Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-10-01

a green tree, and she pulled the balloon down
md fastened it to the branches. where it held
until morning, which was then not fu Off
The children were taken down alive and we'll
Did you ever hear the like before, What
courage and Grmncss that little girl must
have possessed If she lives she will make
second Joan dare
The LosT BAILooN1sr-Mr Bunnistcr,
the associate of Mr. Thurston, the lost ,rro-
naut, has seen the balloon which descended
near Bapti,te Creek, and recognizes it as the
one in which Mr. Thurston was so unce reno
niously spirited away. At last accounts he
was busily searching for his lost friend and
companion. Men who saw the balloon de-
scend state positively that there was man
pom it. The following is said to be the ba-
sis of Mr.. Bannister's 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 or descending. be-
fore it finally rested. Thurston was safe ON
it until it had attained its highest elevation
where he was beyond the reach and influence
Of countcr-currents Of air, so that there was
no 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 fraa in O
somewhat exhausted condition, and wa.
obliged to let the balloon go. This, being
relieved of its weight, again bounded up and
travelled along until sufficient quantity
more Of gas had escaped to allow it to fall
According to this theory, Thurston, may
be several miles from whore the balloon was
secured, and not unlikely lying in the woods
unable from the effects of his adventure Ia
help himself; or he may have been picked NJ
by some backwoods people, and being unable
to communicate with them from the effects o
cold or loss Of blood is now lying under then
care. All, however, is conjecture, but few
days will clear the whole thing up and the
facts will be known. If he has fallen off and
been killed by the fall from gddy height.
his body must be found, as, saving the cross
ing Of the Detroit river, his route lay en-.
tircly over land, and the track is well defined
Mr. Bannister, after visiting the localit,
where the balloon was found, if he does not
find the unfortunate man, will follow back on
the track, and continue the search until the
body is recovered
This adventure of Mr.. Thurs,ons has re-
NhliNu a Slillldl UilE NHlAi hANNlItu III 1900,
Timothy Winchester made an ascent from
Norfolk, Ohio, in August of that year, start
ing in good spirits and amid the cheers of d
large concourso Of people, since rhich time
he has not been heard from. When last seen
he was near and going in the direction Of
Lake Erie. No tdings have ever been re-
ceiyed of him or his balloon. The balloon
too, belonged to Mr.. Bannistcr.
The LosT BALLooNIsT-No tidngs oil
the fate Of Mr.. Ira Thurston. the unfortunate
ieronaut have yet rewarded the search of hi.
friends, who do not now expect to find hin
alive. Mr.. Bannster has returned to Detroi
from the search, almost dospairing Of finding
his lost companion The TriLnHc Of the 23l
says;
"Mr. Bannister, his companion, returned
this afternoon, and can bring only the wors
tidngs. The balloon he identified, and sent
the silk of which i was composed to thi,
city last night He himself remained to search
for his friend. To-day he comes back de-
spairingly. He states that the balloon yaly,
on which Thurston sat is torn ont from tn,
silk Of the balloon three-q quarters Of the wa,
around, indicating uncrringly that the weigh
OF the unfortunate man was too great for tn,
strength of the sides, and that the silk CAV,
way, when he must have dropped off Hi
only remaining chance would be to cling to In,
smooth material of which the balloon wa,
made, and he could not have sustained himscl
in that manner. When this occurred we ear
only conjecture f; that it must have been with
imam hour after he started seems highly proba
Bile. The balloon was seen for nearly twl
hours with glass, but it must be remember
ed that this great body, full sixty feet high
was only the size of a mans hand when thu
visible, and 1t would he utterly impossible {
see the Inflated man il he had dropped Of
Mr.. Bannister feels quite positive that h
must have fell before reaching Canada at all
The stories that are SO plentiful that a maj
was seen in the balloon as it came down nea
Baptiste Creek, he wholly discredits, as w
have. from the first. He has investigate,
these rumors pretty thoroughly, aud puts n
faith in them whatever"
II is stated that Mr.. Bannister. thoug
nearly despairing, has not abandoned IA
search II is very remarkable if the storie
relative to man having been seen on tn
balloon are false. Their circumstaata ma
ture viii be seen by the following from tn
reporter of the Detroit Free Press who yisi
tel the Ioei iity whore the balloon was found
Many Of the Inhabitants had seen Ii
bali ION as i pa sed up The lake shore O.
Thursday Scycial " them asserted tho