M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-10-13
From the Utica IN. y Herald, Ist inst
The Balloon lInni;l,


We have already noticed the ascen.
sion from the Fair Grounds at Rome,
OF Thursday, 10y Mr.. Coe and Mr.. 10.
seph S. Cotiman, and have briefly re.
corded their rapid descent, owing tc
an accident TO the balloon, which took
them skyward. Yesterday we met the
gentlemen who made the trip, and
from their own lips learned the par.
tiCnlars ofthc exciting voyage. We
annex the
NARRATIVE OF MLsSRs. COE AND CoTT-
.... ...... MAN.
They started at precisely four O..
clock-the ascent was rapid after
reaching an altitude ofabout two hun,
drcd feet. The balloon at first took a
north-wcstcrly course, but at q hight
Of about q mile, took a due south
course fora distance ofabout five miles;
then, at a hight Of over two miles, the
balloon struck the famous easterly cur,
rent so often alluded to by balloonists.
The body Of the balloon was con.
stantly expanding from the effects Of
the heat and air. There were clouds
below floating in the air, and the re,
Election of the suns light upon the air
vessel was very perceptible. The
glare at times was almost binding
When the easterly current was reach.
ed, the balloon driltGd toward the
east at speed of about thirty miles
per hour; and the voyagers were in
high glee. AT this point the scene
below was grand in the extreme-the
earth had almost assumed the aspect
OF a piece of mosaic work-small oh,
jects were not visible, yet streams,
villages and cities were discernible as
distinct objects on the surface.
AT about twenty minutes before five
Mr.. Coe discovered that q part Of the
apparatus pertaining to the safety
valve OF his balloon was deranged, and
was so located that it could not be re-
stored. lie at once attempted to dis
charge the gas from the upper valve,
in order to descend, cons cious that the
difficulty alluded to could not be over.
come. The valve at the top worked
Well, but the pressure on the safety,
valve, (Which had been deranged,) }
from the lower part of the balloon, was
so great that an explosion followed,
causing a rent in the balloon from the
lower valve to its greatest circulnier-
ence. The rent was some forty feet
in length.
The sound accompanying the ex.
ploSion was ab ut equivalent 10 the
discharge of a musket. In about one
minute after the descent was so rapid
as to increase the rent ofthe texture of
the balloon about fifty feet, thus leav.
ing almost the entire upper por-
tion of the air.vessel open. In half n
minute after the second rent was dis
covered there was not foot OF gas in
the balloon. For nearly half mile
the voyagers came down alta most ter
rific speed, feeling the same sensation
that one experiences in high swing
in rapid motion. The silk and cord
age, as the balloon oscillated, caused
a rafting sound like the rigging OF a
ship in storm.
Descending half a mile, the main
portion Of the balloon was thrown on
one side of the netting, and caused the
air-vessel to sway violently, and the
basket and passengers were raised to-
an even hight with the valve Of the
vessel itself. This motion was expe
rienced several times, and as often was
broken by the selfpossession Of the
aronauts in changing their position in
the car. Finally this swaying motion
was increased by the voyagers until
they succeeded III forming Il 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
earth the rate Of speed was but triAe
more rapid than that Of the ordinary
descent Of well.orGered ballon.
When reaching a point within one
hundred feet OF the tops OF the trees
near Pond Knolls in the Rome Swamp,
each ofthe passengers, having sand
bag ready to throw out, discharged
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 of the tallest trees
in the swamp, while the balloon
spread itself over several other forest
trees. BY good fortune MesSrs. Coe
and Cottman reached terra tirma in
safety, after making graceful descent
from the tree. Arriving in theswamp
in safety, they partook OF refreshments
remaining in the car, and gave three
hearty cheers for the fortunate result
OF their perilOus trip.
At the moment of the explosion,
Mr.. Cottman asked Coe what was to
he Gone2 The aerouaut assured him