True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-10-06
The Late BaIIOOn Ascension in
IlITnOIs-.A Authentic Particulars.

Iuo cthtAAuS oeV'J " Ns4S AS'S tNSuN~NA
sses..t Of two small chlldren alone 10 bal.
loon, has naturally excited some incrOduli-
", which, in turn, has been Increased by
the rather diverse accounts given of the :
event. But the return to our city Of the
ssroaauh Mr. S. NJ. Brooks. enables US :
to give an,autheutic confirmation and true
version Of the thrilling narrative, This /,
gentleman kindly informs US substantially =
as follows; =
He to have psoendel from the Fair
Grounds at Centralia on Friday, the l7tb
instant, but finding himself uuwell, accep-
ted the offer ofauotber aeronaut, Mr.. Will :
son, who volunteered to take his place in
the balloon. Mr.. Wilson effected beau.
tiful ascent, at 81 P. NJ. Aoated westward
and then soush>eastward, rising two and q
half miles, and at about 81 P. NJ, descend
ed, sixteen miles south eastward of the
starting point. Hc was caught by tree
about forty-fye rods from the farm house
Of Mr.. Benjamin Harvey, The spot is
some two miles and half from Rome
Jefferson Couhty. Mr.. Harvey and his
family, aud others, gathered, aud disen-
tangled the air.ship, They then pulled
the car to the ground and some boys held
the ropes as the voyageur alightcd and
while be was drawn off in conversation
with the inquisitive people, the balloon was
slowed" to the house, and Mr. Harvey
prepared to have some sport by rising the
length of the rope, to be pulled down
Proving too heavy to rise, he stopped out
and put in his three cbildren-a lad of
three years. a girl of eight, and still old
er girl. At this point Mr.. Wilson called
out to those holding the ropes to be sure
and hold fast. But the three children
were too heavy, and the eldest was taken
out. AT this instant, through the unwatch.
fulness of the persons at the cords, the bal.
loon suddenly and very swiftly went up
The anchor struck in rail fence, but tore
It away, while cry of horror burst from
the agonlzed group. The children scream
ed with horror, and the piteous appeal,
@PuH me dovn, father" as it instantly
grew:fainter and fainter, rendered the pa
rents, and indeed all present, for the time
perfectly frantic. 1t was now past Z o.
clock, was becoming dark, ard the balloon
was soon lost sight off. A period of more
intense wretchGdness to the parental heart
can scarcely be imagined.
AS there was little wind, the balloon
had gone almost directly upward, till its
Disappearance in south easterly course,
Messengers we're dispatched through the
region in every direction, and the alarm
spread rapidly, creating everywhere the in
tensest excitement. In all quarters the
men and boys rallied in parties to scour the
country and search the woods, in the ex.
pectation that the victims would somewhere
descend aud be subjected to the perils CT
drowning, or else Of starving undiscovered,
At Centralia, the intelligence caused an
indescribable sensation. The popular anx-
iety- almost tagouy-called out MIR. Brooks,
who assured the people that the balloon
would probably descend within two or three
hours, and within at most thirty miles of
the point Of starting. He also sent to the
distracted parents the best assurances pos
sible In the ease, informing them that there
would be no danger except from descent
in the woods, when the children might be
with difficulty found, and from the older
childs first stepping oat and leaving the
younger again to rise. Apart from these per-
lis, IN themselves improbable, Mr.. Brooks
apprehended no danger to the little voya.
gers. Yet the idea became current that
they must encounter frigid atmosphere
which they could not survive. .
1t was about three o'clock on Saturday
morning that Mr.. lguatin Atchison, living
on Moore's prarie, eigh, miles from Mount
Vernon, got up, he says, and went out up
on his porch ''to see the blazing starr
the comet. An immense spectre rising
from q tree about twenty yards distant,
rather appalled, him, and he re-entered the
house and walked his family. On his COM
ing out again weak and piteous voice
called t., him from the spectre, "Come here
and let us down; we're almost froze !"-
Mr. Atcbison speedily perceived the aston
ishing nature Of the case, mustered help,
cut away several limbs of the tree, and
drew the car ia safety to the ground!
The little boy was lifted ont, and when
placed upon his feet instantly ran for sew
eral yards, then turned, and for moment
contemplated the balloon with apparently
intense curiosity. The little girl told their
sorrows and adv, ntures with an almost brc.
ken heart, to these people, who, strangely
indeed, had not heard Of the disaster.
A messenger arrived at-Mr. Harvey's
eighteen miles distant, at 2 P. M. will
the transporting tidings that the children
were safe. We will leave it to our reader
heart to suggest the joy which the intelli
genee caused. It was late in the afternoon
when the little ones arrived aud were clas
ped once more in the embrace Of their pa
rents.
The happy result was received iu Cen
tralia, and announced on Sunday morning
in the churches amid ecstacies Of Joy. Th'
children were brought there on Monday
and welcomed with the firing of cannon
and general jubilee. Photographic por
traits Of them we're taken by Mr.. William
b. Matthews, artist in Centralia, and a va
risty If presents we're made to them. TIL
stirli is named Martha Ann, and her brothe
b avid Isam. She says that he soon erie
himself to sleep, and that she cried till sh
slept little and then awakened in the tree
Mr.. Brooks afirms that the balloon mus
have descended by II o'clock of Frida
night, and hence had remained in the tire
tiff its discovery through the kindness