The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-06-26
An Eroaszt Picked mp On Lake Erie

From ,ao Dc,,oa Pee Pnn,sisi
The propeller Mary Stewart arrived here
night before last. bringing with her rcn
,lemau named Joha u. Steiner. n rssidcn,
Of Pbindelpn!n. and an Eronaut oi celebrity
whose presence on bva,c is accounted Tor
IN the following manner: The Mary Stew.
art was GU; tour hours from Buffalo, on her
way 10 this place, and twenty-five G,ies
below Lung Point, when Capt, Woodrrti
discovered, at hbou, five o'tlvcs, small
-peck in the mid,, of black cloud, witch
he watched for Sumo time. supposing il 10
be gull on the wing. II was alb VI twp
and hall miles u 9Th, when hfsl seen. IL
procured Telescope, aud bringlt 4 To bear
upon the object. a,certntn.d Of once tha, IL
was q large balloon, with a q an IN the car
attached underneath. Conprehend,ng the
danger 10 winch the eronaut vas subjected
~ night was coming On. and the wind was
blowing heavy gale and increasing last,
he immedistely ordered tn flag hoisted, and
tie Whale sound d. When ihis had been
done, the gro aut waved q small dag in re
turn, and commenced descending. The
balloon was al this time about ftt.en miles
distant IRON the propeller, and driving on
towards her at the icr,lA; speed Vt sixty or
seventy miles IN hour. The balloon con.
tinued descending with great velocity unit
It struck the wafer, about one mile - wind.
ward VI the propeller. The eronau, WIS
buried In tie water, but was som released
from HE uncomfortable situation, Is the
balloon, with the effects oI the coil, sprany
into the cir aud made bound Of asou,
hundred feet In heigl;, aud quarter OF u
mile IN length. II then struck egain, and
rebounded IN like manner. and continued
taking the same terrific Leaps, dragging it,
passenger through the water, now CON.
pIetely submerged. and again flying through
the air, Ia q manner entirely uncoi,trolui L..
IL bore down upon the propeller. however,
~ lie mad casecr, and paseed soma twenty
Or twenty i've rods astern, where boat,
containing the two Mstes and q crew, were
waiting ito arrival. Il passed over them.
sad the men caught the grapaei tina, wa.
hung out. and s.rured II IN the buw Of the
boa. Mr.. Steiner jumped out. aud reached
the boat BY swimming. and al effort was
made TO return to the propeller. A Ire.
mendous gale was blowing BY this time.
aud the balloon started of " ieeward, car
ry,ng the yIwl boat aud iis crew of a, n
rate u fifteen or twenty mites an hour
Captain Woodruff shoutei to the mate to
sa u the grapn-i ~ the stern oi the bJa,
and pull with his own oars, ~ a. to hold
his way sgsins, II. unit Il tue propeller could
run down and pick them up. la a tempting
to dv this, the line to " hich the grapaei wa,
attach. d was jerktd iroa. thclr h4nds with
irresistible force, uad the balloon aseendcd,
and WAS cut VI sight IN less than one min i.
ute. The propeller was then reached with
NJ much q fcuity.
Mf. steiner states that he started from
Erie II about huif-past THREE in the at,er
aoon, with the ini"n,ion Of TAXI q trip u
Canada before night. H.. had INTENDED 10
have started IN the morning but was pse.
" itrd Nv the rainy weather. The balioo.
sose 10 the height of three niles, und wa,
iriven BY favorable wind aero 3 the lake
an arrived within three mics Of the Can
adj shore, when the wind changed mi blew
HIN back, hall way across the lake. Anolh
cr strong current then struck HIM. which
carried him down the lake tow trds Buffalo,
q railroad speed. He $3.50, ms course
VICE.. = discovered the propeller. a, nearly
- ssne time that he was discovered hy
Cspedn Woodruff. H. commenced letting
of the gss, and descended in time TO reach
the boat - d. scr'bed. His escape 10 mar.
row one, for II the boats crew had been un.
able to .esure I rope as he pass.d them
Il this fearful rate VI speed he mus, have
drowned, ~ no person could Withstand De-
log dragged Through the " alter al velocity
vi d ~ miies an hour fur any grea, leagih
Of I ire.
Caltain Woodruff Gays that lie was 40
and deliberate VIII he had ,,ol through
with the dangerous 81. Is though be hal
been sitting on deck a. u witness, instead
4 srtlrg ~ the principal participant. He
called Tor son Q b an " aud water, and "a,
Town 10 supper as II nsthing had happ. n q.
The ioss Of ITO oalioon seemed 10 be his
only concern, a. II cost him $500, but he
laid toa, Il ~oa dat take long 70 make an.
other. Tie . IN hopes oi recovering |,
somewhere on tho Canada shore.
The first appearance Of the phenomenon
excited mach apprehension In the minds o,
he deck hands ABOARD vi the propeller, W no
very naturally mistook II for the comet,
probably supposing that the time of i,s ar
rival had been delayed for day or two BY
some unforeseen circumstance, and that /,
was coming with the greater force 10 make
up Tor deiays. The rchg,ousiy incliaed por
uon prepared for prayers. tho reckless made
tor the bar, and the more prudent part wen,
10 the clerk's sf6.e and drew their wases.
The sight Of human being steering The
oncern quoted their aPprehensivns, nov
ever. aud they lent ready hand u rescue
.im iroln bis peril.
MI. Steiner 10 an experienced srcasu,.
nssing made. including this one, iortv s,,
tensions. Ito returned 10 Enc lns, even.
,ng on The Cleveland boat.