Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-08-19

a good deal from the shocks had suS-
tanned. I descended, therefore, into
the car, and to my great relief found
that was gradually coming nearer to
the earth. The anchor struck the
ground several times. but never held
fast, scattering about the turf and stones
like feathers. / saw some men work.
ing in field, and shouted out to them,
ssFor Gods sake, help me, or ] shall be
lost--secure the.anchorw They UNDER
stood me at last, but too late. Away
we swept before them, the anchor
.plonghing up the ground several acres
in length. Coming to farm / shouted
to the people standing there the same
appeal. Some women, with their quick,
humane instinct, were the first to con-
ceive my danger, and exhorted the men
to hurry to my assistance, they them
selves running as fast as they could to
tender what little help they might be
able to give me. Tire anchor struck in
willow tree. / shouted ont to the
persons below to secure the cable and
anchor by ropes, which they did. The
evening was now beautifully still, the
breeze had died away, and the balloon
was swinging calmly at her moorings
above the farm yard. One of the men
asked me whether / had rope with
me, or how / intended to get out I
told him only to take care of the cable,
because the balloon would settle down
herself bv-and-by. [ was congratulating
myself on speedy escape from my
dangerous position. / had not counted
on the wind; a breeze in about six or
eight minutes sprung up, and tossed
the balloon about like a large sail. a.
crash--an the anchor was loosed again
1t tore through the trees, fiinging limbs
and branches about like Matches 1t
struck the roof of the farm house,
sphntering the chimneys and tiles like
glass. On Invent. came near an,
other farm, shouted out for help, and
told the men to secure the anchor to
the foot of large tree close by. oa
The anchor was soon made fast, but
this was only momentary relief. The
breeze again filled the half empty bal
loon like sail, there was severe strain
on the cable; then dull sound; and a
severe conclusion of the basket. The
cable strange fatality had broken;
and the anchor, my last and only hope,
was gone. / was now carried on in a
straight direction, toward the sea,
which was but short distance ahead.
The anchor being lost j gave up all
hope. l sat down resigned in the car,
and prepared for the end. All at once ]
discovered that aside current was drift
ing me toward the mountain: the car
struck the ground, and was dash
ed along at fearful rate, knocking
1r>txt CD II.
thing it came In contact with in its wild
career. I think / must have gone at
the rate of ten or twelve miles an hour.
Almost certain death seemed before me,
yet, to jump out on this passage, would
have ensured my being dashed to pieces
on the rocky ground beneath. / was
tossed about in the basket as peas in
child's rattle, and can not comprehend
at this moment, that my bones were NOT
all broken. BY and by the knocks be-
came less frequent; we were passing
over cultivated country, and the car
was, as it were, skimming the surface,
and grazing the tops OF the hedges. Il
saw thick hawthorne hedge at some
distance before me, and the balloon
rapidly sweeping towards it. / rushed
to the edge of the car, and flung myself
down upon the hedge. I expected
severe tumble, but had mild fall. The
car, did not, as feared, strike me, but
the moment ! left il rose over my head.
/ slid down on the other side of the
hedge. / rose on my feet, and then
tried every limb. They were whole,
and need not describe my feelings at
this almost miraculous preservation.
When Hooked up saw the balloon soar
ENTHUSIASTICALLY over the sea, from which
I was about quarter Of mile distant.