The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-29
A Juvenile Aer0nauts

In some respects the most remarkable
ascension that ever took place was one
made by an apprentice boy of twelve
wears old, named Guerin, who was taken
up by the action Of the balloon ITSELF with
out his consent, and without any inten-
ton that he should 60 Up on the part OF
any other persoE. It was rarefed air
balloon. The car was in the form OF q
boat, and was to be suspended from the
balloon by cords attached to each end OF
it when the balloon was filed. There was
also an anchor suspended by cord from
the bottom of the boat, which MAS Intend
ed to catch upon the kround and hold the
balloon when It should come down.
After the balloon was filled and was
ready to 20 cd some Of the assistant held
it by cords, while others went to work to
attach the car 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 hold
ing 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 begin
ming to rise, it passed 80 closely ovef this
boy-who was sitting quietly near BY with
his companions, not dreaming OF being
anything but spectator OF the proceed
ings-as to catch the fluke in the waist
band of his pantaloons, and ss It con-
tinued to aseend II took him up with it.
The boy uttered piercing screams and
cries and calls for help; and there was
perhaps no harm in this 30 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 Maistband
began to give way, and he instinctivcly
erasped the rope above his head with both
hands, and 30 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 waistband was moi
strong enough without the hands. Both
together, however, answered the purpose
1t was very fortunate for Guerin that
was a Montgolfier, that is, farefied all
balloon, and not one filed with hydrogen
that was running away with him; for in
the latter case the gas within would have
continued to expand as the outside pres
sure upon it diminished by the increasing
elevation; and as there would have beer
no possibility of opening the valve, as il
usually done, to relieve 1t, the balloon
would have burst and collapsed, and tn.
poor boy would have fallen Thousand
feet or more to the ground with full force
But being Montgollef, the ascending
power gradually diminished as the al
grew cool, until at length, after float
ing moment in equilibrium, 1t be
gan slowly to descend. As the bal
loon descended, the rope which hat
begun to untwist Under the influence
the boys weight, turned more and NOR
rapidly; and inasmuch as q person sus
pended from balloon is never consciou
of his own motion-the illusion whicl
makes the motion seem 20 be in the cart
and not in the balloon being perfect-a
1t is indeed on smaller scale to a persol
going up in the elevator of hotel-it ap
pesred to Guerin that the earth was spin
ming round beneath him in a vast an
most frightful gyration. Guer.n was NOR
terrif, d than evet As he drew near tn
/ ground, or rather, as it appeared to hin
as the ground and the concourse of spec
tators upon it came whirling up to him
he cried out to the people to save hin
, They called to him in reply not to b
afraid, that he was all right; and, recei1
, ing him in their arms as soon as he cam
, within reach, they at the same momer
stopped the spinning of the earth and vi
> hooked him from the anchor.
The incident of course created gres
j sensation at the time and, as the accouI
4 of it became q part of the history {
. aerostation, the story will be repeated
q all coming time. Guerin found himse
8 very suddenly nous As he was only
the air about fifteen minutes, it is vel
! probable that this boy acquired histories
!. immortality at an esrl.et age, and in
| shorter tiihe, than any other human bein
-Jaco5 abbott, in Harper's Magazine fl
!. July.