American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1858-10-28
Balloon Fatalities.

The recent unfortunate and probably ia.
tai balloonascension Of Mr.. Thurston, which
has created such painGpl interest through
out the country, has also brought out,
through the columns of the newspaper
press, many scraps of history connected
with balloon travelling. The Pr9videpce
Journal has compiled quite list Of fatal
ties. and adds Il at it does not know Of one
distinguished aeronaut that has not met with
a violent death by means Of a balloon.
Among the first who commenced these
voyages were Mr.. Pilatrs and NJ Roman,
Of France. They made an ascent from
Bologne. June Is. 1853, with Mon,gol-
fer balloon. fire being kindled under
meath, and the balloon ascended by means
of rarefrd air. AT an amazing hight the
balloon took Ere, burnt the cords by which
the car was suspended, and the unhappy
occupants were precipitsted 10 the earth,
dashlng them to pieces in manner too
shocking to ention.
NJ Zsmbeccari, accompanied by friend
made an ascent frnm the same place Sept.
2d, 1919. On bis descent. tie balloon
became entanged in the branches Of a high
tree, and ere it could be disengaged. caught
ire. The eronautS leaped out. Z.mtec>
carl. was killed on the spot. and NJ. Bo.
gona survived but short time. About
the same time 4 mechanical named Bry-
troe, ascended from Hanhem. Alta con-
siderable hight, Re perceived too late that
the vshicle was damaged. He opened the
valve. descended with great velocity, and
was dashed to pieces against house.
Madame Blanchard assembled from Triv-
oil, July 8, 1912, during the progress OF n
fete there. At the hight Of four hundred
feet, her balloon caught fire, She was
p,ecipitated upon the pavement and in
stantly killed.
Mr.. Harris, a very experienced eronau
was killed May Gath, 1894. He went uI
from City Road, London. At the hight o
two miles, he commenced to descend rap
, idly, was precipiated 10 the earth anc
dashed 10 pieces.
A Mr. Green assembled from Cardiff
July, II. 1849. His body was found SOM
time after, on the Flat House shoals. in th'
centre of Bristol Channel.
. NJ. Aaron, a celebrated French ernaut
ascended from Barcelona, in September
Ie4s. Nothing was heard Of him till th'
middle OF November, when his body wa
found near Rosas.
Lieut.. Gade ascended from the Hippo
r drome Of Vncennes. on Sunday, Septer
, Der 8, 1850 Some days subsequent,
the body was found in a clump Of ferns
his limbs broken and mutilated, the fac
e completely eaten away by dogs and othe
e animals. He had previously met with sew
y eral narrow escapes.
, James Goulston made an ascent in th
evening from the Bellevue Gardens, Jun
81, 1889 Ehe balloon was new one
forty feet high, thirty-three feetin diane
ter. holding twenty-three thousand cubi
/ feet Of gas. 1t being cloudy at the time
the car was lost from view in two minutes
: He fell from his vehicle in attempting
n descend, at the town of Leeds; consider
" able quantity Of blood and brains, spattere
q over wall, marked the spot where h
struck the earth.
Mr. Knight ascended from Bombay, d.
70 cemter IA, 1853, in the presence Of
a large c1ncourse Of natives. amongst whoI
was the Rajsh Of Oar, who promised Ii
, eronsut two hundred rupees, if he went u
!, and come down again, Of which the Raja
had great doubts. The balloon travele
In straig ght out to sea, and Mr.. Knight hi
n, not since been heard from.
" In September. 1851, M, Merle and
- companion we're carried off by ballc
which broke from its moorings. The
T. assembled to such hight that Merle W
e. frosen to death, and the other descend'
on in the greatest peril.
or Mr.. Timothy Winchester made an asce
20 from Norwalk, Ohio, in August, 1856
=. starting in good spirits, and amid the chee
" OF large concourse ofpcople, since viii
nd he has not been heard from. He m
i'm have gone on an excursion TO the no.
ia star, as the last seen OF him I've was pass
rapidly over Lake Erie.