Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-08-10

in n heavy shower of snow; the congealed
flakes fell heavily upon me, and, in a few {
minutes, was thickly covered, and felta
degree of warmth diffuse itself over my
benumbed limbs, that were now defended
from the freezing air. While the lands /;
beneath me were scorehing under the sol
stitial heat, was enduring the rigors OF
ar arc tic winter. ~
| The snow storm eoIstinued 10 shower Z
| its flaly deposits, and was sensible, from
the action of the air, that the balloon had
commenced descending motion, affected,
doubtless, by the weight of the snow
which adhered to the top and sides OF the
balloon, and nearly covered my wretched
body in the car. Almost frantic withJoy,
[ rose from my crouching position, and
shook tie moisture from my limbs. With
eager gaze, hung over the side OF the
car, anxious to catch the first glimpse OF
the beloved earth. Oh, the tediousness OF
that descent! for hours, many, many hours,
| seemed to glide downward, but saw moth
ing Of the green and smiling land beneath
| sunk at last beyond the influence of the
frost wind, and the heat of the sun began
to melt the snow upon the balloon. Wish |
ing to rid myself of the droppings which
fell upon me from this act of decomposi-
ton, / shook the cordage of the balloon
with some violence, and displaced the
chierest portion of the load. l also
scooped out the snow from the interior of
the car. In few minutes, l discovered
that the earthward tendency of the balloon
was at An end. The removal Of the great
weight of snow, and the action of the heat
OF the sun upon the gas, had increased the
buoyancy OF the aroslat, and after slight
pause, l became aware that was again
subjected to an ascending power.
Again, the painful impression of despair
spread its influence over my mind. L
coiled myself up in my old place at the
bottom of the car, and submitted to the
destiny was unable to control. Hunger,
with its painful cravings, and thirst, with
it's burning dryness, We're added to my
sufferings The enormity of my guilt
pressed heavily upon my soul, and vainly
strove, with closed eyes, to shut the fright
full image from my mind.
Wearied nature al last gave way, and
sleep fell upon my eyes. But the dreamy
agony of that sleep was more fearfully in
tense than the waking consideration ofmy
crime. Mcthought, that as L was sailing
along in the calm quiet of the limitess
sky, LIE Roux, with violent jerk, caught
, suddenly hold of the outside rim of the
; car, with bloody hands, and raised his
manned and mashed face among the inter-
stices of the cordaGe, and, with horrible
5 disLinctness, asked me for his wife. Turn
! which way would, it was impossible to
u shut out this fearful image. Sometimes,
" - with outstretchcd hand, he appeared to
clutch at me, as if he wished to pull me
from my seat. Then, suddenly quitting
:; his hold, l watched him through the crew
d ic es of the wicker work at the bottom Of
the car-fall, fall, fall, till heard his body
y strike the earth, and felt his death Shrek
- cutting through my heart. Once again, !
dreamed that the hayward airs Of heaven
- had blown me back to the city Of Lyons
! that, in fact the balloon hovered over it,
within q hundred Yards of the house tops
| thought that again / saw the myriads o
- inhabitants rush forth from all the many
10 70 streets and by-ways of the populous city
- and its crowded subuI bs-that they hailed
me, not with the glad pran of triumph
80 and shout of delight, bat with an un
~ ~ earthly yell of hatred and revenge tina
80 seemed to slay my very soul. l turneC
% from the sight in horror and dismay; Ma
W ria's pale and anxious face lightened III
re the dark expanse-she asked me for he
~ ~ husband Her crying children demanded
=. their father. turned from the unanswer
~ able supplicants, and again eneountere'
81 7 the distorted lineaments of LIE Roux.
Again the sun went down. Anothe
r, night, a night of torture, transcending al
eu the fancied punishments of hell, passe
, slowly off. The variable currents of tn
,ai upper air had driven my flying prison west
.e' ward, southwark, eastward, but carrie
lniSe me not within sight of the much-desire
.! earth. During the passage of the moon
- less night, various of the slight cord
ny which connected the car with the net wor
% of the balloon, from the continued strai
ny and exposure to the action of the atmos
pherical changes, parted strands, and il
In' creased the former vacancy to such an e,
re re- tent that one side of the car hung dow
81 from want of connexion, and threatene
we me with the fate which had forced upo
ioi lie Roux. In this state, did not dare
~ close my eyes; with one arm twined abol
M M the yielding cordage, and grasping vii
o'' the other the side Of the car, watcht
the coming of the dawn.
tLa A faint streak of light illuminated Il
nj east. l watched its increasing strengt
tn and when gush of radiance announct
INV the rising OF the sun, l cast my eyes b
~ low, hoping to behold the smiling cart
or, A dull dark mantle appeared spread ov
Al the underneath world. The motion of t
my Daioo" was i"P.u' uie" ~ u, luy l'''''
ion; nerchlel a',u e"'1 W :nc IrIeNe.
fat, new uP"arI' "nu leiU s''''sueu oeyonl
of uouot 'I"' was '9"iii "PP'ofon'nS
and worlu oi man N 'ouu report from
'dy, Tow SnUoA S,I 'ne 9i' anu ''ateu 'ne ea9
hot scrutinizing ,ook. The broad unbound
oos ocean was beneath me, and the morni
: gun had just been fred from Britt
the Nessel W war