Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1842-10-13

,.r5sy III. By citizen 81 Ger 1eiehbor.
a. lo<6 II Gstsysbosg. Dir. John Wiss;
fke American Aeronaut, par ercsllencs
had s6nounced his intention to make 81.
39h Balloon Ascensio1. oa that day. from
"a enclosure 10 Getty sbyFg--snd with
his Dual pnseiuslliy. was ready on the
day and hour promised. His balloon va.
ia6lied-his ballast grsppIisg iron. sc.
duly slowed and be was about 10 step in
10 The basket. Al that mdmeni. Mf. John
Mcclellan. youne genllemsn Of Gestys-
burg. enqaifed Of Mr Wise whether il
would not Be possible fer fDo persons 10
ascene With The power then 10 The bal
loon. On receiving . neestigereply. Mr,
Mcclellan seemed much disappointed
said be wss determined 70 have . ride,
and enquiredthe price :, which Mr. Wise
would PERM. him to make The voyage
alone. "Oae hundred dollars, Sir" said
Mr.. Wise. .ho did not appear 10 consider
The enquirer 10 be 10 earnest. II eill
rive you CITY dollsrsl'' 7" Agreed--fork
oserls The Joke WA !" carried on. = and
the cream Of il was soon transferred tothe
pocket Of The Aefonaut--and bis substi.
lule wss snugiv seated 10 The car. vocif.
Grating bis direction 20 /" cut loose" Mr..
Wise thought that matters bad now gone
far enough. and requested his customer
10 get out. asthe time had arrived 4: which
be had promised,io be of But he re-.
fussdto do %. and Unlisted thai be bad re-
gularly hired and paid for . passage !, Il
this bo1l. end 70 be would. AZ Barne !
o 'Reardop said 10 the man in the moon,
when the latter respecisbfe personage told
him 70 '.sIass bis houid. :. . The more be
bid bin. the more he wouldn't"
AIr. Wise then letthe balloon up short
distance BY = rope. thinking, probably
thai a. there Was eonsidersble wind. and
the air horse consequently turbulent
his substitute would have bis courage
cooled. and give TO-" But this was nc
go-and thinking that he had a. good |
star; Is ever be would have, Mr.. McCleI.
Ian cut the Fope--and lras off, Alter he
found that i was the determination Of Mr.
Mcclellan 10 90. Mr.. Wise had but lime
10 give him slew 7hasiy and imperfect in.
siruciions 10 regard 10 The man agemeni Of
the balloon-and IN q few minute, the
daring amateur Rmnaui had assembled ic
. height Of about two miles. Here he
struck current Of sir which bore him ii.
Teclly towards Yefk. He saws that The
earth receded from him very rapidly afieI
he had thrownsa bag Or two OF sand upon
it--ihai Gettysburg passed OF toward Ha.
gefsiown, and that he saw Carlisle, Han.
over. Abbo,tsiown. Oxford. and Berlin
Slrolling about md that soon after. iusl
ahead " hirns<he saw Old York coming
full till up the turnpike towards him, sppa
rsntly taking 30 aflernoon's walk to Get
tysburg. Having determined to stop Al
York; and fearing. from the remarkable
speed At which our usually staid and 50;
Der iowa was travelling. that she would
soOn pass under his balloon. and give him
the slip. be pulled The string attached 10
the safety valve. 10 order 10 let of por-
tion Of gas. Tbis valve IL so constructed,
that when the peaitached is pulled, the
valve opeEs TO the Interior andagain closes
by the force Of the gas when the rope Is
lei 60. Unfortunately, however. the ia
sTperenced aronaui pulled too violently
81 iha valve rope. tore the valve door com
ple,ely ehits hinges. and brongh. i down
int tie earl When thisoccntred, he was
more than mile high. and be immedi.
ately and with fearful rapidity descended,
or rather FL to the eSrihI When the
valve door came of, The gas Of course es-
csped rapidly. but The balloon caught suf-
fcient air 70 form parachute, BY which
tie fall was mcdersted--and We are hap.
Ply to say that the voysger reached, the
earth about Eve miles from York, entirely
uninjnfed! He says that as soon as the
valve doer came down upon him. be knew
that something had broke loose !" and
juat then remembering that Mr.. Wise had
told him 10 be sure when he descended 10
tollhrow out bis graphing iron. be was
preparing 10 get 1t i, among the numerous
things 10 the basket. .when the earth
bouncci up against The bo,,on of the carl"
When tirs.seen IRON York, the BALBOA
usr about IL miles due West II appear.
ed 70 be approaching directly toward our
town. until the valve was pulled and il
had fallen considerably. AZ i. fell, il
seemed 10 find current that bore il "a.
pidly toward the North. The spot al
which il landed Il about North West of
our borough.
The escape Of The gas vas distinctly
seen from York; and as the balloon near.
ed The earth. il had lost its rotnndiiy and
appeared TO the1gszers here TO come down
Asasiiy like wet Sheet York Gazette.