Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-03-19

PRRILOUS ADVENTURE OF lERONAUTS--A
FLIGHT OF FORTY MILES IN THIRTEEN MIN
UTES-NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH
On Thursday afternoon last Mr. Ccvor, accompanied
by one hr. Dalton made beautiful ascension m bal
loon at Savannah in the presence Of several thousand
admrug spectators Their voyage through the air
a delightful one until 10 a conclusion, which APP
preached too near the tragca be very interesting.
The particulars are thus detailed in the Repd'icoH Of
Monday:
After leaving the tity few miles behind lhem, the
balloon entered current which bore it to the eastward
and hence directly to sea. The greatest altitude al
tanned was between - and II miles al which point
the view of both earth snd water entirely shut out
Seeing nothing aud home along on the rapid cGIren OF
air al perfectly still, aud the erOnauts unconscious
OF motion though going at The rate OF over three miles
10 the minute The rOarOf the ocean though was dis
timely heard from begeah and just then they entered
another that bore them rather nOrihward
IL was determined TO descend and take the chances Iath
rr than be carried fer ont t0sea The valve opened
for the escape Of gas aud tP graphing iron thrown out
to the full length OF the cord 80 feet
The balloon descended rapidly and the anchor finally
attached itself 10 tree on Duiuskie Island SO great
however wa the force Of ih current that the cable
snapped like thread ami tie balloon suddenly mount
ed No 10 great height and moved of in nodheasterly
direction towards Calaboga Sound, which, though sew
eral miles in width had the appearance Of very mar
row stream To descend in tie Sound and risk an en-
[
its uncertainties became theOnly alternatives. Mr. Ce
vor decided promptly on tl former but so rapid was
the flight Of the balloon thd he had to act promptly in
order TO strike the Sound The valve raised and the
ar-shp came down as Mr. Ceyor informs us, with al
most the velocity of cannm ball gaining momentum in
its passage. 1t struck the water with immense force,
completely submergug the yGagers In going down,
however Mr. Ceyor had the pgsence OF mind 10 dip his
car so a. to enter the edewise and thus, in
measure, break the force of thecOncusson.
Onrising TO the surface and hding themselves unhur
Mr. Cevor and his companion bcame composed and set
to work deliberately themselves and the balloon
They had lost their ballast proisons everything in the
descent and the great point VS. TO prevent the balloon
from rising out Of the water heavy gale prevail
ing in the Sound and they between five or six miles
from shore. BY keeping dge OF the car unde water
it would afford sufficient resSace TO answer the purpose
ballast. This done by Mr Cevor while Mr.. Dalton
took his stand on the ring hich the the netting is at
tached which kept the bOtOmOf the balloon the
face In this condition. and often submerged to their
chins the balloon made { answer the purpose OF
tow in taking them to land Bentualy they approached
a marsh and discovered persns on the beach looking
with apparent astonhmeut athe strange spectacle. Mr.
Ceyor aud his companion cred for help at the top Of
their voices, and soon a boatmanned by negroes and
their oyerseer Mr.. George SaVge, was despatched to
their aid. The boat up ust before they reached
the marsh aud the great object was to discharge
the gas and save the balloon. Mr. Ceyor and Mr. Dd
ed so hard rs to break it Rhorp the valve where
upon the latter closed and tn balloon rushed into the
marsh aud got wholly beyond heir control Mr. Dalton
became entangled in the corS which became twisted
around him and had to take his pocket knife and cut
his way out in order to extIc!e himself Tue balloon
then commenced to ascend ipidy, Mr. Cevor in the
car and he only saved hmselby leeping out when at
distance of twenty-five thiN feet from the earth
He fell into the water and mu and was unirjured. The
balloon shot off like arrowowards the and in the
space of a minute was out light
Thus ended the perlous adventure. The balloon
worth some S7OO is total 10. 10 Mr. CevOr, though un
der all the circumstances we consider the party ex
ceedugly fortunate to have scaped with their lives
They were taken the platation of Mr.. Branard on
the Island by Mr. Savage wen the latter and his wife
bestowed upon them every lndness and attention, for
which they desire US TO reurther most grateful thanks
The next evening Mr.. CevOr nd hr. Dalton took row
boat BlutOn where they )ok passage on the Cecile
and came TO this city.
| The speed with which th5ourney was made is won
derlu The point where tn balloon struck the water
is forty miles from Savanna and they reached it at
500; they ascended preciseRt 507, they were just
| l9 minutes in trayersing the stance