Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-03-24
La Mountain, the AerOnaut.

JOHN La MOUNTAIN, the famous aero
maui, died nj South Bend, Ind, on the 14th
Of February. La Mountains life was full
of daring adventures and of incidents,
which were frequently more interesting
than agreeable He was among Tho .-.~e'
FEARLESS aeronauJs In this or any other
country and pursued his chosen profes-
sion with higher object than to merely
make money by exhibiting himself. He
was compelled to make balloon ascensions
for the public amusement as means OF
support, but he hoped to make his exper-
iments useful in the advance of sci
ence and the development of meteoro-
logical theories. He finally died poor, at
the age of Al. A pet theory OF La
Mountain was that there was current in
the atmosphere corresponding with the
Gulf Stream in the ocean, and flowing
steadily from west TO cast. He was ambi.
tious to be the first aeronaut to cross the
Atlantic, taking advantage Of this cur
rent He built the famous balloon At
lantic" for this purpose. This Is one Of
the largest, strongest and most beautiful
balloons ever made. The aeronaut deter
mined to tes. his theory by land voyage
first, and started from st. Louis for the
East, accompanied by John Wise, Mr.
Hyde, an editor Of the Missouri
RspuNiAsn end Mr. Gager, scientific
man of Boston. The party were in the
air over nine hours, passing over Lake
Erie, and nto New York State. Up TO
this point hey had enjoyed what seemed
to them calm, though their motions
must have been very rapid. While cross
ing Lake Ontario, tornado seized the
ha1 nd left IA
woods of Jefferson county, n. Y. The
less than ten hours. This disaster ruined
La Mountains plan of crossing the ocean
for the time. He was saddened, but felt
that the trip had important results In
showing the velocity of aerial motions,
and demonstrating the fact that a balloon
might cross large bodies of water. A
small balloon was made from the remnants
of the atlantic" and he started on trip
from WATERFOWL, N. Y, with Mr.. John A.
Haddock, editor Of the Reformer. The
trip wasa remarkable one The voyagers,
who expected to return in q few hours,
were not heard from for many days. Pub
lie excitement became intense. The mys-
terry was IT last explained. Having nc
compass, the aeronauts had lost their
bearings and were carried far into the
dense woods Of the Ottawa reservation, In
Canada. After wandering for many days,
subsisting upon leaves and berries, they
were accidentally discovered, in the last
stages of starvation, by some Indian scouts
in the employ of lumberman. Their
story was widely published and illustrated
by the newspapers. When the war began,
La Mountain turned his attention to mill
tary balloons, and was the first aeronaut
engaged in the service. The advantages
gained in war by ballooning were very
uncertain, however, and the entire system
was soon given up. The last serious ad-
venture of La Mountain occurred in
Michigan, and probably fastened his
death. An impatient crowd cast him of
before he was ready, without an overcost
or instruments, and the valve rope tied
several feet above the basket He shot
like rocket up into heavy cloud Of mist
and sleet, which froze the valve-board
fast. He climbed, with frost bitten fingers,
upon the network, and tore the balloon
with his teeth. The opening extended 30
far that the balloon collapsed, discharging
it's gas, and fell with great velocity from q
height Of nearly two miles The aeronaut
was picked up benumbed and insensible,
though not dangerously injured.-N Z.
Tribune.