Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-11-05
5fliscellanp.
A Fearful Flight up in Balloon.

n
The aeronaut John La Mountain, who
had so perilous balloon voyage from
st. Louis over Lake Erie, and SO desper-
ate an experience after his descent in the
dense north woods Of Canada, some
years ago, had another dangerous adj
venture in Michigan, the other day,
which is thus described by the Saginaw
Express: "The late balloon ascension
from Bay City, on Tuesday afternoon, is
perhaps one of the most dangerous ex-
ploits ever accomplished by an aronaut
The balloon was filed before starting to
its utmost tension, but owing to recent
repairs, leaked badly, SO that after one
or two unsuccessful attempts, Mr.. Head
ley, who was to have accompanied the
professor, was Obliged to get out of the
car. Headley had the eatables, instru-
ments of observation and tissue paper,
used to ascertain the ascending and de-
scending force of the balloon, but before
he could transfer the articles, those who
had hold of the car let 60, and the bal
loon shot up with rapidity that carried
it to an altitude of two miles within a
few minutes. A perfect gale of wind
was blowing 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 snow
fakes, interspersed with rain, which form
ed frostwork on the car and netting of
the balloon. The earth was lost to view.
BY tearing up his handkerchief and
throwing out shreads he.became consious
that he was passing upward with wonder
full rapidity, and along with the current
of the air eastward toward the lake.
Fearing that he might be carried into
the lake, and without pound of ballast
to regulate his decent, 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, accumulating on the top of the bal
: loon, had frozen the valve so tight as tc
| resist the pressure from below. Putting
: his whole strength to the task, he gave {
) strong pull on the rope, pulling out th'
, staples attaching the rope to the valve
: the rope falling down into the car
r The balloon was mounting up faster thai
e ever. 1t had passed the storm cloud
t which was mile below, and the heaven
e above were as clear and the sun shinin
as brightly as at midday in June.
:, But the air was very cold, and L
e Mountain was benumbed with cold. ID
p had attained hight of over three mile
n The balloon could not burst, for whe
l. the expansion became too great the g
could not escape from the fue or val,
below, which was open but he was fea
: full Of being carried into or over the lal
without having made preparations f
ie such an event. Mounting the hoop ove
$ head he reached for his knife, only
as find that he had left it ON the groun
,o Clinging to the ropes with one han
NC with the other and his teeth, after sor
''o exertions, he succeeded in tearing re
on in the balloon from the bottom ten
~ fifteen feet upward Then, serving t
" opposite side in the same way, he {
GU scended to the car to watch the progre
W During this operation the ends of
fingers of both hands had become froz
For few minutes the balloon kept
- cending, then, as the gas escaped,
reached an equipoise, and moment
ter commenced to gradually descend
NC the earth. The professor says that
oh heard the cloth tearing, the rents enla
ing, until, with crash that sounded |
Tho death-knell, the cloth gave way to
pressure, opening a seam on both 81
from the bottom to the top. The gas
capped instantly, leaving not one tn
mt: sand cubic feek while the air rushed
the filing up the vacuum, the balloon ACT
ed as a parachute. The professor give
on as his opinion that at the hight of
ID miles there was not a foot of gas in
ond balloon. The cloth, bellying out, fo
act ed strong resistance to the atmospl
lsti- and retarded the descent.
ted. He remembers distinctly pas
the through cloud, and the sensation OIL
end gaining sight of the earth. He has
ople almost indistinct recollection of
ling preaching the earth's surface. A
'een moaning like the surging of waves g
s OF ed his ears, the Tapping of the cloth
'een came louder, and moment after he
not came unconscious. On regaining
sons senses he found himself lying in '
e OF and his balloon some yards dis
that Several persons who had seen the
nent loon descend had come to the scene,
ex- were standing near. They afterSar
pres sisted him. His arms and legs were
S OF ly bruised and himself stunned, but
per- bones were broken and no internal in
mem was sustained. The spot where he +