The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-07-16


tos " bad sailed far from the shore, and the bos
~ o. tho lake appeared dotted f0r miles v
II white objects, which we knew to BE- schoore
" nsssrs. Lamountain and eager had been asle
r since o'clock. but at half past eight Prof. w
directed more ballast 70 be thrown ovefboaI
ID and they awoke to see what she matter was.
q The alarm which suggested this was soon ov
however, and u o'clock the whole party We
= e merry - when they we're lifted towards /
& clouds ct starting. At half past nine o'clo
j. We overlook steamer bound for Buffalo. Il
. decks Of which were&crowded with person
., whose huzxas we're borne TO our ears, attend,
II 0y the shrIll scream Of tie boats steam whist
d We were waiting along not more than 500 fe
d from the Lake. in north eAsserly course, ma
= KING decidedly the fastest time ON record.
n six minutes Of 10 o'clock the steamer could /
. family seen on the horizon, 90 rapid was OF
! night The balloon was then passing over Lon
! Point, near the spot made famous BY the De
lectable prize list battle Of Morrissey and Heena
, Tor the championship Of America! Soon We ha
/ traveysed nearly the entire length ofsLake Erie
distance Of two hundred and fifty miles, 40
| complshed in three hoursl
At half past 10 o'clock We had Lake Eric an
, Lake Ontario both in sight, : spectacle tha
could not be viewed without mingled se,,ti
ments Of admieation and wonder. The balloon
had now attained an altitude OF nearly mile
terrible storm was surgiOg beneath us, ,h
trees waving and the mad waves dashing agains
toe shore OF Erie in an awfully tempestuoll
manner. But above. the careering whirlpool
and the laundering breakers swan the proat
Atlantic, not cord displaced, nor q breadth O.
silk disturbed, soaring alott with her expec;an1
crew, and gaiiy heading for the salt cresss which
bound our vast Republic. Now, like gurgie,
Comes the subdued roar Of the plasbing+ and
headlong Cataract Of Niagara.
/ Al ii o'clock, having SKINNED over rshe Lake
shore, still bound easswardly, the balloon bro't
US in sight OF Buffalo and Niagara Falls, a. also
Of the celebrated Wcland Canal We had
reached height Of more than mile, the barom-
eter marking 23.6 inches. Al II o'clock We we're
| neatly between the Falls and Buffalo, inclining
rather to the left Of tn latter. Here we had .
vieE Of the great cataract, O-nl-au- -ga-rah,
"the Thunder Of the patsr," as the Indians call
i, Gen. Brooks Monument, Queenstown, Grand
Island, st. Catherine's, Gravel Bay, Lewiston,
Black, Fort Esle, and other celebrities Of that
locaiitys The famous Falls were quite snsignifi-
cant, seen from our altitude. There was, 70
Us, . descent Of about two feet, and the water
seemed TO be perfectly moti0Dless. The spray
gave the whole an appears1oe ~ Of ice, and
Passing the western terminus Of the Erie Canal,
the balloon vas borDe directly towards Lake
Ontario. Our ballast was no v ne arty ex hausted,
and to have determined cn crossing the second
lake would hare been sheer recklessness and
hardhooi. At this spotnt il was resolved to
descend 70 the earth, land NJ. eager and my~
sell, in our stsAd take in aSnfieient quantity Of
new abatl6ss, ard again steer for. the Atlantic
Ocean. Gould this nave been done there i
scarcely doubt OF MessrA Wac and Lamoun-
tain's reaching thefr destination. ! the air ship
was Covered, but was mediately caught ip the
hurricane ~hich was thenraging, aB6scassied
very near the top Of trsss which were benJing
aud swaylng to and fro BY ihe fssse oftbe |
xind.- Mr. Lamodntain at once thres oversize
buckets and theiscontents and the iijt thss gave
ns kept Us from being crushed in .tlea Vi woods.-l
Like bulles we shot out int0Ithe, Lake. The
machinery was got into readiaess to be tossed
out, and every possible proposition made for
kespiag out. OF the waves. For awhile we cher.
