The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-07-15
local MATTERS.

The BALLOON AscRNslOs.--We had the
pleasure yesterday Of an inserview with Mr.. Eliot
the skilfuf and intrepid ronaut, brief notice Of
whose ascension from the Slash Cottage We gave IN
our yesterdays paper. Mr.. Elliott favored AZ win
some very interesting particulars of his voyage.--
the earth, the. Armory Band playing the tune o.
"JordGa is a hard road to trnrel" After floating
few yards, the Bronaut threw out ballast, ana I'M
mediately the balloon shot upwards IKE an arrow.
In 100 seconds it was In the clouds and was entire
" lost to the eager gaze of the admirng muiitude
beneath He first rose In direction,
and saiing directly through the clouds which were
at the point penetrated by the balloon ABOUT miles
in density, he ascended above them into clear,
bright and glorious sunshine The scene below MIN
at this time he represents wonderfully sublime
and exquisitey beautiful The clouds giltfering
in the sunshine had the appearance OF enormous
mountains OF snow, moving about however hRe
pillows under the influence of tempest He was
now about four miles high when the current OF ar
changed and the difficulty OF respiration inouceo
him to descend. Looking at his Watcn al tnls mo-
ment, he found that it was twenty minutes since M
left the earth.
Moving with the changed current OF all, he now
passed back over the Cottage and although he could
see nothing could hear the letting off OF steam from
the locomotive at the Cottage ana confusion OF nus
man voices. He now passed into third current OF
air, and proceeded towards Short Pump, direction
West South West in Henrico county.
About 6 l2 O'Clock, he commenced his descent
seeing clear field he tried to make fer II, but
having no ballast and being unable to exhaust the
gas with sufficient rapidty, he passed over the field
and lodged in forest of pine. He now found him.
self and his balloon at the top of an immense tree OF
this forest the height of nearly 100 feet from the
ground When passing over the field, he was dis
covered by a woman who was milking a cow. She
came to the and Mr. Elliott hailed her and ask
ed if there were any men about She said her ia
Their tMr. Wade) was coming. He proved TO De,
however a very aged man, and all he could do was
hnr nd hed-c "a called
tia large rope In fact About this time, some ne
gro women passed. and Immediately went on to
their masters house, telling him-"For Gods sake,
MASTER get your gun; there is bear up In the DIE
pine tree" It appears that bear had been seen IN
the neighborhood and considerable excitement ex.
listed. All this time the balloon was rearing and
pitching, and it with the greatest difficulty that
Mr.. Elliott could keep it from escaping. MIR. VIM.
Maxwell and his brother soon arrived, the former
bringing gun. Not long after Mr.. Leake and Mr..
Jude came. Seeing the dilemma in which our
8ronaut was placed, these gentlemen at once made
every exertion to relieve him. Such cord as Mr..
drew up enough other cord to make fast his balloon.
Then seeing other chance of escape, he leaped
from his perilous height into the cxie limbs of an
oak below him. The limbs swayed and rebounded
as he caught them in his grasp, but by active exer
tions he gained the ground, unquestionably glad to
find himself again on terra frma and quite satisfied
that the Armory Band was in a prophetic mood
when it played that famous tune, "Jordan is hard
road to travel" -
Mr.. Elliott accepted an invitation to pass the night
at the house of Mr.. Maxwell, where the worthy
host, instead of shooting him for bear, treated
him with the utmost kindness and hospitality Yes
terday morning Mr.. Elliott was conveyed in Mr..
Maxwells carriage to Hungary station on the Rich.
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad,
where he took the cars for Richmond and arrived
about half past two o'clock, haang received no fur
Their injury from his periIous adventure than some
bruises on the hands, from holding the limbs of the
oak into which he leapea from his balloon.
The place on which Mr. Elliott landed belongs to
Mr.. Leake, and is about mile and e half from Short
Pump. The balloon was injured to some extent by
its contact with the pine, but how much has not yet
been ascertained. .l 81 s.r5 -
Thus has ended the most successful balloon as
cension which has been made in Virginia for many
years. Mr.. Elliot, the daring eronaut, is native
of Chesterfield county. He possesses, in an emf
nent degree the qualities essential to his profes
sion of coolness intrepidity and presence of mind
His late ascension has given universal satisfaction
Rain and thnnder are no obstacles to him. Such a
man Is destined undoubtedly to rise in the world
and to prove that in the sky, as we'll on the land
and sea, "Old Virginny never tire"
We are pleased to learn from Mr.. Ford, manager
for MIR Elliott that another ascension will be made
from the Cottage grounds on the 1lth of August