Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-07-16

The great balloon voyage and Dlondin's
ropewalking across Niagara have pretty
much driven the italian war from common
talk for q day or two.
Blondlus exploit was great In its way.
Ash specimen Of what practice and syste-
matte training may accomplish In giving
man command over bis muscles and nerves
and enabling him to hold himself seIfpos-
sessed when every spectators heart is hut-
tering with anxiety for his safety, II was
wonderful The two inch rope on which
BIondIu walked was a thousand feet in
length and hundred and fifty feet above
the boiling food, the plunge into which
wonld 10 certain DEATH 1t was stretched
across the gorge about midway between
the Falls and Suspension Bridge at q point
where both banks iut boldly out over the
stream It was kept partially steady by
guys attached to the trees on each side Of
the river. The great feat was accomplish.
ed in the presence Of some eight or ten
thousand people The signal gun for his
stayiing refusing to go off, Blondin waved
his hand to the band, and marched down
the decline of the rope, keeping time to
the music On reaching the fourth guy,
about 100 feet from the hank, he sat down
and then laid down on the rope; reaching
about the center of his unsteady bridge he
repeated these motions, aud then sat quiet
ly down on the rope and beckoned to the
steamer Maid of the Mist, which came up
underneath, when he let down a line, to
which a small bottle Of wine was attached,
which he drew up from the steamer, uu-
eorked and drank, and then went on again
He was l7A minutes in crossing After
giving tight rope performance to the Ca
nadians by way Of recreation, he made the
return in seven minutes, resting himself on
ly once, near the center of the chasm.-
The crowd received him in triumph and
carried him on their shoulders to his car
riage lie appeared to be but little fati-
gued and not at all excited. Blondin has
since made another and still more frightful
exhibit of his GOODNESS and intrepidiiy by
crossing without his balance pole, and also
with his body and arms encased in a sack
extending to his knees 1t is hardly cred-
table TO the crowd that with all their adj
miration and enthusiasm they did not con-
tribute money enough to pay Mons. Blon-
din's expenses.
The balloon voyage Of Wise and La
Mountain has at least a prospective and
possibly utility in it. The immense balloon
went up from st. Louis at o'clock on Fri
day evening, taking as passengers the two
professors, as they are called, with o A.
eager as navigator, and William Hyde, re-
porter. The aeral voyagers were favored
with fair wind which took them northeast
in a nearly direct conrse The baloonaRas
seen passing over Fort Wayne, Ind, at
four o'clock on Saturday morning; it pass
ed Fairport, Ohio, at $50, nearly touching
the lake, but rose again and went toward
the northeast On coming abreast of Roch-
ester, over lake Ontario. a severe wind al
most hurricane, was encountered, and an
attempt was made 10 rise to calmer re-
glon. But the supply of gas had become
small, and the balloon did not rise above
the storm. When the gale was most Sc
we're the balloon was not more than thirty
feet above the surface of the lake. The
eronauts headed towards the shore and
landed in the town of Henderson, JefFer-
son county, New York, just below Water
town. The balloon came down in the edge
OF the woods, the basket swinging violent
~ about and dashing among the higher
branches of the trees, while the passengers
elung to the rigging. The basket was strong
and well secured, or the party would not
probably have escaped in safety. The bal
loon was left in high tree, badly damaged
The distance Travelled was 1850 miles, and
the time l9 hours and 40 minutes-about
$50 miles per honr. This is the most re-
markable erial voyage on record.
Mr.. La Mountain arrived at Watertown
on Monday with his ballon He announces
that as soon as it is repaired he will make
another voyage from Chicago eastward.
The Utica Herald has some particulars
obtained from the eFonauts. When the
storm bore the balloon down towards the
lake, the ballast, provisions and some of
the clothing of the passengers were thrown
over, and it as found necessary at last to
take off the propelling machine and pitch
it overheard. The passengers left the boat
and clamoered into the car above and the
boat was dashed in the water, but righted
itself and the balloon went on at the rate
OF two miles per minute -
Providenlially the balloon reached the
shore having travelled over so miles just a
bove the waves which were rough and bois-
ferrous. But terrific peril now appeared
The balloon rushed into thick forest and
tearing down trees and breaking branches.
pursued its reslstless course for upwards of
mile aud balf--dashing the occupants
Of the car TO and fro sgainst trunks and
limbs, until at last it caught in q tall syca-
more and the silk was rent into ribbons;
when the apparatus at once came to halt,
leaving the voyagers suspended thirty feet
In the air Mr.. La Mountain was slightly
injured by striking against limb but all
the others reached the ground in safety.
The night after leaving st. Louis was
passed without special incident. The voy-
ayers all slept comfortably. At Toledo
the voyagers were within hearing distance
Of persons on terra frma. who very gener-
ously aud enthusiastically shouted, "That's
a big lake, ''that's Lake Erie" "don't 90
there, you'll get lost" &c. The people ap-
peared very much excited and alarmed fer
the safety of the Voyagers,-apparently ig-
norant Of whom they were. or Of the pur-
pose Of their mission At various points
the farmers along their course would catch
a glimDse of the balloon and fraonantlv tbo