ished The hore that We would be able . pass
she broad expanse of the deep Ia safety, though |
we knsw We mad nearly one hundred and ninety |
miles to traverse. But thisahope died out in |
less than an hour, az tho trooping Winds bore
dosNs ~ W. it seemed, with greater aad "a |
creasing Gercencss. We Rad got ar out and |
there was no land in sight dreary waste 81 |
nearly seven thousand square miles of water |
was betOre andsaround us At length we near.
ed the 'dashing billows, which were wildly Amg-
ing up their white caps and chasing one another
towards the Northeast. For me, q lifetime was /
concentrated int that awful, perisus momenE-sI
L wass the hrst time since had set foot in the
boat suspended 20 the balloon that hadexpe-
rienccd rear as 70 my safety. Hooked around |
1t my companions; they we're calm, but their
countenances gave me no assurance. Plunge.l
plunge, went the iron bars Of thsmachinery into
the waves, nov rolling ten feet in height! And
bhe Atlantic, obedient to this magic control,
aeAin bounded upwards cut Of the way OF the
dark and hungry slemene. i There was great 1
relief nsthis, but She coolest reason could not u
have seen in the circumstance anything but mo
nentary encouragement. l cannot recolect
whether 1t was at this point. or before, that
hr. eager climbed up into the car with Prof.
Wise. Wheneverit was he did so as much for
be security Of the entire rty as for his own
aiety, for there is no selfshness in Mr. eager.
Zee him. where you will.
For time again our flying ship was gbuoyed
Up out Of the way OF hazard, but would IRE
,uently dart downward rs though intens o. l.
'urying Us all. This movement was promptly
checked BY throwing out some article ofballast,
md thus carpet sacks containing clothing, over
oats, buldies OF papers, provisions, were pitch
d out int0 the lake, and still We kept in al
most hopeless proximity. Mr.. Lamountain had
aid he desired to take care Of the boat. and
dvised me to get into the car above, with
iessrs. Wise and eager, which / fastened to
10. No sooner had l. planted myself firmly in
be wicker basket than down, down, down with
earful speed went the balloon towards the lake.
closed my eyes involuntarily, but was quickly
reused by crash and lunge Of the car for-l I
Three MA fhnra \
nd splash. One moment more Of life, thought
Looking around beheld y hat floating oil, \,
nd the same instant the balloon darted out OF
heawater. Poor LamountaiD," was in nv
cart 70 say, for thought him gone but 4 I
heerful "all right, boys" stopped me and |
ghtened me Of one grief Now came test
{ Lamounlain's bravery, and nobty did he |
land it. Taking hatchss which was handed.
own 10 him from the car where it was swung, |
= began 1oosening the poanks making the lining I
the boat, which he sent overheard It every
ldication Of another descent. WhoofWe haI
one a. far a. possible this way, We unscrewcd
he nuts which had been placed 10 the gde OF I
the boat BY which 10 fasten tie machinery.
'athering all articles u no matter how little
eight, together, be sent them with the rest -
he cars went over next, and ct last there was
othing il the boat. He had takes of his coat
1t, and worked till the perspiEation ran from |
ls brow like rainfall the while speaking hope |
lily and endeayoring to quiet our apprehen-
ons. When there was nothing more to be .
one below, Mr.. Lamountain drew himself uD ,
J TIE rope into the cars Everything had nov
one but an overcoat and two blankets, which
ere saved to be used ~ the final resort.
How wistfully did four persons strain their
1es t6as day in the direction Of the shore and
ssld it never. never come IN sight, Nj. .
ayers face bore An expsesoion oi mingled
ldnesa and socitude pefhafs he vas think
g of group Of hAppy faces, all unconscious
his peril sway 10 Bennington, Vermont - {
+. Lamountain seemed more hopeful, and |
rof. Wise talked - though we were certain oG !
citing safe over the lake, though he warned
J OF danger as soon - We should be Oh the | /
ater. Prof VS. theory Was. that Il the boat
lonld get s~ampsd, the balloon would still | I
ave momentum and power sufficient % drag {
J - shore. which happily had BY this time ap :
cared in the dim distAnce. A propeller called /
Young Amsrica shortly afterwards bore /
own upon " to come to our relief, but We q
udded some hundreds OF feet before her bows. /
ID % that hope failed. In
all lr