Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-10-05

Going Up and Coming Down in Bailoens.
Going Up seems to be easy and pleasant
enough, but coming down is often attended
with peril. La Mountain and Haddook, who
went up from Watertown and were not heard
from for some ten days, Il seems landed three
hundred miles to the north, in the great Canala
wilderness They lost their balloon, were four
days without food, and were brought out To
civilization at last by Indian guides in canoes
II is to be hoped that La Mountain will be sat
isfed with reckless adventure, aud turn his
genius TO something Of more utility than sky
ward tips, endangering bis own life and Tue
lives of others.
The telegraph few days ago announced the
bursting of balloon two miles in the air in the
vicinity of Rome, ~ Y, and the pe!ilous de-
seent of Msssrs. Coe aud Cottman. The Utica
Herald publishes a narrative given by the lofty
tumbers of their rise aud fall. AT the height
Of over two miles the balloon struck the easterly
current, and they driled on at the rate Of 30
miles an hour in high glee. The body OF the
balloon was constantly expanding from the
effects of the heat and the air. and at about
twenty minutes before five, Mr.. Coe discovered
that the apparatus pertaining to the safety
valve Of his balloon was deranged Soon after
an explosion followed, causing a rent in the
balloon from the lower valve TO its greatest cir
cumferenco. The rent was some forty feet in
length The gronauts say:
The sound accompanying the explosion was
about equivalent TO the discharge OF musket.
Ia about one minute after the descent was so
rapid as to increase the rent in the texture OF
the balloon about fifty feet, thus leaving almost
the entire upper portion Of the air vessel open.
In half minute alter the second rent was dis
covered there was not a foot Of gas in the bal
loon For nearly half a mile the voyagers
came down at a most terrific speed-feeing the
same sensation that one experiences in a high
swing in rapid motion. Tue silk and cOrdage,
as the balloon oscillated, caused a Tattling sound
like the rigging Of a ship in a storm.
Descending half a mile, the main portion OF
| the balloon was thrown on one side of the nets
ting, and caused the air vessel 10 sway violent
| ", and the basket and passengers were raised
to an even height with the valve OF the vessel
itself This motion was broken by the self
10 session of the Rronauts in changing their
position in the car. Finally this swsying
motion was increased by the voyagers until
they succeeded in forming a parachute of the
remnants Of the balloon when the rapid rate of
speed in their descent was measurably impeded
During the last half mile before reaching the
eaitb, their of speed was but ,rine more
rapid than that of the ordinary descent of a
we'll ordered balloon.
When reaching point within one hundred
| feet of the tops Of the trees near Pond KuOlls
in the Rome Swamp, each of the passengers
having sand bag ready to throw out, dis
charged this amount of weight, and the balloon
concluded its descent to the ground with less
speed. The passengers were suspended some
seventy feet in the air. on the limbs Of one o
the tallest tree in the swami, while Oh,
balloon spread itself over several other fores
trees. ....
Messrs Coe and Cottman got down safel,
from the trees, and the excursionists claim tina
they were perfectly cool and conyersed togelhe
during their descent For a few seconds afte
the explo sion their fears could not be sup
pressed, but when the parachute had formed
they felt all right If not frightened, they nc
doubt felt thankful when again safe on terra
] trma.