The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-05-18
THRBALLOON ASCENSION
"MAN'S INHUMANITYTO MAN."
A Drunken Man Sent up
in a Balloon.
HE HAS A NARROW ESCAPE FROM
DEATH.

ed large crowd of people to assemble IN
the vicinity of the open lot adjoining the
Baptist Church. 1t was to have trsnspired
a, half past one o'clock in the afternoon, but
owing to the high wind was deferred. One
of the poles that sustained the balloon broke
before the performance began, and q NC"
pole had 10 be substituted. THIS oe'A'e'
the ascension until .undown- y furnace 10
oo, ho, air 70 the balloon had been |
built and a great wood hire hre was roaring
,n5ar,s.th The balloon began to fill and
.oou rounded itself into an immense
oval A dish of alcohol was
placed underneath and the smoke
burnt out and everything was ready
to "let GO" The balloon was patched up
affair of hemp linen. and the basket little
larger than a market hand basket, was
fastened to it by small ropes. When every
thing was in readiness, busting, tall, thin
man, with blonde moustache, who was the
proprietor of the balloon, as we learned, and
who was supervising the affair, walked to
the back end of the loi and said, "come on,
| Bill and wretched, blear.eyed drunken
man came staggering up, his hair and
garments dripping with the water that had
been dashed upon him to waken him from
his drunken torpor, and he mechanically
ZANE forward, SIS one whose ideas were con
fused, and staygeringnp to the basket, put
one foot in. The word was given, the ropes
were loosened, the poles dropped, and the
balloon shot into the air, and the drunken
man standing up and clinging TO the ropes,
waved his haDkerchief to the lesseuing world
below. As it was hot air ballon of small
dimensions, it took its own course, and came
down anywhere soon as the hot air that
upheld II was cooled and exhausted. Every
body expected HIM to drop in the river. but
il sailed over and beyond it, and when it
reached the summit of the Davenport bluff
it began TO descend quite rapidly, just
grazing the roof Of Otto Hugs house. When
over Mr. Cla~ssen's premises, Western Aven
ne and Seventh Streets, near Mr. Kings, the
balloonist, who was hanging 70 the netting
let go, and fell distance of thirty feet; III
r his fall breaking through the roof Of Mr.
f. CIaussen's summer house, aud very badly
ipjuring himself No bones were broken
} but he was hurt internally, and may possibly
die of the injuries received. The whole
: thing was expressive of brutal inbumanity
. on the part Of its projectors, and if the mar
= were killed, they would be liable for man
f slaughter. There is that Ia the elements o
0 circus that is most outraFeously, cruelll
I regardless of human life. Men are paid
g salary to endanEer their lives for e holids,
+ diversion, to hesrtIess crowd. We woulG
suggest TO the authorities of the State il
i which the DeHsveB's hereafter show, tina
: the"G-est Free Exhibition" be either stopped
cupant.
SHIPMENTS or CATTLE.-A number O
: cars of cattle were slipped from Csmder
to day over the Peoria & Rock Island r. r
to this city, snd thence by the c., r. & P
r. R. TO Chicago. The following are tbs
names of the shippers AID the number Q.
cars shipped
McCurdy fireman. car:
Root to IsAe -
Mr.. Traxeu .....,3 "
The cattle were brought from Mercer
e county, near the American Central railroad
: to Camden to be shipped. This illustrates
the growing importance of Camden rs
e shipping point and the growth of the fire. gh
business OF the Peoria / Rock Island road
Some of the citizens of Camden desire tina
D their little city be supplied with transfe
engine, request which will probably b
: complied with IS soon as the local bushes
n Of the road at Camden is suei cient to wal
:. rant ii. This Is a mere circumstance u
what the daily business of the Peoria roa,
Will be in the item of cattle when completed