Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1857-09-25
Psrilous Balloun Aseenriun.

Professor Marion made his lhirty-fourth as
cension from Troy, n. Y, on the s b, under
circumstances so hazardous, and with a result
80 peculiar as to place it among the most re-
marksble events in the history Of ballooning.
Il is thus described by the TtEes:
Getting of again, he assembled quite rapidly,
but was carried by the current Of air upon
which be struck, rapidly toward the church
spire. When his attention was turned from
the crowd. he found, to his astonishment, that
be was within twenty feet Of the church, and
going towards it at a dangerous rate Of speed.
To clear himself, he Immediately grasDed a
bag Of ballast and threw it outside. In de-
s~eending, this passed within some two feet Of
the head Of a lady who was looking out the
window Of an adjoining building, made a clean
hole through a grape srber, and broke a board
in a back stoop by its weight. After throwing
out the ballast, the balloonist ssce1ded very
fast, but it soon became painfully apparent to
The anxious crowd below that a collision with
the church spire was Inevitable. This soon
occurred.
The balloon, which was then going at a
rapid speed, came in contact with the lightning
rod at the apex, with a blow similar to that Of
a vessel surgiBg at q high rate ofspeed against
a rock. The conclusion was terrible. The
Professor, who had anticipated the shock,
braced himself in the car, and anxiously awaited
the result. After swaying to and fro an in
slant, the balloon caught, apparently, in bolt
connecting the rod with the spire, and tore.
with a sound which was distinctly heard from
the earth. The rent YVES between ten and
twelve feet in length, leaving q honstrous ap-
perture through which the gas rushed with a
SOUND like that Of the wind. A thrill Of hor-
TOR ran through the crowd below, aecompa-
MED by EXCAVATIONS indicative Of the general
belief that the death Of the eronaut was inevi-
table. But, Notwithstanding the hazardous
situation in which be was placed, be maintained
the most perfect self possession and equanim-
ity. The balloon hung suspended BY tie spire
for a mOment-the gas meanwhile escaping at
a fearful rate, and with a sound which to a
man possessed Of only ordinary nerve, would
have seemed a sentence Of death. Then, dis
engaging itself, It rose slowly, AMI with a vac
iilating motion, caused BY the collapse. until il
had reached an altitude OF Eve hundred feet.
It then descended rapidly again.
To retsrd this momentum another bag OF
ballast was thrown out, and the effect was to
cause a second ascension. The balloon arose
swiftly and gracefully, as though the power
Vhich carried It up was not constantly being
lost. If anything could have allayed the anx-
iOus excitement of the crowd, it would have
been the apparent Indifference Of the Professor
10 the terrible danger of bis situation. When
at the altitude Of a thousand feet he leaned
forward from The car aud waved his hat to the
crowd below. The gas rushing out at over the
rate of a thousand feet a minute, the balloon
soon lost its sscensive power and when near
The State dam began to descend at the rate Of
twenty feet a second. The danger Of descend
ing in the river became imminent, but by lean
ing over in the car and carrying the weight on
one side this was avoided and the descent was
made on the dock, within twenty feet Of the
water. The conclusion upon striking the
ground was very great, the car rebOunding a
distance Of three or four feet, and then ddfting
toward the river. A number of persons who
were present prevented it from going into the
with strong hands The result Of the pulling
ard the pressure Of the escaping gas was a
collapse Of the balloon from top to bottom.
The danger was oveT-tbe Professor had COM
pieted an ascension which, We venture to as
ssrt, was as hazardous as any ever made by an
arOnsnt who escaped from his adventures
with life and limb.
These scenes during and Immediately sue
eeeding the accident beggaTs description When
the balloon struck the spire there was a gen
eral exclamation Of horror, and hundreds aver
ted their heads, expecting that the eronaut
would be dashed to pieces on the instant. After
the spire had been cleared the crowd rushed
forward fra nticallY-men, women and children
anticipating that, at the farthest, the balloon
would descend below Hoosiek street, and that
the death of Mr.. Marion was inevitable. They
were happily disappointed, as we have seen.
While the Professor was packing bic disabled
balloon at least two thousand persons had ar
rived 10 the neighborbOod, who followed him in
a crowd dowDtO the city. Il was a scene Of
the widest excitement, asst bad been before OF
the most thrilling anxiety.