The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1858-10-09
From the St. Louis Democrat of the Esd

lFrom the st. Louis Democrat of the 23d.l
The Late Balloon yHa&edy In IliinoIs-
Authentic Pan ticutars.
The startling story of the late frightful
ascent of two small children ai6tie in Il balloon.
has naturally excited some incredniiiv, which
in surn, has been increased by the rather diver {
accounts given of the event. But the return
10 our city of the aeronaut, Mr.. :. NJ. Brooks.
enables us to give an authentic confirmation
aud true version Of the thrilling narrative. The
gentleman kindly informs us Substantially as
follows
He was to have assembled from the Fair
Grounds at Centralia, on Friday. the Eth inst.
but finding himself unwell, accepted the offer
of another aeronaut. Mr.. Wilson, who yolun.
ieered to take his place in the balloon. Mr..
Wilson effected d beautiful ascent. at SIX p ".
Heating westward, and then soutIlwestward
rising two and a half miles, and at ahuiit Ok
P. NJ, descended, sixteen miles southeast ward a
The starting point. lie was caught by II tree
about forty hive rods from the farmhouse of
Mr.. Benjamin Harvey. The spot is soune two
miles, and a ha'f from Rome, Jefferson county,
Mr.. Harvey and his family and Others. gathered
aud dl.entangled the airship. They then
pulled the car TO the ground, and some buy-
held the ropes as the voyageiir aIighted. md
while he was drawE off in conversation with
the inqnisitive people, the balloon was towed
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 stepped out, and put in three ei,iidren-a
lad OF three years, a girl OF eight, and a still
older girl.
Al this point Mr.. Wilson called ont to those
holding the ropes TO be sure aud hold fast. But
the three children were too heavy, and the old
esl was taken out. AT this instant, through
the nnwa'chtuIness Of the persons at tie cords.
the balloon suddenly and very swiftly went M !
The anchor struck in a rail fence, but tore it
away, while q cry of horror burst from the
ngonlzed gronp. The children screamed with
horror, aud the piteous appeal +" pull me down
father!' as it instantly grew fainter and fainter.
rendered The parents, and, indeed, all present.
for the time perfectly frantic. 1t was now pas,
seven o'clock, was becoming dark, and the
balloon was soon lost sight Of! A period of
more intense wrelchedness to the parental
heart, can scarcely be imagined.
As there was little wind, the balloon had
gone almost directly upward, till its disappear.
ance in a sontheastly course. Messengers were
dispatched through the region in every direc.
uoh' ana lhe alarm spread rapidly, creating
everywhere the i~n'ensest excitement. In ali
Quarters The men and boys rallied in parties to
scnnr the country and search The woods. in the
expectation that the victims would somewhere
descend ana DC subjected to the perils Of drown
ing, or else Of starving undiscovered.
AT Centra'ia the intelligence cansed an in,
deScr'oable sensation. The popular anxiety
almost agony-callea out Mr.. Brooks, who as.
snred the people that the balloon would proba.
bly, descend within two to three hours. and
within at most, thirty miles of the point of
starting. lie also sent to the distracted pa.
ients Inc best assurance possible in the case,
informing them that there would be no DANCER
except from a descent in the woods, when The
cllidren might be with difficulty found. and
from The oder ehild's first stepping ont and
leaving Inc younger again to rise. Apart from,
these peri's, IN themselves improbable, Mr.
brooks apprerendcd no danger to the little
voyagers. Yet the idea beca,n> ea,ront ,La,
they mast encounter a frigid atmosphere when
they could not survive.
II was about 3 o'clock on Saturday morning
that Mr. lgnatin Atchison, living on Moore
prairie, eight miles from Mount Vernon, Got
up as he says, and went out upon his porch
to see the blaziug star the comet. An
immense spectre rising from a tree. abon,
twenty yards distant, rather appalled, him. and
he re,entered the house and awake his family
On his coming out again a weak and piteoas
VOICE called TO him from the spectre, :. come
mere and let us down, we're almost froze /.
mr.. Atkinson speedily perceived the astnui.h.
ing pa ure OF the case, mustere help, cut away
several limbs Of the tree, and drew the car IN
safety to the ground.
The little boy was first lifted out, and wban
placed npon his ieets instantly ran for seyera
yards, then turned, and for a moment cnn,ern
plated the balloon with apparently intense cnri
osily, The little girl told their SORROWS and
adventures with All aim st broken heart r.
these people, who, strangely Indeed, had no,
heard of the disaster. NV
A messenger arrived at Mr.. Harvey's eight.
cen miles distant, at 2 P. NJ, with the trans.
porting tldIngs that the children u,are s,f,