Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-10-11

EACITING BALLOON EXCURSION. - Mons.
GODDARD, the celebrated aeronaut, has been
making series Of balloon ascensions at Gin
cinneti, giving such Of the citizens of the place
as were willing to pay the sum of fifty dollars
therefor, the privilege of accompanying him.
On Monday last four gentlemen, viz William
Latham, agent of the Great Miami railway,
William r. Hoal, river pilot, William G.
Crippen of the Cincinnati Times, and j. c.
Belman of the Gazette, awaited themselves of
the conditions, but got rather more than they
bargained for i'll the end. Mr.. Belman de-
scrfUes the sensation experienced ia tho ascent
as one OF undehnable pleasure, and the ap.
pearance of the earth beneath them, with its
turnpikes and roads, like cllalk lines crossing
at irregular angles, and the horses and wagons
resembling mites drawing crumbs of bread, as
delightful i'll the extreme. In the early part
OF their voyage the aerial party held freq uent
chit-chats with the farmers, from whom they
received numberless and pressing invitations
to "stop and take tea,'' invitations which the
nature of their engagements prevented them
from accepting. Later, and after having gain
ed an altitude Of over seventeen hundred feet,
they passed through terrific storm, during
which the lightnings leaped from cloud to
cloud, accompanied by peals of deafening
thunder. Mr.. Belman says:
The gloom was fearful. Never had be-
held such warning OF the elements. 1t seemed
as II the storm was tearing andrending its way
through the path our balloon had taken, and
had brought all the artillery of heaven into ac-
ton. If by chance our captain or one of us
uttered word, there were airy tongues below
hooking us from every side. The winds
which drove the clouds onward SO rapidly al.
so hurried us on at the rate Of seventy miles
an hour"
While at this height they could distinctly
hear the rain pouring down upon the thirsty
earth, the sound resem bling that made by the
passage of heavy train Of cars. After Jour
ney OF fifty miles, the party descended in
corntield, and thence by the force of the wind,
were dragged and bumped alongthe ground,
distance of half mile, now through fence,
then striking stump or tree, or whirling
through the cornstalks at fearful velocity.-
cup and down we went" says Mr.. Belman,
"wben the car struck tree, and Mons. God.
ard was hurled to the ground, distance of
thirty teet-the next moment we were crash.
ing against tall stump OF a tree, when Col.
Latham and Mr. Hoal were thrown with
great violence from the basket, the former on
the back OF his neck and shoulders, and the
latter on his breast Mr.. Crippen and myself
were left alone in the car. Mr.. Crippen, obev-
ing instructions to keep in the bottom of the
car, and holding with all my might to the
valve rope, up we mounted. Fortunately we
dashed into the limbs of a tall dead tree, and
in an instant tree, balloon. car and aeronauts
were flat on the ground. Mr.. c. was beneath
the tree, insensible, while lap covered up by
the basket. By digging the earth beneath
Mr.. z. with my hands, | soon extricated him
from his position and dragged him from be-
meath the heavy tree. Mons. GODDARD and
Messrs. Latham and Hoal then came up.
All the party were more or less injured,
while Mr.. Hoal had his breast crushed in and
three ribs broken. None CT them, with the
exception of Mons. GODDARD, could be induced
by any earthly consideration to undertake
repetition Of the voyage. He has already ar
ranged for another ascension, and has three
passengers, two gentlemen and a lady, en-
gagged.