The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-03-16
Thrilling Tale OF an Involuntary
ErOnnut.

Thrilling Tale OF an Involuntary
Eronnut.
In 1852, famous teronaut adyer-
tised that he would make an ascen-
sion from Oakland, California. 1t
was total novelty to nine-tenths of
those he addressed, and the public
rushed to see him in crowds In the
centre of the space from which the
ascent was to be made, the huge
sphere foated, held down to vulgar
earth by dozen ropes grasped by as
many persons elected from among
the by-standers. The navigator Of
the heavens had not yet made his ap-
pearance, and the audience were grow
ing impatient, Us was manifested by
their shouts and curses. He was pro-
baby playing freeze-out poker with
some flush miner, in some adjoining
tavern, la Artemus Ward, and could
not be choked off. In few minutes
more, the machine" would have
been torn into threads, when, Il gust
of wind arising, the balloon was sud
denly wrenched from the hands that
held it, and rushed like rocket to-
wards the clouds. Did we say
wrenched from all ? No, not from
all. A cry of horror rose from the
lately turbulent crowd, for there,
clinging to slight wood cross-piece
attached to one of the cords, was a
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 had volunteered to hold the guys.
and not being sufficiently alert, had
been carried off with the balloon. 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
glasses saw him Chamber up the cord,
and seat himself astride the cross
piece. The balloon ascended upward
IN the glowing rays of the sun, it
seemed like q speck; then vanished
altogether.
1t would have been difficult, just
then, to have insured the life of that
boy at any premium. AS for the in
voluntary seronaut, 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 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 q manner that
it was impossible to let go 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 look
ing down could dimly discern the
landscape, and the ocean with its
ships, spread out as on a map. Dur
ing the afternoon, the people of Be
nicia saw the car dash by. and little
thought of the throbbing heart that
from that awful eminence awaited in
cold anxiety the coming night. The
blood began to CONCEAL in the veins
of the little traveller; the act of breath
ing grew difficult; his muscles, in
creased to such fearful tension,
were beginning to relax; numbness
seized on the fingers that grasped the
cord. 4 few minutes more must evi-
IDENTIFY terminate his terrible ride
through space.
All at once, the rope attached to
the valve was thrown against the boy.
He clutched it in his despair as an
additional hold upon life. JOY! The
valve opens! the gas rapidly escapes!
the balloon is once more nearing the
earth! 1t rushes into the leafy en-
brace of grove of trees, and, after
violent struggle, rests.
When some ranchman, who had
been watching the descent, reached
the spot, he found the young adven-
turer seated on the ground at the foot
OF an oak, looking the very picture of
astonishment, but none the worse for
his journey, except few scratches.
We have heard of persons whose
hair from terror turned gray in
single night. The bair Of the lad on
coming down was a bright red, but
as 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 circumstances
10, h,o1, l. 4 f.. l..