New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-05-13

When plled against HARRY CLAY
periIous Voynce-A Lost Balloon Found.
An extra from the Office of the Hol!idaysbuTg
Register, informs US that John Wise, the Gro
naut, made balloon voyage from that place on
Saturday last He was quite successful IN his
ascent, but on coming down he dashed against
tree. and escaped himself with the loss Of his bal
loon, which was found on the same evening on
the premises of clergyman in Lexington, y. Y.
Wise has published a letter. in which he gives
this account Of his perilous descent and escape:
The balloon took a northcrly direction, and
was ascending rapidly until | reached an altitude
Of about 1000 feet, where it encountereda violent
yale from the west, swinging 1t to and fro and
cracking the network at every surge. My heart
At once began TO scken at the idea OF falling
away from the balloon at that height, with no.
thing 10 protect 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 be-
meath, the clouds appeared to be discharging tor
rents of rain and wind. l could also see the val
leys west of the Allegheny mountain, where the
sun was shedding down its beams of light and
life.
AT this crisis an czpedient flashed across my
mind. The valve rope would at least bear
hundred pounds, and the topof the Balloon being
equally strong, threw the greatest part of the
weight of my body upon it. This necessarily
opened the valve to lis full extent, and must soon
bring the machine TO the ground. But the veto.
city of the wind, (being at the rate of about 50
miles per hour,) carried me l6 miles before
reached terra firma. I threw out my anchor,
which grapped in fence and capszed IT, and
after bounding over the field it caught again IN
fence and broke the rail. This conclusion was
SO violent, and | finding myself driving into a
rugged piece Of timber land made an attempt
10 Jump overheard into ploughcd field; but the
Balloon rose with violent surge, and | was
caught in hitch of the ropes by one leg; fortu-
natcy graspcd the drag rope in an inverted po-
siton thinking l would hang on TO that, If my
leg should be released.
Having lost considerable ballast in the concus-
sion. the Balloon in few moments dashed me
INTO the top of Il high tree in piece OF wood
land my leg still fast to the rigging OF the car.
Here took hitch to the limb of a tree, and
even succeeded in tying firm knot. | now
made desperate effort to release my foot from
the car, which was tossing about III The tree top,
and the squalls against the Balloon would draw
Tue tree over making me fearful that the top
would be broken Oft. BY violent kick | sue
cccded in releasing my foot, with the loss of my
boot from the car
a single rope still held it fast to the tree, and
after got a ioothold on the tree, | secured the
valve cord in my hand the squalls however be-
came stronger until il broke the rope BY which
had dashed it to the tree top, with terrible crash
and jerked the valve rope through my left hand,
burning the skin to crisp. The Balloon in a
moment dashed cut of sight, the Car keeping it
in toerable trim.
The following paragraph from the Cstskill On.
" Recorder shows where the balloon went TO-
and the rapid rate it must have been driven, to
have reached that place on the same day:
"WHo HAS LOST A BALLOON ION the even
ing of the 4th inst. balloon aighted on the pre-
mses OF the Rev. John p. Van Valkenhurgh, Of
Lexington, in this county. The Car which was
attached to the balloon contained lady's basket
IN which was quantity OF cake, small bottle,
a tin cup. and several papers printed at Holidays
burg, Pa. dated May 4, 1874. Attached TO the
basket Was paper, upon which was written
John WISE Philadelphia" The balloon was
of size requiring about six hundred yards Of
silk"