Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-03-16
The Lost Balloonist.


If the accounts in the Western papers nny
he relied upon, Thurston'., the lost ;eronaut,l
body was found about six or seven miles
from Toledo city by Il little boy. A party OF
men proceeded to the spot, and the Toledo
Blade SAYS
There were portions Of IL human body.
without doubt. scattered around near the tree
above mentioned. Close by the tree and m-
beddcd in the earth. was found the .law-h"n"
broken and matted hair, partly i'll the earth
.,buut TWO rods from the tree was found one
of the boots OF the person. containing foot
nearly perfect. but much dcrompo>ed, ana
norton of the shin bone with ricsh adhrrinS t"
it, The boot had been gnawed, and evidently
the flesh had been eaten by hogs or wild ami
mails. The other boot was near by. PortlonSot
the spine were also found scattered about, and
several of the nails, teeth. &c, and parts OF
the skull were lying near. The clothes were,
however the means of identifying the body
they being not 81 much destroyed but that
their texture could be discovered. The pants
were Of Il small check or plaid pattern. The
shirt was considerably rotten. The coat seem
e., t. lee snuff colured and Il black six hand
krrchief was found tied as il was Oh his neck.
/ In the pocket, Of the clothing were found Il
Lcpinr silver watch, jack-kniic, and II buck
skin purse containing II 50 i'll money. y par
Of gloves were found in one of the coat poe
! ketS. and in another letter and several cards.
! The letter. after drying was readable, ana
was found to be directed To Mr.. Tharstoh.-
1t was from Philadelphia house, in reply
to some inquiries he had made about silk for
balloon.
! From the cards, letters and memoranda 1t
| is rendered. if not certain, extremely proba-
! bic, THAI the body there scattered about was
that Of Mr.. ThurSton-last seen near Knight
/ Station. on the 10Th oi September last. when
carried away by the escaped balloon-'iaSli-
I'd tupccc> and those pieces gnawcd by AM
mails III that secluded thick"t.
/ Ii will be remembered that Nlr. Ihurston
/ was seated on the valve, claSplng the six
/ with his arms. when last seen. When the
balloon was found at West Tilbury, Canada,
the disc of the valve was torn of, three
fourths of the way around. When ut the
great height ut which the little boy thought
/ that immense balloon was Il kite, almost out
Of SIGHT. the silk around the valve must have
/ given way, precipitatlng Thurston 10 the
/ earth. The calculations of his friends,
( based upon his probable powers OF rmdur-
/ ancc, lei the search far beyond where his
mutilatcd remains lay. The wood WIS fire.
9ucntcd during the past winter by rabbit
( hunters, and Mr.. Miner had hauled wood
near by the thicket, but the wet nature oil
/ the ground around the knoll. and the thick
brushwood, naturally turned aside all pass
/ crS by.
The balloon assembled from Adrian at .
/ o'clock on the 10th Of September last, with
. Mr.. Bannister and Mr.. Thurston i'll ii; de-
scendcd on the farm Of Mr.. j. Din9c, in
Ogden, near knight, Station, at about ID
o'clock, and the escapade occurred at about
/ TO- o'clock, owing 10 the removal Of The car
ropes and other weights. while MIR. Thurs
/ tom was trying to open the yalve-when, Il,
/ bv-tandrrs expressed 1t, the balloon bounded
/ up like IA rocket. carrying Mr.. !. a. above
1 stated. II must have been within twenty OF
( thirty minutes Of this time that the valve
/ gave way. and he Tell. !"