Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-11-13
ALARMING BALLOON ACCIDENT.
FROM OUR OWN PARIS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

Il will be recoected by our readers, that fort
muht ago, M. Poilevn made balloon ascent in IA
rs on live ostrich We should moi repeat This stu
mid incident only it was connected with all alarming
accident. which proves more than anything else the
danger and folly Of baloonlng'
Five minutes after the ascent, Madame Epinard
the wife of one of the principal bankers oil PaHs,was
seen coming out of the Prince de .Nspau'e, one ol
the first establishments for boDnes and cdchemres
She had ON her head and shoulders that very moment
handsome new bonnet and magnificent new each
en,ire. which she had been purchasing Tor 5O,OOO
francs, the fruits of happy speculation made oy ner
husband on the Bourse, and presented by him 10 mis-
dear wife as birth day offering. :,
She had not proceeded five steps towards the milk
white column, of the Madeleine, when she felt heavy
| blow on the back OF her head, which completely
took away her sensesand sent her bonnet flying unGer
the wheels of passing citsdine. The blow was SO
strong, that the lady had only sufficient time TO run
into pasry-cook's, and sit down in chair, before
she tainted. When she was sufficiently recovered 10
look al herself in glass, she was so dishgured that
she could not have been recognized by her olllerest
enemy. Her shawl was completely spoiled; her
dress was ruined beyond the friendly redemption OF
ets cleaner or dyer; her parasol was melancholy
ruin. willis. il was found necessary 10 sacrifice her
been oven as il was utterly impossible TO bathe her
hands as long as she had them on. Surgical assis-
lance was sent for, and the suffering lady removed at
last after several hours Of hysterca fills, pronounced
perfectly genuine by all who witnessed them, 10 her
snlendd hotel in the Chausee d'Antin.
Public surmse is al loss 10 conjecture lie origin
of this terrible accident. 1t was supposed, ct hrst
that some malicious hand had been at work--but,no
such thjnp Il was the result of the most caprlclous
chance. The police Immediately proceeded to the
sno,. and soon collected evidence which justified them
in instantly arres.ing Monsieur Poitevn and his os-
lrich This difficult feat accomplished the fol-
lowing day-when The intrepid aeronaut and his dar-
inc bird had 10 pass a most uncomfortable night IN
nr;son. some fifteen leagues from Paris The Grim
inals were locked up in separate cells, so that they
might not be able to communicate together.
They have since been examined, and the origin OF
the accident has been fully explained. AT the time
that the lady received the blow on The back of her
head NJ. Poevin was passing over that very Porlion
of the Bouevards. He looked down and noticed
large white substance, not unlike ball,iang 10 the
earth. II fell OH lady's bonnet, bu! he could no
tce nothing further, for the balloon shot INTO lie air
Immediately afterwards with such wonderful raPdi'y
that it required all his attention to attend 10 II.
This story agrees with The version OF the police.
Tbey examined the ground,and picked up innumera-
BILE little pieces of broken SHE'LL with which the pave
ment was strewed. These were produced in Cour',
and thew left no doubt upon thejudge's mind that the
accident had been caused by An Os'rich's Egg 1t
was mercy that this modern instance OF os'racl'm
had not resulted in death! .
M. Poitevn was condemned in a new bonnet,cach-
emre and paraso, of an equal value to those so pit
ably destroyed, and in 10000 francs Tor damages
done to the ady's nerves His os'r'ch was lSe%lse
Bound over to keep the peace ior two years MS
will put stop for the present to any more oam-
Dagnes d. .4utruche.