Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-10-22
Perilous Balloon Ascension at st. Paul.
From the St. Paul Times, Oct 81


of almost everything else. About 10
o'clock, Markoe's huge balloon "Minne-
sota' made its appearance coming up
street," followed by large crowd. Al
eleven o'clock, Mr. Markoe, III. III. Brown
and Mr.. Eaton took their seats in the car,
and on the signal being given and the
'hold'' let go, the airy vessel rose up beau
tifully and shot to the north, while the
vast crowd gazed upon it with astonisll-
ment until it faded from view. Soon af-
ter leaving the earth it was taken by the
current to the northeast, and as it disap-
pears the voyagcrs were making their way
in the direction of the expected comet,
somewhere in the neighborhood of Cam
bridge, OH Rum River.
From the Mnnesotian, Oct. 10th.
After the balloon had be- n in the dir
some thirty minutes, and had gone beyond
White Bear Lake, they found such an ap-
parcntly unbroken wilderness that Mr.
Markoe deemed it prudent to dcccnd be-
fore being carried too far. Consequently
the valves were opened and they decenled
rapidly. \ clear open space was described
where the aronauts endeavored to alight,
but OH coming below tie tops of the trees
on the other side of them, the current of
air seemed to draw them into the woods, SO
that they were obliged to throw out oil
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 on the top of dry oak, liter
ally crushing the limbs, and then rebound
cd, letting them down into grass lake,
wetting their feet slightly. Another re-
bound 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.. Mar
koc's answer for an assent, ont he jumped
thus relieving the car of 100 pounds of
ballast, or in other words, adding 160
pounds to the asccnsivc force of the bal
loon.
As matter of course the balloon imme-
diately commenced to re-ascend, Mr. Z.
hanging to it and bringing it down, but
instead of getting into the car he seized the
the rope to make fast to tree. The bal
loon again ascendcd jerking him rod at
a time along the ground, and by the time
he reached the tree the rope had been
drawn 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 heavenward like
an arrow, leaving Mr.. f. in the tall grass,
as much bcwildered with astonishment as
if the earth had suddenly opened and swal-
lowed them up.
They were almost Immediately out of
the sight of MIR. f., who, finding it quite
to follow in obedience to Mr..
last order, and thinking they
could not probably descend again on this
side of the British Possessions, returned
home as we stated yesterday. .4y'I
But to the ;eronauts. When they found
they were ascending in consequence of the
mistake of Mr. f.. they were a little
alarmed at first to find that their grappling
irons had been broken in the sudden es-
,ape Of the car from the earth, ard still
more upon finding that the valve cord had
been broken, (probably when the car came
IN contact with tue tree by becoming en-
angled with the limbs close to the neck of !
he balloon, 50 that the means Of letting
down by the escape Of gas, was
out oftlieir- power. s,
This was q situation in which the strong |
st heart might quail They ascended in
. much bricfer space than this is written, |
o height Of two miles, and were being
lriven 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
he neck Of the balloon, must bc reached,
n they must unwillmgly. navigate the air
or au indefinite space Of time. But in
his emergency the most unlocked for cool
less and daring interpidity was displayed
y Mr.. Brown. Mr.. Markoe relates this.
'aking the end of the several valve cords
a his teeth, he commcnccdt to ascend the
opes by his hands. Up to the small
oop, some fifteen feet above tho car. he
and quickly clambered. Next
9 was through, his feet standing on the
pper edge-and still he could not reach
he cordi - Df aiic ts1sl a
Higher and higher he mounts-his head
caches the neck Of the. balloon. He is
in the air two miles from earth
ctwccn balloon and car. hanging by his
are hands. He has reached the cord-the
nots are made with as much apparent
oolncss and done as well as il on terra fir
Ia, and he is again in'thc car. - n
ALI personal danger was how .sover.-- [
he valves were opened, and the balloon I
rapid descent, Il reached
he earth some three miles from the place j
hey left Mr.. Eaton, in the space of very s
w minutes. Understanding. the car struck 6
,ainst tree to hclimbs of which it was 4
lade fast with ropes, and they remained S
that position until the gas had entirely |
'caped from the balloon. tsj@ ef r. In
Hero our eronaot found another difficult \
:, where they were and how to get homo 8
'ey knew not, but unlike the proverb-le e
never halloe till you get out of the woodsI''
'ey commenced to shout, and soon swere +.
,swsred by neighboring farmer who hail G
atched the descent ofthe balloon. and was {
oking for it. They soon obtained more a
Zip. and by cutting down two or three a