Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-10-02
Fearful BaIlom Ascension of Two Chill.
dren!

Fearful BalIOn Ascension Oh TWO Onh.
dren!
On the 18th of September at O'Clock, T.
NJ. fro the grounds of the recent Agricul-
Fair at Centralia, Illinois, a Mr.. WILSON
made fine ascension in the balloon of the
seronaut Brooks. 1t is related that after
beautiful voyage, at about +. M. he de-
scended sixteen miles southeast from the
starting point. The st. Louis Republ'co" OF
the Odd relates the fearful but happily not
fatal sequel:
ale was caught by a tree about forty hve
rods from the larm house of MIR. Benjamin
Hervey, some two miles and half from
Rome Jefferson county. Mr.. Hervey, and
others, gathered, and disentangled the air-shlp.
They then pulled the car to the ground and
some boys held tire ropes as the vOyageur
alghted, and while he was drawn off in con-
versatiOn with the inquisitive people, the bal
Hervey 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 nut in his three children, lad OF three
wears. a girl of eight, and still older gil.
holding the ropes to be sure and hold fast.
But the three children were to heavy, and
the eldest was taken out. At this instant,
through the unwatchlulness of the persons
at the cords, the balloon suddenly and very
swiftly went up! The anchor struck in
rail fence, but tore it away. while cry OF
horror burst from the agoDized group. The
children screamed with horror, and the pit
eous appeal "PuU me dorm, father!" as it
instantly grew fainter and fainter, rendered
the parents, and indeed all present, for the
| time perfectly frantic. 1t was now past
seven O'Clock, was becoming dark, and the
balloon was soon lost sight Of. A period of
more intense wretchedness to the parental
heart, can scarcely be imagined
As there was but little wind, the balloon
had gone almost derectly upward, till its dis
appearance in south -casterly course. Mes
sensers were dispatched through the region
in every direction, and the alarm spread rap
idly creating everywhere the intensest ex-
element 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 starvation, undiscovered.
At Centralia the intelligence caused an in
descr.bable sensation The idea became cur
rent that they must encounter frgid atmos.
phere which they could not survive.
| 1t was about three O'Clock on Saturday
morning that Mr. Ignatin Atchison, living on
Moore's Prairie, eight miles from Mt. Vernon
got up, as he says, and went out upon his
porch ito see the blazing star the comet
| An immense spectre rising from tree, about
twenty yards distant rather appalled, him, and
re re-entered the house and walked his faml
w. On coming out again, weak and pitte
Gus voice called to him from the spectre
"Come here and let us down; we're almost
froze" Mr. At -hson speedily perceived the
astonishing nature of the case, mustered 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 whet
placed upon his feet ms antly ran for severa
wards. then turned, and for moment con
templated the balloon with apparently III
tense curiosity. The little girl told her scr
rows anu adventures with an almost broker
heart, to these people, who, strangely indeed
had not heard of the disaster.
A messenger arrived at Mr.. Ilarveys
eighteen miles distant, at 2 Z. NJ, with tn
transporting intelligence that the chlldre
We're safe. We will leave it to our reader
heart to suggest the joy which the lntell
cence caused. 1t was late in the afternoon
when the little ones arrived and were claspe
once more in the embrace Of their parents.
The happy result was received in Centre
liza, and announced on Sunday morning in tn
churches amid ecstacies of Joy. The childre
were brought there on Monday, and WELDON
f ed with the firing of cannon and gener;
Jubilee Photographic portraits of ther
were taken by Mr.. VIM. B. Matthews. arts
in Ccntralia, and a variety of presents wer
made to them. The girl is named Marth
, Ann, and her little brother David lsam. 81
saws that he soon cried himself to sleep, an
that she cried until she slept little and the
awakened in the tree.
! Mr.. Brooks, the Hronaut to whom tn
balloon belonged, aflirms that the ballOo
, must have descended by eleven O'Clock
, Fl idav night, and hence had remained in t!
tree til! its discovery through the kindness
4 the, blazing STAR and the astronomical wax
K fitness of Mr.. Atchison.
e Another account says:
The little girl, with the sweet, sacrificin
| motherly instinct of her sex, had taken G
!. her apron and carefully spiead it over h
little brother to shield him from the cold, al
: then watched patiently and unwearedly ov
$ his slumbors throughout the long night AZ
until help arrived IN the morning. 1t appea
}. by her story that the balloon at so"e pcrit
- oil the night, dc cended 50 far that the su
q pended anchor caught in a tree that 81
y began pulling on the rope to draw the ballo'
! down. when the anchorage gave way. and Il
+ vessel again drited until the anchor aga
O cangiit where they were found.
# How long they had tl,ated at the will
q the wandering currents Of air, what rou
: they had travelled, and what hour the irien
a " anchor finally became fast, seem to
, matters which must be left to cOnjeclul
The place Of their descent would seem, on t
- man. to be some twelve miles from that
,r their asc, nt-but they doubtless sailed mu
r farther thar this.
,F The news Of their safety reached Contra
m on Sunday morning and was announced
# all the churches, calling forth, as may W
If ue supposed, from many heart, terve
If hurst of gratitude to that Being who b
kent the helpless inn0cents in the hollow
HE md. ami p, stored them to their weep
rsnts Just when nope bt,Tan W sec'n hol
: I"ss Truly, su"row had endured 10. ing
> bu, iov came with The morning.
q Taken al in all, we doubt whether the a
= mails If ,,alloonng can show a more extrao
;. binary case Of DANCE; and delverancc til;
s this.
u Impmnity Of the Slave Trade.
The Boston Journal has the following
the conclusion of an article on the subject
"Slavc Trade Trials"
. ave do not now recall any other tria
since the above, springing out OF alledge