Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-10-22
course was onward and upward to what
would seem TO bo inevitable destruc'

| w IlCE IuOb pSNh W. OuAiS" ouki
height as to preclude the hope that he
could be alive. The danger Of his fall
ing off tho board was of course immi.
ncnt. uud as he asccnded into tho high,
er regions ho must necessarily have be.
come bcnumbed by cold, and may have
fallen to the ground and been crushed
to atoms. In the event of his escaping
this death, however, another equally
terrific awaited him--that produced by
the raretaction Of the air. The youth
has, we understand, father and broth
er living in this city. We await, with
some anxiety, tho result of this most ex.
traordinary affair. ..f
A few moments after the balloon had
parted company with tho earth, and
when at the distance Of half milo, one
of young Gates companions shouted to
him TO know If he "would have an O.
vercoat 7" The crowd around enjoyed
the joke heartily, little thinking that the
brave boy would in less than half au
hour be shivering with intense cold,
We may remark that he was very light.
ly clad. As he ascended, and before
the outlines of his figure were lost to
view in the distance, his back was turn
ed to the crowd, and VIC did not observe
him make any attempt to look back on
the world ho was leaving, we trust, but
temporarily. His department was, how
ever, entirely composed, although his
seat was a most uncomfortable one.
Two or three ropes against which he
leaned his back, and frail board which
he straddled as child does aEbobby-
horse, were all that separated him from
destruction when last seen. Upon this
fragile support he swung TO and fro
without falling, although We were pre-
pared at any moment to sec him drop
TO theground. Whun the balloops had
attained d considerable elevation its
movementsbecamevery regular. There
were no gusts or pulls of wind. and the
movements were so gentle that the pro-.
gress of tile aronaut could only be mar
ked BY observing itssrelative position
with other objects. The direction first
taken was "a little to the eastward of
San Antonio. At this .pointEit was that
it, enconntered Tho counter current of
air, and made tile curve Which carried
it to the northeast. ltcrhaving struck
the counter current the distance 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 diminu.
iion in its size was very gradual. 1t
was, however, throughout the whole
time seen with the greatest disiinctness
The atmosphere was usually pure, and
after tho balloon had tlouted past the
low clouds behind which it was conceal
ed within the first ten minutes, it was
not again hid from view until it had
passed beyond the range Of unaided hu-
man vision. Even when it disappeared
it did not seem TO have been concealed
by the light feecy clouds in the back
ground, but gradually dwinlled to a
speck so small that it could no longer
be discovered.
At first the spectators seemed to have
been insensible Of the danger attendant
upon the voyage. They regarded i'll
merely as good joke aud pretty
spectacle-so beautifully did tie bal
loon rise, and SO gracefully did it float
along high above the tops Of the noun.
taias. 1t was only when it became
scarcely percep,ible, rising higher and
higher above successive belts Of clouds,
that they began to inquire into the cir
cnmstances Of the ascent and the name
of the daring boy, as well as to who
might be TO blame for permitting or
countcnancing the rash act. Much anx-
iety was entertained to know whether
he had fallan from the board. Aglass
was obtained, and it was ascortained
That heavy substance was still attached
10 the balloon. This must either have
been the boy or the boarl-scarcely
The latter. Kelley started on horse
back in the direction the balloon had
taken, but there is no probability he
could have kept it in sight, for when
last seen itmust have been beyond the
mountain, andthis was bni short time
,efore sundown. alt "ut5 9a .'
When the balloon first attained pog.
,ition above the line of the mountain i'll
seemed TO be ubout fivetmes the height
IF the mountain; when last seen about
sight times. Il then appeared to 10 Mt
,ptangle of about eighteen degrees
with the base line Of the earth. The
distance from the place of departure
and the height above the earth must Of
course remain a subject of conjecture.
The direction in which the balloon was
going when last seen was that of Sac
pmento. Tho balloon was distinctly
'een throughout its progress by the cit.
zens Of San francisco, and the aldi-
ional distance added bythebay appears
o have varied the appearance Of the
'bject but slightly.