Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1859-03-11
rho llcmalns Of rhnrrton rorndl

Tile Remains OF Thurston Foundt
Il was rumored last night that tho body
of Mr.. Thprstou, who was carried up by a
balloon last fall, had been found, and this
morning, VIC were called upon by Mr. Drake
Covert, who lives pear The spot where the
remains woro discovered, from whom we
learn The full particulars Of The finding
On Sunday afternoon son Of Mr. Hoag,
was searching in piece Of woods for some
lost sheep, on the farm Of Mr.. Salmon Mi
ner, situated on the Indiana Road, about
or Z miles from this city. In his search
he penetrated thicketof brnshwood, on q
knoll surrounded by wet land, and there, at
the foot of largo oak tree he discovered
articles of clothing, bones, ETC., which satis-
fed him that dismombered human body
had decayed, and portions of il been eaten
there by animals. Il was near dark, and
the boy returned with all speed TO the house
with the news--but it was too late to pros
ecute the examination further that night,
and it was postponed until morning. 1t
1t was then remembered that one of the
boys about twelve years of age, had, on the
10th of September last at just about the
timethat the balloon should have passed
over the spot-secn something fall in that
piece of woods His attention was attract
cd by peculiar whistliug noise, as Of some
large bird passing over, and looked up in
time to see something fall among the trees; 4;
he thought it must have been paper bal
loon and started after it; but after going
part of the way, he returned to the house,
and tried to get an older brother to 90 with
him to the woods after tho paper balloon
He was laughed at for wanting to go so far
after bit of paper, and finally gave il up.
1t now seems that a neighbors boy saw the
balloon pass over at the same time, at q
height, and supposed it to be kite, but
having doubts about it, asked the family
chow high kite could fly" describing at
the same timc the object he had seen.
On yesterday morning, the neighbors
were called, and party proceeded to the
spot where the boy had found the remains
The spot is about so or 60 rods south Of
the Indiana road, on Mr.. Miners farm, about
halfway between the houses of Hoag and
Miner. There were portions Of human
body, without doubt, scattered around near
the tree above mentioned. Close by the
tree and imbedded in the earth, was found
the iaw-bone, broken, and matted hair part
" in the earth. About two rods from the
tree was found one of the boots of the per-
son, containing foot nearly perfect but
much decomposed, and portion Of the
shin bone with flesh adherirg to it, The
boot had been gnawed, and eyidehtly tho
flesh had been eaten by hogs or wild ami
mails, The other boot was near by. Por-
tions Of the spine were also found scat
tered about, and several Of the nails, teeth,
etc, and parts of the skull were lying near.
The clothes were, however the means Of
identifying the body; they being not SO
much destroyed but that their texture could
be discovered The pants were Of small
check or plaid pattern. The shirt was con
sderably rotted. The coat seemed to be
snuff .colored, and a black silk handkerchief
was found, tied as it was on the neck. Ia
the pockets Of the clothing were found a
Lepine silver watch, iack-kuife, and buck
skin purse, containing $l,36, in money
A pair of gloves were found in one Of the
coat pockets, and in another letter and
several cards. The letter, after drying, wa;
readable, and was found to be directed tc
Mr.. THURsroN 1t was from Philadel
phia house, in reply to somo enquiries he
had made about silk for a balloon.
From the cards, letters and memoranda
. it is rendered if not certain at least extreme
" probable that the body there scattered
about was that of Mr.. Thurston--last seer
near Knights Station on the 18th of Sep
tember, last, when carried away by the es
capped balloon-dashcd to pieces and thos,
/ pieces gnawed by animals in that secluded
thicket.
1t will be remembered that Mr. Thurs
ton was seated on the valve clasping th'
silk with his arms when last seen. Whel
the balloon was found at West Tilbury
Canada, the disc Of the valve was torn of
threc-fourths of the way around. Whel
at the great height at which the little boz
thought that immense balloon was a Kite
almost out of sight, the silk around tn
valve must have given away precipitatlnl
Thurston to the earth The calculations o
4 his friends, based upon his probable power
Of endurance, led the search far beyond tn
spot where his mutiatcd remains lay. Tn
wood was frcquented during the past winte
by rabbit hunters, and Mr.. Miner had haulo
wood near by the thicket, but the wet M
ture of the ground around the knoll, an
the thick brushwood, naturally turned asid
f all passors by.
The balloon asceuded from Adrian, a
: 0 o'clock on the 10th Of Sept. last, wit
r Messrs Bannister and Thurston in it; Dc
scended on the farm Of Mr. J. Dingo, j
4, Ogden, near Knights Station at about
, o'clock, and the escapade occurred ut abor
! l01 clock, owing to the removal Of the CO
! ropes ard other weights, while Mr.. Thur
, ton was trying to open Tie valve -whon, 9
bystauders expressed it, the balloon bound
i ed up '1ikc rocket carrying Mr.. T., 9
above stated 1t must have been With
= 20 or so minutes of this time that th
i valve gayo way and be fell.
This discovery merely gives certainty
!. his friend and relatives, Of what was, befor
n an unknown fate. We understand that ii
clothing and remains were carefully boxe
p up by the finders, and that Mr.. Hoag stal
4 cd this morning for Adrian, with them.-
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