The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1871-10-27

Indiana, saya Should | live 10 be d
hundred years old the horrible scene
witnessed by me ON Saturday last vii
never be efaced from my memory.
see Il before me now, aud since that
day have been haunted ever since m
dreams by sea Of upturned faces and
aRguished eyes, straining 10 watch Ia ia
descent through the air the body OF a
human being, which in a few seconds
WIS dashed, mangled aud bleeding. upon
the earth at my feet would have
written Of il before. bat the sight 80 un.
strung my nerves that ! was rendered
utterly incapable even Of eollecting my
thoughts. much less of putting ON pa
per deliberate account OF the facts la
the case. To see man whom scarcely
n minute before had spoken To ma O
friend jerked up into the clouds aud
then hurled down again, hts hair stream
ing wildly behind him like that Of Lnei-
fer, hurled over the battlements Of
heaven, falling. falling, whirled, doubled
up, aud then spread out. his arms apart
AS il rushing 30 embrace death, might
we'll unstring the strongest nerves, aud
when to this are added the agoniEed
cries of the dying mans wife as she
clntched by arm aud Rhrieked Ny
God Nv God, will he die 2" wonder
that even yet, with these things in my
mind, am able 10 record what / heard,
felt, and saw.
You have doubtless received by tele-
graph brief dispatch telling how Pro-
fessor Wilbur, the well-known aeronRut.
fell while attempting 10 climb into his
balloon and how he was killed, but facts
so meaere are but an aEgrayati0n. i
will therefore state the affair simply aA
il occurred. The Agricultural Associa-
ton Of this county had been holding
its annual fair for some days, and no
greater interest attached 30 il than IN COM
mouly connected with such exhibitisns
Of the industrial products Of large and
hourishing community. The farmers
came in their wagons, bringing with
them their wives and daughters. all
dressed in a gorgeous array as their
circumstances would permit The large
pumpkins and enormous sqnnsheA, the
new patent chnrn and washing machine,
aud the country boys lonnging about
and gazing in cpen-mouthed admiration
Of the voluhle gentleman who displayed
with al the eloquenoe of Cicero his
infallible toothache eradieat0r, received
their due share Of attention, and before
long the interest IN the fair wam on the
waue. But il had been announced that
ON Saturday. the last day Of the exhibi-
ton, Professor Wilbur, the great Ameri-
can aeronaut, would make an ascent in
his balloon, as he had done one week be-
fore nt Croydon. IL is not often that
the inhabitants Of 0ange County have
an opportunity of witnessing such q
sight, and, curiosity beiag ON tip-toe. II
is not 10 be wondered al that when
Saturday arrived the fair ground was
full almost 90 suffocation, while on the
outside Of the enclosure a large crowd
had assembled 90 witness the flight OF
the great ship Of the air. IL was the
gayest day of the week everybody was
in holiday dress, the girls looked their
prettiest, the farmers their hurid, and
the country bcaus were hc-necktied and
invested in c0lors wing not only with
the rainbow bnt with the utmost powers
of AnolIne The center of attraction
was, Of course. the enclosed space where
the balloon was 90 be inflated, about
which gathered an eager crowd, looking
at everything connected with the expect
ed event. studying the ropes, peering
about 10 find where the gas was 10 eume
from, and pestering the amiahle pro
fessor with questions - 10 how the gas
was made, what made the balloon go mp,
and other things Of the sort. The pro
fess1r laughed good naturally, explain
ed as much a. possible, and everybody
WA Jolly in the anticipation of witness
ing that to them most unusual Of things
"A balloon ascension.
AZ about o'clock In the afternoon
the imitation Of the balloon was COM
menced. and as the bag swelled out al
most TO bursting and struggled 10 be
free, everybody was ON the qHi rfre,
those remote from the spot struning
their necks. climbing into carriages.
and even upon the fences, 10 see the
car. II had been announced that the
editor of the Orange County Union
would accompany Professor Wilbur in
his ascent, and great things were expect
ed from the report which has well-knewn
ability as a descriptive writer gave every
reason 10 believe would be forthcoming
in the next issue of his newspaper. 1
was standing beside the professor, laugh
ing and holdinga necessarily disiointed
conversation with him. for he was busy
with preparations for his fight. He
had lust nodded his head aud said laugh
ingly. "well. good-by, old fellow. I'll
see YOU again soon" Then MIR. Knapp
stepped into the car, and the profeSsory
who had hold of the rope fastened the car
10 the body OF the balloon, shouted
" Let 60" But he had spoken too
soon and was unable 10 reach the cart
but still unwisely kept the rope in his
hand and endeavored to climb to his
place. succeeding only 10 far as TO get
one arm over the rim of the basket,
where he hung dangling and struggling.
His motions and the fact that the bas-
ket came in contact with rope which
had fastened the balloon 10 the earth
while il was being inflated, upset the
car when it was about twenty-five feet
from the ground, aud Mr.. Knapp fell
stunned 10 the ground But there was
no time for caring for him, for terror
held every body spell-bound. A shout
Of admiration went mp from those who
we're too far distant from the scene 10
know that an accident had befallen the
adventures, and who supposed that the
ascent was being made sans coatreiemps.
But TO those in the immediate vicinity of
the car the sight was an awful one, and for
u moment everybody seemed paralyzed
with terror. and stood rooted 30 the spot
without uttering cry or word. The
balloon lightened by the fall Of Mr..
Knapp. shot upwards with dreadfully
increased velocity, and q scream OF
terror which chilled the blood Of the
hearers came down from the upper air,
where the doomed aeronaut hung utter
ly hopeless Of escaping death. At my
side stood woman who, IN afterwards
heard, was the professors wife. Her
eyes were bursting from their sockets,
and her face pallid and ghastly with
fear. She clutched the air M il for sup
port, and with one hand grasped my
arm, still looking upwards at the bal
loon which, swifter than an arrow shot
through the air. Up, up, il went, grow
ing smaller and smaller in its fight,
aRd then, with increased velocity il gave
n sudden start and shot yet faster to-
wards the clouds.
Then a speck was seen far up in the
air, growing larger and larger as il fell.
90. my God" cried the woman, who
chung TO me with iron grasp, he will
die-he will he killed !" Yet her eyes
remained fixed upon the falling body.
AT first il seemed like the stick OF n