description
of the structure Of this important part Of the
machine (the vaive,) 70 tie mal-f1rmation 81
which the melancholy occurrence IS positive.
Z " attributed. The size Of the valve of the
ldeccased's balloon was 3 feet 5 inches in di
ameter, and when opened TO its extremity
would have allowed the whole Of the gas IL
the balloon 20 escape IN bout minute and ;
half Within the large valve was a smaller
one, with two flaps about one foot square
Y The object Of this invention was To give ID,
Gronaut the power Of discharging the gas eth
r. ~ large or small quantities, as occasion
may require. There was a cord from eacl
valve, and it is believed that during the voyag,
I these cords became entangled, and when be
pulled the cord affixed to the inner or smal
valve, the large valve was forced open to il
utmost width, and the greater part Of the ga
escaped. Mr.. Harris did not see the DANCE
\ Of depriWng the machine Of its buoyanCy 50
suddenly till the mischief was done, and h,
exclaimed las far as the young lady recollect
/ who was nearly insensible at the time \ "Goot
God, lrotect me :" which were his last words
I The valve Of Biessrs. Sadlcr's, Craham'
and Green's balloons arc constructed from Q {,
20 inches in diameter only, which open by tn,
pull Of cord, the flaps OF which worked Ne
on centre hinge ; and il Is evident that Ia,
deceased was not aware OF the rapidity will
which gas would escape thr0' an aperture o
between three and four feet 10 diameter, or IA
would have seen no necessity for SO large
valve.
/ Before the balloon reached within a hun
dred yards of the earth, its appearance La,
changed, owing to'the escape of gas, from ;
globular TO a cylindrical form and the descen
was aatonishingly rapid. The persons who
witnessed II were struck with horror at Ia,
consequences that must inevitably ensue, from
the spectacle that presented itself The game
keeper 81 Mrs Gee sat al the foot Of a tree
IN the Park, with gun in his hand, when the
balloon decended WithIp short distance oil
him. Has attention was attracted by the
balloon, when il was within about one hundred
yards Of the earth, and sound like dIstan
thunderstruck upon his car, which was bevont
doubt, occasioned By the rustling Of the sin
in the air.
When he first saw tie balloon, the silk hat
collapsed, and very little gas remained inside
The car, which beat against tree, and broke
on several boughs, struck the ground with ex
n 81 4
had dropped PerPendicularly, fell upon the ca
and the yoyagers, and covered them, so tina
when the game-keeper went Up 10 It, he had d,
idea that human being was underneath il, iii
he heard deep moaning. He instantly hftet
the SILK which enveloped the unfortunate Der
sons, and saw the female lying across the bach
Of Mr.. Harris, who was doubled up. His rib
were beat in, has breast bone sbockngly frac
tured, and lie was quite extinct. A quantity
OF blood had flowed iron an injury on ms neck
but his skull was not fractured The car. b,
coming IN contact with the boughs of an oab
tree, no doubt broke the fall, and saved the
adventurous lady from the fate OF her comnan.
ion. She, however, was much injured II.
ternally, BY the violent conclusion size experi.
enced; AMI 10 her falling on the BODY uf Mr.
Harris may be mainly attributed the COMPARE
lively slight injury she sustained. We are
happy to state, that none Of her linbs have
been either broken or dislocated. but thai
sansuine hopes are entertained OF her recoy.
cry. Neither Of them we're thrown out OF the
car, but as soon as assistance arrived they
were taken out and laid upon tie grass. The
cushions we're taken out or the car. and placed
under the iady's head, and the most humane
attentions were paid to her In a short time
she was restored 70 sensibihty, aud exclaimed.
Good God, where am ~ Mr.. Wallace. the
surgeon, Of Carshaltou, arrived on the spot IN
about 70 minutes after the descent. and had
the young lady and the corpse Of the deceased
carried 70 the Plough Tavern, at Beddington
be blCd the lady a. soon as Sue arrived there,
aud ~ the course OF an hour she was capable
Of answering questions that were put 70 her.
IL was al first supposed by the surgeon that the
spine Of her back was seriously injured, bui
we are happy TO say such fear proved ground
less. The deceased had had a naval dress
made Tor tie purpose OF wearing during the as
cent, which was ornamented verv richly :
when bis body was taken out Of the car. w
- AT 49, - "A. y I