The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1857-09-12

With difficulty the racn dragged him !
home and his skin can now be seen by
the curious in Harlan county,
i'erilo,fs Balloon Ascent.
Professor Marion made his thirty
fourth ascension from Troy, n. Y, on
the 9Th instant, under circumstances SO
hazardous, and with a result so peculiar,
as to place it among the most remarkable
events in the history of ballooning, fraught
IS it is with SO many thrilling advcn-
lures. The Troy Times states that the
ascension took place from lot near the
North Baptist Church, and that a lady
accompanied the aronaHt to the height
of about forty feet. The aseensivc pow
cr, however, not being sufficient for the
weight of the two passengers, the balloon
rapidly descended, and the hdy was left
on terra frma The accottnt of the Sc
cond ascent is then described 10y the
Times as follows
Getting off again, he asccndcd with
considerable velocity, but was carried
by the current of air which he struck,
rapidly toward the church spire. When
his attention was turned from the crowd,
he found to his astonishmcnt that he was
within twenty feet of the church, and
going toward it at a dangerous rate of
speed To clear himself he immediately
graspcd bag Of ballast and threw it out
side In descending, the bag passed
within some two feet of the head of a
lady who was looking out of the window
of an adjoining building, made clean
hole through grape arbor, and broke
board in back stoop by it's weight.
After throwing out the ballast, the
! balloonist assembled very fast but it
soon became apparent to the crowd below
that collision with the church spirc was
! inevitable This soon occurred. The
balloon, which was then going at rapid
speed, came in contact with the light
ming rod at the apex, with blow siml-
lar to that of vessel surging at high
rate of speed against a rock. The con
cussion was terrible. The professor,
who had anticipated the shock, braced
himself in the car, and anxious y awaited
the result. After swaying TO and fro for
an instant, the balloon caught, apparent
" in a bolt connecting the rod with the
spire and tore, with sound that was
distinctly heard from the earth. The
rent was between ten and twelve feet in
length, leaving a monstrous aperture
through which tho gas rushed with a
sound like that of the wind. \ tlIliN OF
horror ran through the crowd lelow, ac-
companied by indications indicative of
the general belief that the death of the
rrouaut was inevitable. But, notwith-
standing the hazardous situation in which
he was placed, he maintained the most
perfect self-possession and equanmity
The balloon hung suspended by the splrt
for a moment, the gas meanwhile cscap
; ing at fearful rate, and with L sound
/ which, to man possessed of only ordi
nary nerve, would have seemed a sen
7 tcncc of death. Then disengaging it
7 self, it rose slowly and with vascillatins
motion, casscd BY the collapse, until il
= had reached the height of five hundred
) feet 1t then descended rapidly again
t TO retard this momentum, another baG
G of ballast was thrown out, and the CffeC
t was to cause Il second ascension. Th'
: balloon arose swiftly aud gracefully, a
c though the power which carried it VI
: was not constantly being lost. If any
c thing could have allayed the anxious ex
h citement Of the crowd, it would hav
s been the apparent Indifference of tn
b Professor to the terrible danger Of hi
/ situation When at an altitude Of
thousand feet, he leaned forward from
l. the car and waved his hat to the crow
below. But the ga rushed out at tn
rate Of over thousand feet a minute, an
., the balloon soon lost its ascensivc power
l. aud when near the State dam, began {
J. descend at tbs rate of twenty feet
second.
= The danger of descending in the rive
II became imminent, but by leaning owe
in the ear, and carrying the weight o
It ono side, this was avoided and the do
J. scent was made upon the dock, With
If twenty feet of the water. The concU
1t sion upon striking the ground was vcr
great, the car rebounding a distance
at three or four feet, and then drifting {
j. wards the river. \ number Of persot
~ who were present prevented it trom &
,c ing into the water by soizing tho II
" ropes, and holding it with strong hand
" The result Of the pulling and pressure
ar the escaping gas was collapse OF Il
A ballon from top to bottom The dang
lit was over-ths Professor had complete
in an ascension which, we venture to assel
re was as hazardous as any ever made by
i aronaut who escaped from his adye
nj lures with life and limb.
"a Tn, scenes during and immediate
,is succeeding the accident beggars dcscrI
on ton. When the balloon struck the Fpi
It, there was general exclamation OF h
,as ror, and hundreds averted their heat
mt expecting the aronaut would be dash
,rv tn pieces on the instant After the sp
M had been cleared, the crowd rushed f
en- ward frantieailv-mcn, women, aud ct
,ut dren-antcipatinr that, at the farthe
lp- the balloon would descend below Hoes
,cv Street. and that the death of Mr.. y
,,d rion was inevitable They were hapI
l2v disappointed, as we have seen. WI
rdy the Professor was packing his dlsab
ter balloon, at least two thousand pers
a,- had arrived in the noighborhOod, v
. IF followed him in crowd down to the c
he. It WIS a scene Of the widest excitcm'
nor az it had been before of the most TIL
rcr ing anxiety.
heir IEy~B Bashful women are not always
lhts most modest. prudery is often assu'
hey rather to keep off suspicion of crlml'
ana ty, .Aan to protect from criminaht''
the self. There is degree Of reserve wi
out like vaulting AMBITION ovcrleap
his solf,,
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