Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1858-10-14
THURSDAY, OCTOBER IA, 1853.

ment. In all quarters the men and boys
rallied In parties to scour the country and
search the woods, in the expectation that
the victims would somewhere descend and
be subjected to the perils Of drowning, or
else OF starving undiscovered.
At Centralia, the intelligence caused an
indescribable sensation The popular anx-
iety-almost stagony-called out Mr.. 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
slble in the case, informing them that there
would be no danger excepting from de-
scent in the woods, when the children
might with difficulty be found, and from
the older child's first stepping out and leav-
ing the younger again to rise. Apart from
these perils, in themselves improbable, Mr..
Brooks apprehended no danger to the little
voyageurs. Yet the idea became current
that they must encounter frigid atmos-
phero which they could not survive.
1t was about three clock Oh Saturday
morning that Mr.. Ignatius Atchinson, liv-
ing on Moore's prairie, eight miles from
Mount Vernon, got up, he says, and went
out upon his porch Ito sec the blazing
star'-the comet An immense spectre
rising from tree, about twenty yards dis
tant, rather appalled, him, and he re-enter-
ed the house, and waked his family On
his coming out again, weak and piteous
voice called to him from the spectre,
Come here and let US down, we're almost
froze! Mr. Atchinson speedily perceived
the astonishing nature of the case, mus
tered help, cut away several limbs of the
tree, and drew the car in safety to the
ground.
The little boy was lifted out, and when
placed upon his feet instantly ran for sew
eral yards, then turned, and for a moment
contemplated the balloon with apparent in
tense curiosity. The little girl told her
sorrows and adventures with an almost bro
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. with the
transporting tiding that the children were
safe. We will leave it to the readers heart
to suggest the JOY which the intelligence
caused. 1t was late in the afternoon when
the little ones arrived and were clasped
once more into the embrace of their pa
rents.
The happy result was received in Cen
tralia, and announced on Sunday morning
in the churches amid ecstacies of Joy
The children were brought there on Mon
day, and welcomed with the firing of can
non and a general jubilee. Photograph
portraits were taken of them by Mr. VIM.
B. Matthews, artist in Centralia, and var
riety of presents were made to them. The
girl is named Martha Ann, and her little
brother, David Isam. She says that he
soon cried himself to sleep, and that she
cried till she slept little and then wakened
up in the tree.
Mr.. Brooks afirms that the balloon must
have descended by IL o'clock of Friday
night, and hence had remained in the tree
till its discovery through the kindness of
the blazing star and the astronomical wake
fulness of Mr.. Atchinson.