Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-04-10
A VOTER.

A FRIcHrFUL DEscENT.-The telegraph few
days since, announced that the balloon in which
Miss Bradley assembled from Easton, Pa, bursted,
and the lady descended with the most frightful
pidity. An eyewitness gives the following ac-
count of the scene:
cit would appear, from Miss BPS own account,
that she knew very little about the business she
had undertaken or of the effects likely to be pro-
fled atmosphere. This balloon was an old one,
and the silk had become rotten, that it is won
derfu that it bore imitation at all. When she
reached this height, she states that the balloon,
which was not entirely filled when it left the earth,
expanded until the gas began to escape at the
seams and became offensive to her. She had been
so absorbed by the enchanting prospect spread
out beneath her, which she says, was magnificent
beyond the power of language to describe, that
she had not noticed the balloon. The escape of
the gas alarmed her, and she pulled the valve rope,
bat permitted but little gas to escape as she was
afraid of falling into the Delaware, which was
directly beneath her. In few moments after
this the balloon collapsed, and to our horror and
alarm, we saw her fall with frightful rapidity for
the distance of six or seven hundred feet, her
progress then being checked, from what cause
we below could not see, although We then observ-
ed she was descending quite slowly. 1t seems that
when the balloon burstcd, it was torn into rbbands,
except the lower part or neck of the balloon
So completely was the upper part torn to pieces,
that large pieces of silk blew away, and the re-
mainder hung down even below the car. When
she had fallen this distance the neck of the bal
loon suddenly blew up, turning inside out, and
catching against the net work, formed parachute
which bore her safely to the grounds
The following is Miss Bradley's description of
her voyage, which we copy from the Eastern
Wing:
A.
ity to height of over two miles, my whole feel
ings being those of indiscribable tranquility and
gratifed delight. There was no perceptible breeze
until reached the highest point of my voyage,
directly over the bend of the Delaware, when four
heavy currents struck my balloon on all sides with
equal force. Finding the balloon full, opened
the valve three times in succession, and while let
ting off the gas fast could, (the balloon at
the same time rapidly emptying itself from the
mouth,) a very strong under current forced up
into the mouth of the balloon, causing roaring
like the ocean in a heavy storm, followed with
noise like the discharge of cannon, and sud-
den fall of about hundred feet. l then looked
up and saw my balloon all shattered, with the ex-
ception of two pieces, one being about one-eighth
the size of the balloon-formed parachute in
the top of the network, and the other sail at the
side which bore me of eastward. The wind rock
ing the car violently at the same time, and for
ten minutes succeeding. Knowing my situation,
had no feeling of fright or anxiety, but tran
gully trusting in that same Almighty Power l
ever loved to trust, prepared myself in the best
possible manner could for my descent, believing
| should land safely. threw out my sand and
graphing iron, placed myself firmly in the car in
an upright position, my hands extended, grasping
the handles on each side, deliberately looked on
all sides and admired the beauty and grandeur of
the scene. Ispent ten minutes in singing a song
of praise to the creator of such scene Of beauty
and sublime grandeur. Rapidly defending, I
landed in safety, but with great force in the CEN
tire of a large clover field in Still Valley, New
Jersey, four miles from Easton, at half past IL
O'Clock A. NJ, having been up just half an hour,
twenty minutes of which was after the balloon
had bursted."
Miss Bradley is from New London, Conn.,, and
not from Philadelphia, as stated in the papers
which have noticed her ascension. 1t was her first
adventure of the kind, and she exhibited nerve
and self-possession not often found in her sex.
Although not one of the most beautiful on terra
frma, it was remarked by many that when she cut
the rope, dressed as she was in hippodrome cos
tune with French crown cap, white feather, and
encircled with a wreath of green and white aow-
ers, she looked like a fairy.
REMARKABLE EscAPE.-The Galena Advertiser
relates the following Last Sunday evening, a
girl went to the well of Mr.. Daniel Driscoll, on
Franklin street in this city, for the purpose of
drawing bucket of water, but found that the
rope was fast at the bottom. On calling Mr.. D.
to explain the mystery, man was found to be at
the bottom of the we'll, and with some effort he
was drawn out. He proved to be Christopher MUIR
ply, whose home is near Maquoketa, Iowa. He
arrived from Chicago Friday evening by the cars,
and on Saturday evening, in attempting to get q
drink of water, he fell into the well where he re-
manned until 5 O'Clock, Sunday evening, stated.
The we'll is 20 feet deep and the shaft is crooked