The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-05-30

TUN
A PERILOUs YOYAGE-A LOST Ball
LOON FouND,-An extra from &c, office of the
HOllidaysburg Register, informs US that John
Wise, the afonaut, made a balloon voyage
from that place on Saturday, last. He was
quite successful inhis assent, but on coming
down he dashed against a tree. and escaped
himself with the loss of his balloon, which
was found on the same evening on fhe prem
ises of a clergyman in Lexington, n. Y
Wise has published a letter, IN which he
gives this account of his perilous descent and
escape: a'ela5 81
The Balloon took a ~northerly direction,
and Nas ascending reptsdty until ! reached m
attitude of about 40001eet, where it encoun-
tered a violent gale from the west, swinging
it 10 and fro, and cracking the network at
every surge. My heart at once began 10
sicken at the idea of falling away fTom the
Balloon at that height, with nothing TO pfol
tect me but the car and network; and the
sensations and scene were rendered still
more gloomy by the lowering appearance of
the heavens in every direction, as around and
beneath, the clouds appeared to be discharge
ing torrents of rain and wind. / could also
see The valleys west 0 fthe Allegheny mount
ain, where the sun was shedding down lis
beams oflight and life.45faa - sao.easz
/, At this, crisis an expedient flashed across
my mind. The valve rope would at least
bear a hundred pounds, and The top of the
Balloon being equally strong, | threw the
greatest part of the weight of my body p
it. Thisnecessarily opened the valve to its
full extent, and must soon bring the machine
70 the ground. Butthe velocity of the wind,
being at the rate of about Sc miles per
hour.) carried mesl6 miles before 1 reached
terra frma. I threw out my anchor, which
grappled in a fence and capsized it and after
bounding over the field il caught again in a
fence and broke the rail. This ~concussion
was so violent, and | finding myself driving
into "a rugged piece of timber land, | made
an attempt to Jump overheard into a plough
ed field; but the Balloon rose with a violent
surge, and I was caught in a hitchof the ropes
by one leg, fortunately / grasped the drag
rope in an inverted position, thinking Iwould
hang on to that, if my leg should be releas--
ed.
Having lost considerable ballastin the CON
%cussion, the Balloon in a fewmoments DASH
ed me into the top of a high tree ina piece
of woodland; my leg still fast TO the rigging
of the Car. Here l took a hitch TO the limb
Of tree, and even succeeded in tyinga iirn
knot. L now made a desperate effort to re-
lease my foot from the car, which was toss
ing about in the nee top, and the squalls a.
gainst the Balloon would draw the tree over
me fearful that the top would be bro
ken of. BY a violent kick l succeeded ihre-
my foot, with the loss Of my boot.
fromsthe car. Is be9I staa q sI9
A single rope still held it fast 10 the tree,
and after | got a footIlold on the tree | secur-
ed the valve cord in my hand; the squalls
however became stronger until it broke the
rope by which | had dashed it to the tree
top, with a. terrible crash, and ierked the
valve rope through my left band, burning the
skin to a crisp. The Balloon ina few mo-
dashed out of sight, The car keeping it
in mlerable trim. 3u.aa As1so
PHREYoLoGY.-A lady, a disbelieyer in
the science, asked a learned phrenologist,