The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-03-17
La Mountain, the AerOnaut.

JOHN LA MOUNTAIN, the famous aero
naut, died at South Bend, Ind, on the 14tll
of February. La Mountains life was fall
of daring adventures and of incidents,
which were frequently more interesting
than agreeable. He was among the most
fearless aeronauts in this or any other
country, and pursued his chosen prOlCs-
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 a current in
the atmosphere corresponding with the
Gull Stream in the ocean, and flowing
steadily from west to east. He was ambi
| tnus To be the first acrOnaut 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 AMI most beautiful
balloons ever made The aeronaut deter
mined to test 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
Republican, and Mr. eager, scientific
man of Boston. The party were in the
air over nine hours, passing over Lake
Erie, and INTO New York State. Up to
this point they had enjoyed what seemed
to them calm, though their motions
must have been very rapid. While cross
ing Lake Ontario, a tornado seized the
balloon, and it WAS left wreck in the
woods of Jefferson county, N. Y. The
Atlantic" had travelled 1,lS0 miles in
less than ten hours. This disaster ruined
La Mountains plan of crossing the ocean
for the time. He was saddened, but felt
that the tri p had important results In
showing the velocity of aerial motions,
and demonstrating the fact that balloon
might cross large bodies of water A
small balloon was made from the remnants
of the Atlantic" i" and he started on a trip
from Watertown, N. Y, with Mr.. John A.
Kaddock, editor of the Reformer. The
trip was remarkable one. The v0yagers,
who expected to return in few hours,
were not heard from for many days Pub
lie excitement became intense. The mys-
terry was at last explained. Having no
compass, the aerOnauts had lost their
bearings, and were carried far into the
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 lumbcrman. 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 hastened his
death. An impatient crowd cast him off
before he was ready, without an overcoat
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 so
far that the balloon collapsed, discharging
its gas, and fell with great velocity from a
height of nearly two miles. The aeronaut
was picked up benumbed and insensible,
though not dangerously injurcd.-N y.
Tribune