The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1855-02-09
Wondsrful n,c,..pe,

We publish to-day : ullaccount from .
correspondent Of the New York Herald, o.
the recent balloon ascension Of Miss Brad,
lley. at Eastom 1t is a narrative of tho
most extraordinary and perilous aerial yoy-
age on record, and for startling effect com
pletely eclipses the exploits of all previous
cloud-scaling pereginators. ------
| see that you hafe in your telegraphic
column Of to-day's Herald brief account
of the balloon ascension Of Miss Loniss
Bradley from this place on the a5th. Hei
escape was so miraculous that think you
will find a more detailed account interest
ing. Mrs. B. filed her balloon entirely
with gas from one Of the street mines; and
at II o'clock stepped featlessly into the car.
She is a small, delicate looking woman,
and was dressed in Bloomer costume Of
scarlet and blue. The balloon. held by q
rope, was then permitted to rise about go
feet from the ground, when she made q
short address to the crowd Of people. It
then rose gently, still held by the. rope,
until she was one hundred feet above the
ground, when she cut the cord and the
balloon rose perpendicularly with great We
locity, unite she reached mile or a mile
and quarter, as it was estimated by those
present who were best able to Judge.
1t would appear, from her own account
that she knew very little about the bust.
ness she had undertaken, or of the effects
likely to be produced upon the balloon
when it reached the rarifed atmosphere.
The balloon was an old one, and the silk
had become so rotten tliatit was wonder-
ful, that il would bear initiation at all. a.i
When she reached this height she states
that the balloon, which was not entirely
filed when she left the earth, expanded
until the gas began to escape at, the seams,
and became very offensive to- her. She
had become SO absorbed by lie enchant-
ing prospect spread outbeneath her, which
she said was magnificent beyond the pow
er Of language to describe, that she had
moi, noticed the balloon. The escape of
gas alarmed her, and she pulled the valve,
rope, but permitted but little gas to escape
as she was afraid she would fall 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 rightly rapidity for the
distance Of six or seven hundred feet, her
progress then being checked from what
cause we below uldnot see, although We
then observed that she was descending
quite slowly. 1t seems that when the bal
loon burst it was torn into ribbons, except
the lower part or neck of the balloon. So
completely was the upper part torn to pie
ces, that large pieces of:silk blew away,
and the remainder hung down even below
the car. When she had fallen this dis
tance the neck of the balloon suddenly.
blew up, turning inside out, and catching
against the network formed parachute,
which bore her safelyto the ground She
came down in IAN open field, and SO lightly
did the ear strike the earth, that she says
there was not the slightest jar. Herpres-
enee Of, mind was extraordinary. After
this fearful fall, and when the balloon was
ascending with fearful velocity, she threw
out her sand-bags and anchor, and then
with theutmost calmness commenced sing
ing a hymn. She alighted about four
miles from this place. The trip must be
considered quick one, as at q quarter
past l2 she rode into town safe and in fine
spirits. e. sea. ~. ID. ~ rs, 5