Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-10-08

lie leaves an interesting daughter about
seventeen years CT age. to mourn her
fathers unknown terrible fate.-Detroit
Tribune, IS. ..
The sequel to the above is partially
told in the following tclcgraphc des-
patch
Detroit, Dist The balloon which
carried off Mr.. Thurston. the aronaut,
came down four hours afterwards near
Baptiste Creek, c. w. Mr.. Thurston
was seen in it short time before it was
secured, and is probably now in the
marshes near Lake st. Clair. Search is
being made for him, and there is great
excitement throughout the whole coun-
try. Mr.. Bannistcr, the associate of Mr..
Thurston, the lost nronaut, has seen the
balloon which descended near Baptiste
Creek, and recognizes it as the one in
which Mr.. Thurston was so ur ceremon-
iously spirited away. At last accounts
he WIS busily searching for his lost friend
and companion. Men who saw the bal
loon descend state positively that there
was a man upon it. The following is said
to be the basis of Mr.. Bannister belief
that Thurston is safe
The balloon having descended proves
that the gas has escaped; this, of course,
has been gradual. as the balloon was
seen moving along. neither ascending,
before it finally rested. Thurs,on was
safe on it until it had attained its high
est elevation, where he was beyond the
reach and influence of coutcr-currcnts of
air. so that there was nc swaying Of the
balloon to cause giddiness or sickness !;
the danger was consequently passed.
His descent would be gradual and easy.
He probably reached terra Grma in a
somewhat exhausted condition, and was
obliged to let the balloon go. This,
being relieved of his weight, again bound
ed up and Travelled along until sufi-
cicnt quantity more Of gas had escaped
to allow it to fall,
According to this theory, Thurston
may be several miles from where the
balloon was secured, and not unlikely
living in the woods, unable from the
effects of his adventure 10 help himself;
or he may have bcen picked up by some
backwcods people, and being unable to
communicate with them from the effects
of cold or loss of blood, is now lying
under their care. All however, is con
! lecture, but few davs will clear the
whole thing up, and the facts be known.
If he has fllcn off aud been killed bv
the fall from a giddy height. his body
must b, found, as, saving the crossing
of the Detroit river, his route lay the
entire distance over land. and the track
is we'll defined. Mr.. Bannistcr after
visiting the locality where the balloon
was found, if he does not find the un-
fortunate man, will follow back on his
track and continue the search until the
body is recovered
This adventure of Mr.. Thurston's had
recalled simular one which occurred in
1855. Timothy Winchester made an
ascent from Norfolk, Ohio, in August ci
that year, starting in good spirits and
amid the cheers of large concoursc OF
people. since which time he has neutr
been Heard from. When last seen, he
was near and going in the direction OF
Lake Erie. No tidings have ever been
received Of him or his balloon. This
balloon. too, belonged to Mr.. Baunis-
ter.
THE BALLOON VALVE TORN OUTFLOW
THE .ERoSAUT FELL.
The Detroit Tribune of September
2lst, gives the following additional par
ticulars !:
We change our heading to-day! Lost
is fearful word to say Of one who but
now was in our midst in the high tide
of life, strong. bold, full Of hope. with
troops of friends about him. "l.ost
it sounds like the waling of the wind
in the tops of the pines - All hope of
ever finding poor Thurston alive Is blot
ted out, and We can only bcmoan him
as lost.
Mr.. Bannister, his companion, return
ed this afternoon. md can bring only the
worst tidings. The balloon he identified
and sent the silk of which it was COM
posed to this city last ight. He him
self remained to search for his friend
day he came back dcspairinsly.-
He states that the balloon valve on
which Thu,ston sat is torn Out from the
silk of the balloon three quarters OF the
way round, indicating uncrringly that
the weight Of the unfortunate man was
too great for the strength of the sides,
and that the silk gave way, when he
must have dropped off. His only re-
naming chance would be to cling to the
smooth material of which the balloon
was made and he could not have sustain
ed himself in that manner. When this
occurred we can only conjecture, but
that it must have been within an hour
after he started, seems highly probable.
The balloon was seen for nearly two
hours with glass, but it must be re-
membered that this great body, full sixty
feet high, was only the size of man
hand. when TINS visible, and it would
be utterly impossible to see the ill-fated
man if he had dropped off. Mr.. Bannis'
ter feels quite positive that he must
have fell before reaching Canada at all.
The stories that are SO plentiful that
a man was seen in the balloon as it CAM e
down near Baptiste Creek, he wholly
diseredits, as we have, from the first
He has investigated these rumors pretty
thoroughly, and puts no faith in them
whatever.
SIX gentleman came up from Adrian
to-day to 90 down to search for the body
of Thurston, but at 3 o'clock P. NJ. they