The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-08-14
THRILLING ADVENTURES OF TWO
AERONAUTS.


late London paper gives the following
account Of disastrous accident to bal.
loon, which caused quite panic at the
Crystal Palace:
On the evening Of the 10Th, Mr.. Gra-
ham, the celebrated aeronant, with his lady
made balloon ascent on the Kensng,on
Road, short distance from the principal
entrance to the Crystal Palace. The sig.
nal was given for starting Mt about SIX
o'clock.
The balloon rose gently and ascended
about twenty feet above the top Of pole
which surmounts the building, but sudden
Iy descended rapidly on the top Of the pole
alluded to, and large aperture was made
in the balloon. The graphing irons were
thrown out, but there was nothing 10 hold
by, and the balloon again ascended and de-
scended alternately, until at length it drift
ed away in northerly direction towards
the Crystal Palace.
A the balloon approached the Crystal
Palace, great fears were entertained for the
safety of portion Of that building and ol
those who were inside. At the time alIu.
led TO there were between $4,000 and 40,
600 persons in the building, some little de
parture having taken place from the or
dinary time Of "clearing out" In fe"
moments the balloon was directly over the
trsnsept Of the Exhibition. The aeronauts
seeing the fearfully dangerous position IN
which they were placed, let out the whole
Of the ballast on to the roof Of the palace
At this time the graphing irons were with
in few teet Of the summit Of the transept
and if hold had been obtained, vas
mass of the building must have been torr
away.
Clearing at length the Crystal Palace
The hag-s,ails Of which it destroyed, the bal
loon dr(ted towards Grosvenor gate, ant
thence took a diagonal direction between
Halt Moon street and Engine street, Plead
| lily. As though by magic it instantly rose
again, and was driven towards the front O
tho houses in Arlington street, which face
the Green park. These houses, togcthe
with those in Park place, St. James street
form two sides Of a square, and upon these
the work Of destruction appears to have
been most severe. Alghting on the parl
front Of COL North's mansion, l6 Airing
ton Street, the grspplig irons came in con
tact with the parapet. A gust OF wind a
rose, and the balloon again slightly ascend
ed, bearing away, by means of the renew
ed force impaired to it, the heavy CO
ping stones, and large portion Of the
pafapet, hurting them on the root, through
which they descended, carrying away il
their downward course the rafters over ths
staircase which they precipitated into th'
hall below. By this time the escape 0
gas from the balloon was so great that NJ
altitude could be obtained. 1t drilied be
tween the huge stacks Of chimneys which
surmount the houses in Arlington stree
and Park place, tearing down all will
which it came in contact, breaking in roof
wherever they fell.
At length the balloon became embeddet
between two huge blocks, the chimney
from which had been torn away, and th
arrested its progress and prevented an,
further damage. A body Of police immo
diateIy provided the means Of arriving a
the top of the house, where frightfu
spectacle presented itself. The car of tn
balloon was jammed between the two block
so firmly that all means Of releasing it ap
peared for long time hopeless. Mr.. an
Mrs. Graham had been thrown from thel
seats, and were lying on the roof of tn
house apparently liteless. The first i'm
pulse of the police was to procure medica
aid for the unfortunate aeronauts, and the.
were removed with as little delay as posi-
Ible to the residence of Mr.. Moore, SUI
ceon in Arlington street. On examination
lthev were found TO be alarmingly contuse
and lacerated, but the surgeon expresse
his opinion that death was not 10 be appre
hended.