Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-07-06


Porilous Descent mud Narrow RsoupC ofthe
Acromuuts
Mr. Hyde Of ne st. Louis Republican, who
accompanied The nronauls in the Atlantic, was
in Buffalo Sunday evening The editor Of the
Courier had an interview with Mr.. H., and
gives the following interesting particulars of
the voyage and perilous landing.
Tho balloon is one Of the largest ever con
structed, being 1870 feet in length from top to
bottom and so feet in diameter, with lifting
capacity Of some ten or 10000 pounds lnad-
dtion TO the four persons who occupied the
car boat weighing some 500 pounds was at
tached 10 feet below them, besides a large
quantity Of ballast, provisions, instruments,
SC.
Their motion was very rapid throughout the
night inclining rather towards the north, with
calm and beautiful weather. Tho aeronauts
found it impossible to perceive their exact rock-
oning during the darkness, and went TO sleeps
but Mr. Hyde, TO whom the situation was most
novel; found himself unable to enjoy that lux
ury Towards day light tho attitude whichthey
had attained, between two and three miles, rem
dcrod the cold quite severe, but by no means
painful as they were we'll provided for against
such a contingency
They reached lake Eric above Sandusky
thence noated rapidly but silently down. pass
ing numerous vessels on their route, until about
IL NJ, when they were opposite Buffalo
In the last 100 miles on this lake, a current
of air in which they 4 'ated gradually bore them
t0 the water, until on several occasions their
elevation did not exceed 800 feet Soon after
passing the Falls, the strength Of this current
rapidly increased, until they neared Sacketts
Uarbor. When over Lake Ontario, and about
80 miles from shore it became q violent gale OF
wind, blowing almost directly downward.
Every effort was made to keep the balloon up,
by throwing out ballast, stones and dinstruments,
but in spite Of all their eTerions, she made
tremendous dive, striking the water, staying
! the boat, and nearly bringing about fatal ter
mination of the voyage to Mr.. Lamontain.-
The balloon then rushed headlong towards the
shore, which was reached in few minu os from
whence it plunged into dense forest at speed
which Mr.. Hyde estimates at about two miles
minute. The grapnels were cast loose, but the
strong iron hooks were wIenohed off like pipe
stems The boat, which was still below them,
went crashing through the trees, leaving path
as if the locality had been visited by tornado.
Mr. Hyde says that trees, Of a foot or more in
diameter, were snapped usunder as If u ade Of
clay, while the branches were flying in every
direction After proceeding about a mile at
ton, the balloon was dashed against huge
tree by which it was collapsed, and scarcely
anything left Of it but countless ribbons. 1t
seems marvellous that no lives were lost, but
this was doubtless owing to the boat, which
sustained the shock of the forest, leaving the
daring adventurers to descend to the earth from
their perch entirely unframed, with the excep-
ton Of a slight bruise which Mr. Lamontain re-
ceived on one of his hips.
Mr. Hyde speaks in the warmest terms ofthe
kindness which they experienced at the hands
Of the people where they descended, and says
that could he have been landed in safety the
aerial ship would have completed her voyage
to the Atlantic coast without difficulty. He
regards the experiment as a success, as it and
as fully demonstrating the feasibility of crossing
the Atlantic once by means of aerial naviga-
ton.
The landing took place on the farm of a Mr..
Whitney, in the town of Henderson, jefferson
Co near Sacketts Harbor, at 20 minutes past
2 P. M. ,(by the adventurers' time,) being just
10 hours from St Louis, distance Of over 100
miles, being by more than double the longest
balloon voyage ever made. An immense mum
Der of persons who had seen the approach Of
the balloon, soon appeared and We'd with each
other in rendering assistance.
The aeronauts were taken to a village near
at hand and Hospitality entertained, from which
they were transported in the eysning to Adams
a station ten miles distant on the Rome and
Watertown railroad, from which Mr.. Hyde set
out on his return to st. Louis. Messrs. Wise
and eager repairing to Albany, and Mr.. La
montain remaining to take charge Of the wreck.
RETURN OF MR.. BRooKs TO ST. LOUIS.
ST. LOUIS Saturday, July 2, 1859.
Mr., Brooks, who preceded the grand balloon
expedition last night, has just returned. lie
llighted short distance east of Edwardsvlle,
ILL.,, at quarter to o'clock IIo attained the
altitude of twelve thousand feet, aud travelled
TWENTY-FIVE miles