The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1871-10-12
ruE HORROR THE CLOUDS.
The Awf ul Death Of Prof W1Ib0Y-
Failing N MILE from n Bal1OOn-The
Particular az the Shocking disaster
in Esassla. Indiana.

FalIiu. n Male from n BallOOn-The
Particular svf the ShOek1DS DssAssef
in f'assla. Indiana
fPaoI Ind Correspondence OF the World
1t was the gaye-t day Of the week at the
fair; everybody was IN holiday dress, the
| girls looked their prettiest, the farmers their
most ford, and the country beauI we're be-
necktied and invested in colors vying not
only with the rainbow but with the utmost
powers of aniline. The centre OF attraction
was, of course, the enclosed space where
the balloon was 10 be inflated, about which
| gathered an eager crowd, looking at every
| thing connected with the expected event,
| studying the ropes. peering about to ind
| where the gas came from, and pe5terIng the
! amiable professor With questions as to how
the gas was mace, what made the balloon go
up, and other questions of that sort, The
professor laughed good naturally, explained
| as much as possible, and everybody was
| iol in the anticipation Of witnessing that to
| them most unusual of things, balloon as
| cension.
At about clock in the afternoon the in
iIa;ion OF the balloon was commenced, and as
| the bag swelled out almost to bursting, and
struggled TO be rec, everybody was on the
Qua ti,e those remote from the spot strain
ing their necks, climbing into c,rriages and
even upon the fences TO set clear. 1t had been
announced that the editor of the Orange
County Ua,oa would accompany Professor
Wilbur in his ascent, and geeat things were
expected from the report which his well
known ability as descriptive writer gave
every reason 10 believe would DE forth COM
ing in the next issue Of his newspaper.
was standing beside the professor, laughing
and holding a necessarily disjointed CONVEX
sation with him, Tor he was busy with pre-
parations for his flight He had just nod
ded his head, and said laughiDgly, well,
good bye old fellow, I'll see. you again
soon" Then Mr.. Knapp stepped into the
car, and the professor, who had hold oil the
rope fastening the car to the body OF the bal
loon, shouted Let 90"
But he he'd spoken too soon and was una
bic 10 reach the car, but still unwisely kept
the rope in his hand, and endeavored 10
climb to his place. succeeding only so 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 basket came
in contact with a rope wSch had fastened the
balloon preyi5Is 10 the ascent - 20 the
earth while it was being inflated, unset the
car when it Was about twenty five feet from
the ground, and Sir. Knapp fell stunned TO
the ground. But there was no time for car
ing for him, for terror held everybody SPELL
bound.
4 shout Of admiration went up IRON those
who were too far distant from the scene 10
know Ina; IN accident had befallen the ad- |
ven;urer, and who supposed that the ascent |
We icing made sans coltrste,nps.
Bat % these Ia the immediate vicinity of
the car. the sight WAS AN awful one, and Tor a
moment everyone seemed paralyzed with ter
ror, and stood rooted TO the spot without ut
tering a word or cry. The balloon, Tighten !
ed by the fail of Mr.. Knapp, shot upward
with dreadful velocity, and a scream of ter
ror, which chilled the blood of the hearers
came down from the upper air, where the ae-
ronaut hung, utterly hopeless Of escaping
death.
At my side stood a woman who, az after
ward heard, was the Professors wife. Her
eyes were bursting from their sockets, and
her face pallid and CHASTITY with fear. She
clutched the air, as if for support, and with
one hand she grasped my arm, still looking
upward TOR the balloon, which, swifter than
an arrow. shot through the air. Up, up it
went, growing smaller and smaller in its
fight, and then with increased velocity, it
gave sudden start, and shot faster toward
the clouds.
Then speck was seen far up in the air,
growing larger and larger as it fell. 'Oh,
my God"' cried the woman, who chung to
me with iron grasp. che will die-he will be
killed.
Yet her eyes remained fixed upon that
falling body. At first ii seemed like the
stick OF rocket coming down with the
speed of light. When about half mile
from the ground, his BODY ceased its gyrato-
~ motion, assumed perpendicular position
aud came down head first. II struck the |
earth some distance from us, and then re-
bounded, falling again within few feet Of
where it struck. There was an indentatiOn
not less than eight or ten inches deep, and
filled with blood and brains which had burst |
from the skull. The conclusion was heard
by residents of Paoli, half a mile distant.
The Professors hat fell shortly after he
reached the ground, it having fell off few
seconds before he started, he having passed
i, about midway down.
The balloon rose TO an immense height, |
and landed some three miles from the scene |
of the disaster.
The dead man was taken up and carried to |
the Albert House, where the poor wife, who |
had often safely traversed the air with her |
husband cared for it.