Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-07-26

III n DhhLOoNs
Thrilling Voyage of Prof. Coe I'm the
New WorId-The Balloon Wrecked
He Encounters Three Snow storms
Landing in "a Tornado.
From the oswego Press.
Prof @. @. Coe arrived here at noon
to-day by propeller from Brockville,
which place he left last evening, having
arrived there night before last. Brock
vile is about 4S miles from the place
where he landed, which is Is miles back
of Irish creek, a station on the Brock
vile and Ottawa railroad His trip was
one of the most exciting on record,
and the following is, briefly, an account
of it: Prof. Coe, with his companion,
Mr.. V. G. Stone, of Syracuse, started
from 0swego in the balloon New World,
at 2:10 P. NJ, July 4th. The crowd, the
city, the steamer Rochester, looking
no larger than skiff, disappeared in
panoramic order, and in about ten min
utes the cloud curtain dropped between
the voyagers and the earth, shutting out
everything but the glowing halo of
the clouds, which was beyond all de-
scriptlon. Soon their breaths grew
frosty, steaming out at every exhalation
as in winter The sun grew brighter
and brighter, seeming like ball of
fire, till we shot up through the misty
surroundings into the pure ether. On
one side were walked up dark clouds
with minor ones IN gorgeous relief,
bound with irridescent hues, too daz-
zling to gaze upon. A roar of intense
depth came up-a signal gun from the
contending elements below. "What -
says Stone, lis that thunder g.
1T is, beyond question, was the reply.
On the right, and within a stones
throw was the gigantic home of a
storm-bold thunder heads, collonades
of cloud, and frowning portals, that
threatened to enclose us. On the left
was a seemingly endless cloud of spot
less purity, which came marching right
up and laid its feathery folds about the
travellers, and in two minutes they were
covered in snow. By throwing over a
sand bag they made an exit from the
storm at an altitude of three miles, ac-
cording to the barometer, though not
yet wholly clear of the clouds. Again
there came up peal after peal from be-
low, sounding nearer and nearer,
though but a single faint flash was
seen. 1t was accompanied by the roar
of tornado raging below. Again the
snow fell thicker and faster than before,
and before an escape was made above il
there was two inches of snow in the car.
| The balloon then rose to an altitude Of
| three and a half miles.
There was short interval of quiet,
after which the furies were suddenly
| Lot 1o1 I, o,.I
long below, approached, and in a mo
ment the tourists were IN the midst OF
the tremendous force. The balloon,
which had been plump as an egg, be-
came fearfU1lY agitated the neck was
thrown up in concave shape within a
few feet of the valve, the fabric rustled
and snapped, and the snow and sleet
assailed the balloon fercely. The
New World reeled and toppled over
to an angle of 80 dogs, and Coe and his
companion were toppled about like pup
pets They were fairly enclosed in 8
vortex between two colliding storms, out
of which the balloon spun like a top
coming out plump as a peach. This
| lasted but moment, when they were
in the midst of the rain, but no wind
| from below. For some minutes thei1
contention could be heard. The rain
fell thicker and faster, coming down il
| torrents, as Prof Coe says, loading
them down so that they were obliged tt
| throw out four heavy bags in order tc
poise, and In a moment they we're IN {
! dim twilight, the rain streaming from
the netting in showers.
The thunder ceased, though the storm
still ragged below. At 800 there was {
scream from an iron-throated locomo
tive to the north at 3 rs another from
| the South at 3 :27 another from the
East, e.tryt tl f,.
| West. At this time Prof. @. thinks ht
was over Kingston. In about twenty
minutes they ventured to descend to
point where could see the earth. The
storm was so dense, the clouds were no
over 500 to 900 feet above the earth
Prof-C. says: " We saw woods bris ting
| like weeds; then came zig-zag lines O.
log and rail fence fair field with cat
tie grazing two or three log house.
spinning by, and then the valve wa
thrown wide open, and the anchor cas-
out. 1t took log fence, and ripped
from the bottom. A log a foot through
and twenty feet long was thrown like
toy over forty feet. It then grapplet
about the fangs of a stump; we swun,
to the ground with crash, and wer
flung into the rugged embrace of tn
roots of an upturned stump, two O
which drove through the car, bruisin;
Mr.. Stones leg above the knee, though
not seriously, Thence in Horizontal
position we were dragged about SO fee
over brush, stumps and logs, and cam
to a sudden stand still in a windfall an,
cedar swamps, and within 10 rods of a.
oatfeld. The balloon gave but on
bound, when the sweeping blast riddle
it into ribbons, that hung about til
scraggy arms of the trees in avery mel
ancholy way, whipping the gale ik
battered sails.
Tt was raining furiously when the
landed, and after lying down under tn
balloon a couple of hours they mad
their way to a house about three-qua,
tersof mile off, where they stopped owe
night. The next day the wreck of th
ENew World was got together, an
Thursday morning at o'clock the trav
elers reached Irish Greek Station, hay
ing got farmer to carry them down.