Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-10-24
UP IN A BALLOON.
Frlghtful Experience of Professor
La Mountain ina the Saginaw VAL

HSnthul experience of Professor
La Mountain i'm the Saginaw VAL
ley.
| From the Saginaw Enterprise, Oct. Il
The balloon ascension from Bay City, on
Tuesday afternoon, is perhaps one of the
most dangerous exploits ever accomplished
by an @ronaut. The balloon was filed be-
fore starting to its utmost tension, SO that
after one or two unsuccessful attempts Mr.
Headley, who was to have accompanied
Prof La Mountain, was obliged to get out
OF the car. MIR. Headley had the eatables,
instruments of observation and tissue
paper used to ascertain the ascending and
descending force of the balloon, but before
he could transfer the articles named those
who had hold of the car let 90, and the
balloon shot up with rapidity that carried
it to an altitude of two miles in few
minutes. Aperfect gale of wind was blow
ing at the time, and moment after rain
and sleet commenced falling. Prof La
Mountain says that it became all at once
intensely cold. The cloud he entered was
one swimming mass of snowfakes, inter-
spersed with rain, which formed frost
work on the car and netting of the balloon.
The earth was lost to view.
By tearing up his handkerchief and
throwing out shreds he became conscious
that he was passing upward with wonderful
rapidity, and along with the CURRENT of air
eastward toward the lake. Fearing that he
might be carried into the lake, and with
out a pound of ballast to regulate his
descent, he reached for the valve-rope,
with the intention of lowering himself grad
ually. To his surprise, the valve would
not open. The rain and sleet aceumulat-
ing on the top of the balloon, had frozen
the valve so tight as to resist the pressure
from below. Putting the whole strength
to the task, he gave strong pull on the
rope, pulling out the iron staples attaching
the rope to the valve, the rope falling down
into the car. The balloon was mounting
up faster than ever 1t had passed the
storm cloud, which was mile below, and
the heavens. above were as clear and the sun
shining as brightly as at midday in June.
But the air was very cold and La Mountain
was benumbed with cold. He had attain
ed a hight of over three miles.
The balloon could not burst, for when
the expansion became too great, the gas
could escape from the hue or valve below,
which was open; but he was fearful of be-
ing carried into or over the lake without
having made preparations for such an
event. Mounting the hoop overhead, he
reached for his knife only to find that he
had left it on the ground. Clinging to the
ropes with one hand, with the other and
his teeth, after some exertion, he succeed
ed in tearing a rent in the balloon from the
bottom 10 or 10 feet upward. Then serv-
ing the opposite side the same way, he de-
scended to the car to watch the progress
During this operation the ends of the
fingers of both hands had become frozen.
For few moments the balloon kept as
cending, then, as the gas escaped, it
reached its equipoise, and moment after
commenced to gradually descend to the
earth Every instant increased its downward
speed. The Professor says that he heard
the cloth tearing, the rents enlarging, until,
with a crash that sounded like death
knell, the cloth gave way to the pressure,
opening seam on both sides from the bot
tom to the top.
The gas escaped instantly, leaving not a
1000 cubic feet, while the air rushed in
filling up the vacuum, the balloon acting rs
q parachute. The Professor gives it as his
opinion that at the hight of two miles there
was not foot of gas in the balloon. The
cloth, bellying ont, formed a strong resist
ance to the atmosphere, and retarded the
uesCeut ne IoineIuDeIS tllStluCtly P''n'llS
through a cloud. and the sensation on re-
gaining sight of the earth. He has an al
most indistinct recollection of approaching
the earth's surface A dull moaning, like
the surging of waves, greeted his ears, the
Tapping of the cloth became louder, and a
moment after he became unconscious. On
regaining his senses he found himself lying
in a wood and his balloon was some yards
distant Several persons who had seen the
balloon descend had come TO the scene,
and were standing near; they afterward
assisted him. His arms and legs were
badly bruised and himself stunned, but no
bones were broken nor internal injury
sustained. The spot where he fell is seven
miles from Bay City.