Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-07-14
BALLOONING.
The Boy who was Caught and Carried
nm In the Air.


In some respects the most remarkable
ascension that ever took place was one
made by an apprentice boy of twelve years
old named Guerin, who was taken up by
the action of the balloon itself, without
his consent, and without any intention
that he should 90 on the part Of any other
person. Ii was o rarefed air balloon
The car was in the form of boat, and was
to be suspended from the balloon by cords
attached TO each end of itwhen the balloon
was filed.
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 II should come
down.
After the balloon was filed and was
ready to 90 up some of the assistants held
it by cords, while others went to work TO
attach the oar to it. They had secured
one end, and were then going TO secure
the other, when, by some means or other,
the balloon broke away from those who
were holding it and began slowly to rise,
and at the same time to drift along with
the wind, dragging the car and the anchor
over the ground. 1t happened that, as the
anchor was thus drawn along, and was be-
ginning 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 pro-
ceedings as to catch the iuke in the
waistband of his pantaloons, and as it con-
tinued to ascend it took him up with it.
The boy uttered piercing screams and
cries for help; and there was perhaps no
harm in this SO long as he held ON bravely.
OF course no help was possible except calls
to him from below to hold on. He found
that the Wristbands began to give way, and
he instinctiyely grasped the rope above his
head with both hands, and 80 sustaining
himself. The strength of his hands, with
out the aid of the hook in his waistband,
would not have been sufficient to sustain
his weight many minutesj and the waist
band was not strong enough without the
hands. Both together, however, answered
the purpose.
II was very fortunate for Guerin that it
was q Montgoier, that is, rarefed air
balloon, and not ono filled with hydrogen,
that was running away with him. for in the
latter case the gas within would have con-
tinued as the outside pressure upon it di-
minished by the increasing elevation; and
as they would have been no possibility of
opening the valve, as is usually done, to
relieve it, the balloon would have burst and
collapsed, and the poor boy would have
fallen thousand feet or more to the
ground with full force, But being Mont
golfer, the ascending power gradually di-
minished as, the air grew cool, untila at length
floating moment in equilibrium it began
slowly to descend. As the balloon descen-
ded, the rope which had begun to untwist
under the influence Of the boys weight,
turned more and more rapidly; and mas
much as person suspended from balloon
is never conscious of his own motion-the
illusion which makes the molten seem to
be in the earth and not in the ballon, being
to person going up in the elevator of
hotel-it appeared to Guerin that the earth
was spinning round beneath him in vast
and most trightful gyration. Guerin was
more terrified than ever. AS he drew near
the ground, or rather, as it
appeared to him, as the ground and
the concourse of spectators upon
it came whirling up to him, he cried out 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 spinning of the
earth and unlocked him from the anchor.
The incident of course created a great
sensation at the time; and, rs the account
of it became part of the history of @ros-
tation, the story will be repeated in all
coming time. Guerin found himself very
suddenly famous. AS he was only in the
air about fifteen minutes, it is very proba-
BILE that this boy acquired historical i'm
mortality at au earlier age, and in shorter
time, than any other human being.-Harp-
r's Magazine for July.