The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-07-19
DAILY JOURNAL
AInYenIle RrOnanf.
From Barpel's Magazine for July,l

In some respects the most remark
able ascension that ever took plae was
q one. made by an apprentice boy of
twelve years old named Guerin, who
was aiken up by the action OF the bal
loon itself without his consent, and
without any intention that he should
go up on the part of any other .peSson.
1t vas a Farefied air balloon. The
ear-was in the form Of boat, and was
to be suspended from the balloon by
cords attached to each end of it when
the balloon was filled. There was
also an anchor suspended by cord
from the bottom of the boat, which
was intended to catch upon the
ground and hold the balloon when 1t
should come down. aL
After the balloon was filled and was
ready to go up some of the assistants
held it BY cords, while others went TO
work to attach the car to it. They
secured one end, and were then going
to secure the other, when, by some
means or other, the balloon broke
away from those holding it and began
. slowly to rise, and at the same time to
drift along with the wind, dragging
the car aud the anchor over the
ground. 1t happened that, as the an
Choir was thus drawn along, and was
beginning to rise, it passed so closely
over this boy-who was sitting quietly
near BY with his companions, not
dreaming OF being anything but
SPECTATOR of the proeeeding-as to
catch the fuke in the waistband of
his pantaloons, and as it continued to
ascend it took him up with it.
The boy uttered piercing screams
l. l. n. i Il
was perhaps no harm In this so long
as he held on bravely. Of course no
help vas possible except to call to him
from below to hold on. He found
. that the waistband began to give way,
and he instinctively grasped the rope
above his head with both hands, and
so sustained himself The strength
of his hands. without the aid of the
hook in his waistband would not have
been sufficient to sustain his weight
many minutes; and the waistbaud
was not strong enough without the
hands. Both together, however, an
osWered the purpose.
1t was very fortunate for Guerin
that 1t was a MontgOlher, that Is, "a
raretied air balloon, and not one filled
with hydrogen, that was running away
with him; for, In the latter case, the
gas within would have continued to
expand as the outside pressure upon
il diminished by the increasing ele-
Walton; and as there would have been
no possibility OF opening the valve,
as is usaIly done, to relieve it, the
balloon WDnld have burst and colIaps-
ed. and the poor boy would have
fallen a thousand feet or more to the
ground with full force But being
Montgofier, the ascending power
gradually diminished as the air grew
.~coo1, anti &C length, after floating a
moment in equilibrium, it began
slowly to decend. As the balloon de-
scended, the rope which had begun to
untWist under the influence Of the
boys weight, turned more and more
rapidly: and, inasmuch as a person
suspended from a balloon is never
conscious OF his own mOtiOn-the
illusion which makes the motion
seems to be in the earth and not in
the balloon, being periect-as it is
indeed on a smaller scale to a person
going up III the elevator of hotel
it appeared to Guerin that the earth
was spinning round beneath him in a
vast and most frightful gyration.
Guerin was more terrified than eyer.
rs ne uECW near the 8IOuuu, OF
rather, as it appeared to him, as the
ground and the eoneourse of specta-
tors upon it came whirling up to him,
he called ont to the people to save
him. They called to him in reply
not to be afraid that he was all right;
and, receiving him in their arms as
soon as he came within reach, they at
the same moment stopped the spin
ming of the earth and unlocked him
from the anchor.
The incident Of course created a
great sensation at the time; and, as
the account Of it became q part of the
history Of erostation, the story will
be repeated in all coming time.
Guerin found himself very suddenly
famous AS he was only in the cir
about fifteen minutes, it is very prOba-
bic that this boy. acquired historic
Immortality at an earlier age, and in a
shorter time, than any other human
being. -