The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-11-05

On the occasion of Prof La Mountains
recent balloon ascension from Bay City,
he met with terrible adventure, and very
narrowly escaped death.
The balloon was filed before starting
to its utmost tension, but, owing to
recent repairs, leaked badly, 80 that after
one or two unsuccessful attempts Mr..
Headley, who was to have accompanied
Mr.. La Mountain, was obliged to get out
of the car Mr.. II. had the eatables, in
struments of observation, and tissue paper
used to ascertain the ascending and de-
scending force of the balloon, and as he
stepped out of the car, before be could
transfer the articles, those who had hold
of the car let 90, and the balloon shot up
with rapidity that carried 1T to an altitude
of two miles within few minutes. A per-
feet gale of wind was blowing at the time,
and moment after rain and sleet COM
menced falling. The balloon was still as
cending when lost to sight in cloud.
Prof. La Mountain, in relating his expert
ence, says that it became all at once in
tensely cold. The cloud he entered was
one swimming mass of snow flakes, inter-
spersed with rain, which formed frost
work on the netting of the balloon. The
cloud, with the snow fakes forming and
flying hither and thithcr, had, as he ex-
pressed il, the appearance of cloud of
steam through which the. sight could not
penetrate The earth was lest to view
By tearing up his handkerchief and
throwing out shreds he became conscious
that he was passing upward with wonder
full rapidity, and along with the current of
the air, eastward toward the lake. Moth
A I'll
mist, and overhead his balloon, which, as
the air became lighter, had expanded the
thin cloth covering to its utmost
carried into the lake, and without q
pound of ballast to regulate the de-
scent, he reached for the valve rope,
with the intention of lowering himself
gradually. To his surprise the valve
would not open. The rain and sleet accu-
mulating on the top of the balloon had
frozen the valve so tight as to resist the
pressure from below Putting his whole
strength to the task, he gave a 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. But little time was lost in
speculation. He had attained height OF
over three miles The balloon could not
burst, for when the expansion became too
great the gas could escape from the f1ue OF
valve below, which was open; but he was
fearful of being caIllId into or over the
lake without haviDs n &ee preparations
for such an event. kCLnt:rg the hoop
overhead he reached &c r 1nife only tC
lind that he had left it on the ground
Clinging to the rope with one hand, with
the other, and his teeth, after some exer
ton, he succeeded in tearing a rent in the
balloon from the bottom ten or fifteen fee,
upward. Then serving the opposite side
the same way, he descended to the car to
watch the progress. During this opera
tian the ends of the fingers of both hand.
had become frozen. For few minute.
the balloon kept ascending, and then, a.
the gas escaped, it reached an equipoise
and moment after commenced gradually
TO descend to the earth. Every instant in
creased the downward speed. The pro
fessor says that he heard the cloth tearing
the rents enlarging, until, with crash thai
sounded like death knell, the cloth gave
way to the pressure, opening seam OF
both sides from the bottom to the top
The gas escaped instantly, leaving not q
thousanth cubic feet, while the air rushed
in, filling up the vacuum, the balloon act
ing as parachute. The professor give
it as his opinion that at the height of tive
miles there was not a foot of gas in tn,
balloon. The cloth, bellying out, formed
strong resistance to the atmosphere, anl
retarded the descent He remembers dis
tinctly passing through cloud, and tn,
sensation on regaining sight of the earth
He has an almost indistinct recollection O
approaching the earth's surface. A dull
moaning like the surging of the waves
greeted his ears, the tapping of the clotf
became louder, and a moment after hi
became unconscious. On regaining hi
senses he found himselflying in the woods
and his balloon was some yards distant
Several persons who had seen the balloon
descend had come TO the scene and wer,
standing near. They afterward assisted
him. His arms and legs were badly
bruised, and himself stunned, but no bone
were broken or internal injury sustained
The spot where he fell was seven mile
from Bay City. He stopped over night a
farm house near by, and yesterday morn
ing returned to Bay City. The time tina
he was in the air was less than 30 minutes
and the reason that he was not carried fur
Their was on account of passing through
different currents of air.-Saginao, Mich
Enterprise.