Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-11-25
A "ThriIIing Tale" Of an Involuntary
ErOngut

In 1852 a famous eronaut advertised
that he would make an ascension from
Oakland, California. 1t was a total
novelty to nineteenth of those adj,
dressed. and the public rushed to see
him in crowds. In the centre of tn c
space from which the ascent was to be
made, the hugo sphere floated, held
down to vulgar earth by dozen ropes,
grasped by as many persons elected
from among the bystanders. The nav
ioator of the heavens had not yet made
his appearan- :, and the audience were
growing impatient, as manifested 10y
their shouts and curses. He was prob
ably playing freeze-out poker with some
flush miner, in some adjoining tavern,
q Ia Artemus Wa d, aad could not be
choked off. In few minutes more the
machine would have been torn into
threads, when a gust of wind arising,
the balloon was suddenly wrenched
from the hands that held it, and rushed
like a rocket straight towards the
clouds. Did we say wrenched from all?
No, not from all A cry OF horror rose
from the late turbulent crowd; for
there, clinging to slight wooden cross
piece attached to one of the cords, was
small dark object, which every one
pronounced to be human being. A
lad who had been selling papers among
the crowd was one of those who mad
volunteered to hold the guys, and not
being sufficiently alert, had been car
ried off with the balloon. The specta.
tators were appalled,, and every observer
momentarily expected to see him drop.
But the young adventurer had no such
idea. and those who had glasses. saw
him Chamber up the cord, and seat him.
self astride the cross-piece. The bal
loon assembled upwards i'll the glowing
rays of the sun, 1t seemed ike speck;
then vanished altogether.
It would have been difficult just then
to have insured the life of that boy at
any premium. AS for the involuntary
aronaut, what must have been his feel
ings 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 he seemed
to have suddenly fallen from some vast
height into an abyss of fathomless air.
The world vanished instantaneously
from sight. The boy had unfortunately
wound the cord about his hand In such
a manner that it was impossible to- let
90 at once. Yet knowing the fate that
awaited him, should he fall, he had, by
the exertion of an amount of strength
wonderful in one SO 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 frightful velocity,
and, looking down, could dimly discern
the landscape, and the ocean with its
ships, spread out as on map. During
| the afternoon the people of Benicla saw
the car dash by, and little thought OF
the throbbing heart that from that aw
| full eminence awaited in cold and anx-
| iety the coming night. The blood began
| to CONCEAL in the veins of the little trav-
eller; the act of breathing grew difficult
| his muscles increased to such fearful
tension, were beginning to relax; q
numbness was Selling on the fingers
that grasped the cord. A few minutes
more must evidently terminate the ter
rible ride through space. All at once
the rope attached to the valve was
thrown against the boy. He clutched
it in his dispair as an additional hold
upon life. Joyl The valve opensl the
gas rapidly escapesl the balloon Is once
more nearing the earthl 1t rushes into
the leafy embrace of a grove of trees,
and after a violent struggle, rests. When
some ranchman, who had been watching
the descent, reached the spot he found
the young adventurer seated on the
ground at the foot of an oak, looking
the very picture of establishment, but
none the1worse for his journey, except
a few scratches,
We have heard of persons whose hair,
from terror, turned gray in single
night. The hair of the lad, on coming
down, was bright red, but it was RED
before he went up, we do not know that
this was anything remarkable. We
meet him-the boy then, the man now
daily, he looks like another mortal, and
| seems to have forgotten all the circum
stances to which he was indebted for his
elevation. California Sunday Mercury