The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-10-17
VOLUME 7.
Safe Return Of the ErOnauts.-Thrilling
Performance Of Mr. Brown.

Safe Return Of the Eronauts--Thrilling
Performance OF Mr. Brown.
In our paper of ofyesterday we gave brief
account Of the retnrn Of Mr.. EATON, who ac-
companied Mr.. MARKoE in. his aerial voyage
from the Fair grounds on Thussday last, and
his account of the inopportune re-ascen
sion of the balloon.
Early yesterday morning, Messrs. MARKoE
and BRowS returned, from whom We gather
substantially the following particulars
After the balloon had been in the air some
thirty minutes, and had gone beyond White
Bear Lake, they found such an apparently
unbroken wilderness of country, that Mr..
MARKoE deemed it prudent to descend, be-
fore being carried too far. Consequently,
the valves were opened and they descended
rapidly. 4 clear open space was deserted
where the eronauts endeavored to ahght,
but on coming below the tops the trees on
either side of them, the current of air seemed
TO draw them into the woods, so that they
were obliged to throw out all their ballast,
even to provisions, to ascend again and find
another clear space. But on again coming
down the same difficulty occurred, and as
they had no more ballast to throw out they
Were obliged to let things take their course.
The car settled a moment in the top of a dry
oak, literally crushing the limbs and then re-
bounded letting them down into grass lake
wetting their feet slightly. Another rebound
and the graphing irons were made fast in
the tall grass. Mr.. EATON then asked if he
should not get out and make fast with the
rope and mistaking Mr. MARKoE's answer
for an assent, out he jumped, thus relieving
the car of lGO pounds of ballast, or in other
words, adding 100 pounds to the ascensve
force of the balloon.
As matter Of course the balloon imme-
diately commenced to re-ascend, MIR. E. hang
ing to it and bringing it down, but instead of
getting into the car he seized the rope to
make fast to tree. The balloon again as
ceEded jerking him a rod at a time along the
ground and by the time he reached the tree
the rope had been di avn so far through his
hands, that it was impossible for him to make
fast. After the rope was drawn through
his hands, the balloon shot hcavenward like
an arrow. leaving Mr.. f. in the tall grass, as
much bewildered with astonshment as if the
earth had suddenly opened and swallowed
themu
They were almost Immediately out of the
s5ht of Mr.. f., who, finding it quite impract-
icable to follow, in obedience to Mr.. MAR
KoE's last order, and thinking they could not
probably descend again this sid, of the Brit
ish Possessions, returned home as we stated
yesterday.
But to the ;cronauts. When they found
they were ascending in consequence of the
mistake of Mr. f., they were little alarmed
at fist to find that their graphing irons had
been broken in the sudden escape Of the car
from earth, and still more upon finding that
the valve cords had been broken, (probably
when the the car came in contact with the
tree by becoming entangled with the limbs)
close to the neck Of the balloon so that the
means OF letting themselves down by the es-
cape of the gas, was apparently out of their
power.
This was situation in which the strongest
heart might quail. They ascended in
much briefer space than this is written, to
height of Two miles, and were being driven
by the rapid current of the upper strata of
air to the northward with the most alarming
velocity. The alternative presented itself:
either the valve strings, which could just be
seen hanging out Of the neck OF the balloon,
must be reached, or they must unwillingly
navigate the air for an indefinite space of
time. But in this emergency, the most un-
looked-for GOODNESS and daring ntrepidity
was displayed by Mr.. Brown. (Mr. MARKoE
relates thiS.) Taking the end of the severed
valve cord in his teeth, he commenced to as
cend the ropes by his hands. Up to the
small hoop some fifteen feet above the car, he
fearlessly and quickly clambered. Next he
was through, his feet standing ON the upper
edge-and still he could not reach the cord
Higher and higher he moun.s-his head
reaches the reck of the balloon. He is sus-
pended in the air two miles from earth be-
tween balloon and car, hanging by his bare
hands. He has reached the cord-the knots
are made with as much apparent GOODNESS
and done as Well as if on terra firma, and he
is again in the car.
All personal danger was now over. Th G
valves were opened, and the balloon com.
menced a rapid descent. 1t reached the
earth some three miles from the place they
left Mr.. Eaton in the space of a very few min
utes. On descending, the car struck against
tree to the limbs of which it was mede fast
with ropes, and they remained in that posi-
tion until the gas had entirely escaped from
the balloon.
Here our eronants found another difficulty
Where they were and how to get home they
knew not /; but unlike the proverb b,-''never
halloe till you get out of the woods % they
commenced to shout, and soon were answer
ed by a aneighboring farmer who had watched
the descent of the balloon, and was looking
for it. They soon obtained more help and bv
cutting down two or three trees they man.
aged to get the balloon down, not however
till it was considerably torn. The rents we
are pleased to say, are not such as to do the
balloon any permanent injury.
Through the hospitality of Mr.. Edward
Austin the person above referred to, our aero
nauts were provided with a good dinner and
conveyance to town, which they reached as
above stated.
HR New York Herald, speaking of the
costly dresses o the ladies who wear thous-
aud dollar dresses, and wipe their "dear,