The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-10-13
SPORTS N CALIFORNIA.

The most cruel and shameful disregard Of
life ever recorded in this country, is in the
case OF an ascension BY boy ot sixteen in
balloon on the Goth Of August, at San
Francisco. The balloon not filing as rapid
ly Is promised and the spectators becoming
impatient, an attempt was made by the
Aeronaut to ascend, but his weight prevent
ed owing to the partial imitation Of the bal
loon. Not to be disappointed, however, IN
the exhibition, the car was detached. hoop
about an inch square and three feet in diam
eter, with a beard about four inches in width
lashed across the middle, was attached to
the cords, and on this piece Of board was
placed the boy, without food or extra cloth
ing, and so suddenly was he dispatched sky
ward that no directions were given him for
the management of the balloon except to
pull the cord when he wished To come
down.
The following shows the speculations of
the crowd after the boy had taken his flight.
The paper says: Some persons said they
saw the hoy pull the rope and saw it break,
but this is not probable, as the rope appear
ed strong enough TO bear two hundred
pounds.
No sooner had the balloon risen than the
crowd began to express their regrets. Kelly
tried to paciiy them by saying the boy had
been up before, but all his companions deny
it. He was rising very rapidly when last
seen. and moving still more rapidly TO the
northeast. No one can tell what his fate
may be. He had not even fixed himself
properly on his seat, but was sitting on the
edge o. the hoop and leaning back upon
rope. II he does not succeed in opening
the valve to let himself down. he will be in
danger Of becoming SO numb with cold as to
fall out, or he might be frozen 10 death BY
the extreme cold: or if he succeeds in getting
down safely, no one knows how far il may be
from any human habitation.
Several Of those present positively assert
that the boy let the rope 60, and that il blew
up over the netting. II this be true, there
Is little hope Of his escape alive.
The Alta Californian Of the soth reports
the return OF the boy after his periloas Jour-
ney. Ii says:
Joseph Gates, the boy who made an as
cension in balloon from Oakland on Sun
day afternoon, and for whose safe return
there appeared little ground to hope, arrived
last evening in the Sacramento boat, safe
except spran in his ankle He lenied IN
Saisun valley. fifteen miles from Benicia,
and FIVE miles from any house. He retained
his presence of mind throughout, during the
hour and half that he was in the air, in
which time he travelled about fifty miles.
He was excited when he started, but
when he had risen slight distance he be-
came perfectly collected, and leaned back
In an easy position against the cords. Here
he sat, and for long time heard the cries
of the crowd below, and saw the whole bay
and country from San Francisco 10 Sacra-
mento.
The only unpleasant, sensation he felt was
cold in his feet. He took of one shoe, and
tied a handkerchief about his foot, and then
took off the other shoe. but dropped his
handkerchief, and had to put on that shoe as
il was before.
He wanted to come down soon after the
balloon started, but the rope broke: but he
was not Disconnected nor frightened He
knew very well whittier the balloon was
going, and wanted to land near Benecia, but
could not climb the ropes to cut the balloon
as he wished This be knew was his only
hope, and he perseyered until he succeeded
in getting up to the body Of the balloon and
cutting hole with his penkuife He was
careful not to make the hole too large, and
when be was satisfied that il was Of the right
size, be slipped down to the hoop The
balloon descended very gradually, and as it
reached the ground in the open plain, he
sprang off. The balloon, liz htened Of lis
weight rose again rapidly.
He then walked FIVE miles before he
reached house. and the next day he walked
TO Benicia. This eronautic tour is undoubt-
eddy one Of the most remarkable on record.
When we consider the youth and inexperi-
ence of the navigator. the uneypeetedness
of the trip, the scanty accommodations, his
success in climbing up the cords and cut
ting the balloon in perfectly successful
manner, and his fortunate escape from the
many dangers, the voyage has scarcely an
equal for romantic interest from the time of
Mongoltier to the present day. To climb
the cords was labor of extreme difficulty
for they were only about quarter of an
inch in thickness and the distance from the
hoop to point practicable for cutting vas
about twelve feet But few persons could
perform the feat Of climbing such cords
near the earth and much less three miles
above, for that was about the height TO which
he assembled. He saw not little danger,
but his voyage will become famous, and his
name will be spoken from Europe to Austria
liza. He can sell oranges and peanuts with
u perfect rush for few DAYS One Of the
first questions, after his arrival here. was
what his partner had done with the money
for the oranges and peanuts in the basket he
left behind. He was not entirely absorbed
by the romance of his voyage, nor forgetful
by the fright.
JAcE AND THE CHlsAMEs.-We were
amused few evenings since, while rambling
down Long Wharf, TO observe a scene be-
tween 4 sailnr and three Chfra,nnr /. IL