The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-02-15

tnue the voyage longer than otherwise
should have done. The moon did me good
service in the reflections given as passed
along. showing the exact nature Of the ground,
whether swamps or dry land. 1t was past
seven o'clock, when suddenly left behind me
all signs of cultivation and started into what
seemed to me to be the beginning OF district
bearing character entirely different from any
thing that had come under my observation be
fore. / knew I must be approaching the At
lantlc, and thought I could make it out In the
distance. and it now struck me that possibly
might have nothing better before me than
that which was now under me. had struck
the swamps in the vicinity Of the Santee river,
and being ovcrfiowed by the river, they pre-
sented for miles the most uninvlting prospect
for landing ever belield, and my relief can
be imagined when passed again to dry land.
! now allowed the balloon TO settle gradu-
ally, with the view of landing as soon as an
opportunity offered. I foatcd along for some
time, however, before a clearing came in my
way; when this came at last in the shape of a
field walled around by thick woods. The
rate of speed ut which was travelling and the
uncertainty with which height is measured by
the eye in the absence of daylight, showed me
the difficulty of landing under such clrcum-
stances. The attempt was made, however, but
without success, just touching the tree tops
on the opposite side OF the lot. had one bag
over and kept the balloon out of the trees
for awhile, but 1t soon settled again and
brushed the tops Of five or six pines. causing
1t to rebound from fifty to q hundred feet.
This brought 10 view another field just
ahead on which were number OF naked dead
pines. To have the balloon impaled on one OF
these is probably the most dangerous position
in which the Gronaut could be placed, and
would much rather have taken the chances
among the green pines, but my ballast was
gone. quickly let 60 my drag rope hoping
to clear them by letting the rope drag instead
Of carrying its dead weight in the basket, but
it was not enough, and in another moment
the "Hypcrion' dashed broadside against one
of the tallest OF these fendisll-looking skele-
tons and was fastened in its arms; the sudden
escape of all the gas must of course follow,
and what then jumped on to the edge
of the basket, seized the drag rope with my
hands. took turn around one leg and the
next moment would have been safe upon the
ground but the gas had escaped in less time
than it took me to make my preparations, and
with crash the rotten limbs gave way, and
the whole mass fell together. The distance
from the ground must have been from fifty to
sixty feet, and how escaped with whole bones
seems to me, at this moment, q miracle. The
shock was terrible. arose Immediately to my
feet, staggering about like drunken man, and
yet astonshed that | was able to do so much
soon regalned strength, however, sufficient to
enable me to reach house near by, where l
found some very intelligent colorcd people, who
did all in their power to render me the assist
ance needed. suffered much pain during
the night. and did not pretend to sleep; but
by Thursday afternoon had so fur recovered
as to be able to see to the packing of the
wreck of the balloon, and at seven o'clock
that evening started in o wagon for Gour-
din's Station, on the Northeastern Railroad,
fifty miles from Charleston and eighteen miles
from where landed. The place OF my descent
was in the extreme southeastern portion of
Clarendon County, S. c., on the plantation of
Mrs. Geo. B. Colby. On Friday morning |
took the cars for Charleston, and left for Au-
gllsta the same evening. The trip in the bal
loon was made in about three hours and
half, and the distance made not less than one
hundred and thirty miles.