The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1865-12-22
/, Thrining Tale y Of an HAvol-
unInry Aero nxlatl
lFmm Iho Callfornia supaar Msreury

tFrm tho California Sunday Msrcuryl
In 1852, q fnmous aeronaut advertised
that ho would make an ascension from
Oakland, California. II was a total novelty
TO uinclenths Of those ho addressed, and
the public rushed to see him in crowds. In
the center of tue space from which the as
cent was to be made tho huge sphere float
cd, held down TO vulgar earth by dozen
ropes grasped by as mauy persons elected
from among the bystandcrs. Tie naviga-
tor o. the heavens had not yet made his
appearance, and the audience were growing
impatient, as manifested by their shouts
aud curses, lie was probably phying
lreC2e.out paker with some ilush miner, in
some adjoining tavern, a Ia Artemus Ward,
and could not he choked off. In q Few min
utes more the machine would have beeu
torn into threads, when gust of wind aris-
| ing the balloon was suddenly wrsnched
from the hands that held it, aud rushed like,
u rocket straight towards the clouds. Did
We say wrenched from all No, not from
all! A cry OF horror rose from the lately
| turbulent crowd for there, clingiag to q
slight wooden cross piece attached 10 ono,
of the cords, was a small dark object, which
tevery one pronounced to be a human being.
A lad who had been selling papers among
the crowd, was nne OF those who had vol
unteered TO hold the guys, and, not beiRg
sufficiently alert, had been carried of with
the bhl3on. The spectators were appalled,,
and every observer momentarily expected
to see him drop. But the young adventurer
had no such idea, and those who had glass
rs saw him Chamber up the cofd aud seat
himself astrde the cross-piece The bal
loon ascendcd upward in the glowing rays
of the sun it seemed like q speck, thO0
vNished altogether.
1t would have been difficult just then to
have insured tho hfo of that boy at any
premium. As for the involuntary aeronaut,
what must have been his feelings as he
found himself thus severed from the firm
earth to which he had been accustomed.
At first his little heart was in his throat,
and lac seemed to have suddenly fallen from
some vast height ihto all abyss OF fathomless
air The world vanished instantaneoualy
from sight The boy had unfortunately
wound the cord about his hand in such
manner that it was impossible to let go at
once. Yet knowing the fate that awaited
him, should he rnll he had, by the exertion
, of an amount of strength wonderful in one
/, 30 young, contrived to assume the position
of comparative safety already noted. There
he saw the wind-driven clouds of different
strata rush past him with frightfl velocity.
Q and, looking down, could dimly discern tho
landscape, and tho ocean with its ships.
= spread out as en- n map. During the after
noon tho people of BeniCia saw the car dash
lbv, aud little thought of the throbbing
. heart that from that awful emnence await
ed in cold and anxiety the coming night.
The blood began to CONCEAL III the veins ot
the little traveller; the act of breathing grew
dillicult his muscles. increased to such o
fearful tension, were beginning to relax II
numlncss was seizing on the fingers that
grasped the cord. A few minutes more
must evidently terminate the terrible ride
through space.
All u. once the rope attached 10 the VaNo
was thrown against the boy. lie eiatched
it in his despair, rs an additional holdnpon
life. JOY the valve opens. the gas rapid
~ escapes! the balloon is once more near
. ing the earth! 1t rushes into the leagy en-
brace of grove OF trees, and after aNVioIAnt
!, struggle rests. When some rapchman, who
had been watching the descent, reached
The spot, he found the young adveiAwec
seated on the ground at the foot ofan oalO,
looking tho very picture of astoAishmespt
but mono the worse for his journey, except
:, few scratches.
We have heard Of persons whose hair
;. from terror Turned grey III n single lGght
n The hair of tn lad, on coming down, .vas-a
. bright red, but as it was red betsFe he went
up, we do not know that this was anything
:, remarkab!e. We meet him-the boy. then,
:, the man n0w-daily he looks like aaotheC
y mortal, and seems to have fOrgotteTail 1.-The
,, circumstances TO which lie WIS Indebted for
!. his elevation.