The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1859-10-04
Descent Of . Collapsed Daileea.


The Utica Herald, 1st, gives the following
particulars Of this occurrence, before reported by
telesusphi
We have slioady noticed the ASCENSION from the
Fair Grounds at Rome, On Thursdayby Mr.. OoH and
Mr.. JosHrH q. CoTrnAs, and have briefly recorded
their rapid descent, owing 10 aocdentto the bal
loon which took them sky-ward Yesterday we rnot
the gentlemen who mace tkc trips nd from their
hrs learned the particulars Of tho exciting voyage.
We annex tho narrative Of Messrs. Cos andCoTr
NAM
They started at PRECISELY four o'ciock-the ascent
ws rapid after reaching an altitude Of about two
hundred feet. Thoballoop st frt took north west
erly course, but At heght of about mile, took
duo south course for distance Of about Ave miles
then at height Of two miles the balloon struck
tho famous essteriy current 10 often alluded to by
baoonsts.
The body q the balloon was constAntly expanding
from the fleets sf tho heat and air. Thcre were
clouds beow floating In the r and the reflection u
the suna light upon the air yessei was very percept
ble. The glare at times was almost binding. When
ths castcry current n ached the balloon driftod
toward the east 1t speed u about thirty miles per
point the scene bsow was grand In the sxtreme-ths
ea tn bad Almost assumed the sspect of piece Of
mosaic work-sman objects weio not visible, yet
streams villages and cities were dscornible as dis
At sbou, twenty minut.s before FIVE, Mr.. Coz d's-
covered that part Of the apparatus pertaining to the
safety valve CT his balloon was dorAnged and was No
heated that II could not I've restored. II, at at
tempted b. discharge tie gas from the upper valve In
order " doscs nd-oonscous thai too difficulty could
not 10 overcome. The valve al the top worked well
but tho pressure On tho safcty.vaye, (Which had
been dersDged) from the lower part Of the balloon,
| wss ~ grest that an explosion followed, causing a
rent in the balloon FROM the lower valve To Its greatest
] circumference. The rent was some forty feet In
| length.
Tho sound accompanying tho explosion was about
equivalent tn the discharge OF mtisket. In about
one minute after, the descent rapid to In.
crease the rent Of the texture Of tho balloon about
City feet thus leaving almost the entire upper por
~ In hall .fN.
the second rent discovered there was not foot
OF gas In the balloon. For nearly half q mile, the
yoyasers came down at most terrific speed feeling
the same sensation that experiences In high
swing In rspid motion. The silk and cordags, % the
balloon oscillated, caused q rafting sound ike the
hysins o. q ship IN . & storm; ~; A..
balloon WAS thrown one side Of tho netting ant
cei he air vei sci to sway violently, and the bAske
and passengers were raised to an even height win
i penenced several times and as often was broken b.
the sef possoson of the aeronauts In changing thei
position In the car. Finally this swaytng motio
| was increased by the voS ayers untn they succeede
In forming parachute OF the remnants II the balloon
| when the rapid rate Of speed IN their descent wa
/ measuTably impeded. During the last half milo be
fore reaching tho earth their ratio of sposd was bu
trfe more rapid than that Of the ordinary desoen
| Of u well ordered balloon.
| When reaching point within ono hundred feet o
the tops u the trees, near Pond Knobs, In tho Rom
Swamp, each Of the passengers, having a sand .ba
ready 70 throw out discharged this amocnt Of weigh
/ hiiu ult Cohciuuoi tts ueScSut 70 Hrpuu'
| with less speed. The passengers wero slspende
/ some seventy feet In the air, ON the limbs OF ono
the tailest trees In the swamp, while the baloo
spread itself several other forest trees by GOO
fortune, Messrr. Coz AMI CoITNAs reached terra Arm
In safety, aitor making graceful descent from th
tree. Arriving In the swamp In safety, they paItoo
Of refreshments remaining In the car and gave thro
enthusiastic cheers Tor the fortunate result Of thti
| peIious trip.
i At the moment Of the explosion, Mr.. CorrNA
/ asked Mr. Cor what was ~ DO done The aeronau
| assured him that the balloon would come down q
| right, except at fearful rate Of speed.
At once the grapple and ropes were thrown GU
and all the extra weight except the saud bags. TIL
aerial excursonlsta were perfectly cool and converse
together during the descent. But ior their presenS
of mind, they would not probably have escaped aliv
| They both assure that after the balloon forme
into parachute, they had not the slightest fear q
| ham. But for the few seconds after the explosion
| when the car and the remnants Of the balloon VOL
swaying alternately above each other, their foa
could not well DO suppressed.
Yesterday afternoon the balloon was brought
Rome Ia q damaged condition. An examination
the air ship satisfied Mr. Cor that the appliance call
safety valve" which he invented himself, Al
which s designed to work by rope from tho outsi
Of the balloon, had been damaged before he start
on the trip, and as consequence, could not be ma
seiyicoabie This valve is underneath tho mai yaly
AID calculated 10 oIon aud Close accordingly asst
| air and hcat LAY expand or dspress the baiy oi ii
| balloon. Once finally closed, beyond this powor
operating IL the expansion Of the gas under fLc inf
ence Of an extraordinary heat, became too yrcHt Z
the endurance of the fabric Of which tho balloon W
constructed, and the explosion followed, as matt
/ Of courHe.