The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-11-23
ENVLaislG Of q Balloon.

An Gronaut made an ascension at Sidney
in Australia, end having aligh'ed n woot
yard, the following scene occurred:
One of them (bIr. WordeID having go
out, the other attempted to rise again SO as
to descend in small paddock somewha
further on but the pressure OF the crowd
which by this time had poured into the yard
preventing him from so doing. There wa.
no recourse, therefore, but to empty the bal
loon OF its gos where it then wac. Out the
subtle vapor escaped with great rapdtv from
u large rent in the body of the balloon, and
impregnated the whole of the surrounding
atmosphere. Still all might have passed
off we'll, but that some reckless fool took
this opportunity 10 light a lUcifcr and tc
cast the still burning match away. For q
description of what followed, we take the
words OF an eye witness
The effect Of this YVES horrible 10 the ex.
treme. Streams of gas which had iu-t is.
sued from the balloon into the air, gnited in.
stantly, and vivid lines and sheets of flame
traversed the yard in all directions, like fly
ing fiery serpents. During the time that
this awful sight was visible, the terror and
confusion that prevailed was such as bafll.
description. 1t must be borne in mind that
in spite OF reiterated and untirng efforts of
the police to clear the yard, it had been hard.
ly possible for them to do more than to keep
tolerable order in the excited throng cs.
pecialy as multitudes were still endeavoring
to get in, whilst those in the yard tried with
desperate efforts to get ont again into the
Haymarket. When the fire appeared, and
several in the yard end on the sheds were
singed and burnt, there was n frantic rush to
the gateway, already blocked up, and mum.
bers breaking through the woodwork es.
Gaping into Durond's alley on the one side.
and over the stables into George street on
the other.
The fire darting about in the air cOught
the car, and then, seeing any attempt to
preserve the balloon utterly fruitIess, and
fraught with extreme danger to lie and
the balloon was purposeIy cut, and
the enormous bodyO; gas yet remaining in
it-severaI thousand cubic feet-igni,ed,
and the balloon was consumed in one mass
of flame, which appeared for moment, and
then vanished.
The screams of the women and children
several of whom were thrown down and
trampled upon-tbe shouts Of the men, and
the rush OF The panic.stricken mob, were
appalling. By the untiring and
vigorous exertions OF the police the rush was
partially stopped in the gateway. One
young woman was knocked down and pass
ed over by several as they fed. She was
rescued at last by the police, carried out, and
at length restored to consciousness. She
appeared, however, to have had her face
crushed un der some mans boot.
An infant OF six months old was picked
up, having been thrown to one side as the
parties in chOrge OF it had broken through the
fence into Alake's buildings. Another
very young child was picked up and rescued
from imminent peril, and several persons OF
maurer years owe their safety, perhaps their
lives, TO the active courage and care OF the
police. About dozen persons sustained
more or less injury on this occasion, but
none OF those injuries have been such as to
occasion death.