The Woodville Republican, and Wilkinson advertiser., 1853-12-20


lv along in southeasterly direction. With
the exception q ;his information as to the Use
Of The yalve-rope, he was entirely ignorant Of
the manner of managing balloon. Having
ascended some thirty or forty feet, the balloon
was carried along by gentle breeze, in
southeast course across an arm of the bay
south of Oakland, and rising as it proceeded to
a greater height, until it was concealed from
view by SOME light CLOUDS. II was thon met
by q eounter-eurrent Of air and iiioved along,
gradually ascending iii a northeasterly direct
ION, to appearances Immediately over the crest
of the mountains In the course of an hour
it had attained a greater altitude, and still its
course was onward and upward, until a few
minutes past O'Clock it was lost to the view
in the distance. 1t was about fifteen minutes
qeforo 4 o'clock when the boy took his seat on
the board.
Although the result Of this aerial voyage
must remain in doubt for some time, scarcely
hope of the safety Of the daring youth can
be entertained Had he known how to
control the balloon he would unquestionably
have opened the satety-valve, after proceeding
mile OF two, and have effected descent. 1t
is to be presumed he was either ignorant of
the manner in which the valve is used, or that
the rope 10y which 1t is opened, and the gas
permitted to escape; had broken or become
entangled. BE this as it may, his course was
onward and upward to what would seem to
be inevitable destruction When last seen
The balloon was at such height as to pre-
clude the hope that he could be alive.
The danger of his falling off the board WAS
of course imminent and as he ascended in
the higher regions he must necessarily have
become bcnhmbed bv cold, and may have
fallen to the ground aud crushed TO atoms. In
the eveut of his escaping this death, however,
another equally terrific awaited him-that
produced by the rarefaction Of the air. The
youth has, we understand, father and broth
er living in this city, We await with some
anxiety, the result of this most extraordinary
affair @ .........
| A.few moments after the balloon had parted
company with the earth, aud When at the dis
tance Of half mile, one of young Gates COM
panons shouted 10 him to know if he would
not have an oyercoat Z" The crowd around
enjoyed the Joke heartily, little thinking that
tliC DIdNt DO1 WOulu III lCoS Niiuu nan uli
lIour be shivering with intense cold. We may
remark that he was very lightly clad. AS he
ascended, and before the outlines of his figure
was lost to view in the distance, his back was
ttirned to the crowd, and we did not observe
| him to make any attempt to look back on the
world he was leaving, We trust, but temporari-
! ly His department was, however, entirely
composed, although his seat was a most uu-
comfortable one. Two or three ropes against
which he leaned his back, and frail board
which he stradded as child does a hobby
horse, were all that separated him from de-
struction when last seen. Upon this fragile
support he swung to and fro without falling,
| although we We're prepared at any moment to
see him drop to the ground. When the bal
loon had attained considerable elevation its
movements became very regular. There were
no CUFFS or putfs of wind, and the movement
was so gentle that the progress Of the aeronaut
conld only be marked by observing its relative
position with other objects The direction
| first taken was a little to the eastward of San
Antonio. AT this point it was that it encoun-
| tered-the counter-current of air, and made the
curve which carried it to the northeast Af-
| ter having struck the counter current the dis
lance was so great that the figure Of the boy
could no longer be distinguished. The boy and
the balloon presented a single dark object to
the view; and from this time until it entirely
disappeared the diminution in its size was
very gradual. 1t was, However, throughout
the whole time seen with the greatest distinct
ness. The atmosphere was unusually pure,
and after the balloon had fioated past the low
clouds behind which ID was concealed within
the first ten minutes, it was not again hid
from view until it had passed beyond tlie
range Of unaided human vision. Even when
| it disappeared it did not seem TO have been
concealed by the light ileecy clouds in the
background but gradually dwindled to a
speck so small that it could no logger be dis
covered.
| At first the spectators seemed to have been
nsensible of the danger attendant upon the
voyage. They regarded it as merely good
joke and a. pretty spectacle so beautiful did
the balloon rise, and so gracefully did it float
along high above the tops Of the mountains
1t was only when it became scarcely percepti
bic, rising higher and higher above successive
belts Of clouds, they began to inquse into th,
circumstances Of the daring boy, as well a;
TO who might be to blame for permitting O
countenahcing the rash act Much anxiety
was entertained to know whether he had fall
en- from the board. A glass was obtained
and 1t WAS aseertsiued that heavy sutstahc'
was still attached to the balloon. This mus
have been either the boy or the board-scarcely
the latter. Kelley started on horseback in th'
direction the balloon had taken, but there i
no probability he could have kept it in sight
4 for when last seen it must have been beyonC
the mountains, and this was but short tim
before sundown.
When the balloon first attained position
above the line of the mountau il seemed b
] l.