Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-10-27
DEATH IN TEEE AIR.
Terrible Scenes a. tsIc Fall CT nm
ACF0EslssE.

You have doubtless received by tele
graph a brief dispatch telling how
! Professor Wilbur, the well known aero.
naut, fell while attempting TO climb in
to his balloon and how he was killed
but facts so meagre are but an aggra-
| Walton. | will therefore state the af-
fair simply as it occurred. The Agri-
| cultural Association Of this county
had been holding its annual fair fol
| some days, and no greater interest at
| tachcd to it than is commonly CON
nected with such exhibitions of the
| industrial products of a large and
| tlOuriShing community. But il had
been announced that on Saturday, the
last day of the month, Professor Will
bur, the great American aeronaut,
| would make an ascent in his balloon,
| as he lad done che week before al
Croydon. 1t is not often that the in
| Eabitants Of Orange county have an
opportunity of witnessing such a sight,
and, curiosity being on tip toe, it is
| not TO he wondered at that when Sat
u day arrived the fair ground was full
| almost to SuffUcatiOn, while on the
| outside of the enclosure a large crowd
| had assembled to witness the flight OF
| the great ship OF the air. The center
| Of attraction was, of course, the ell
| closed space where the balloon was to
| be inflated, about which gathered an
eager crowd, looking at everything con-
nccted with the expo cted event, study
| ing the ropes, peeling about to find
| where the gas was to come from, and
| Fostering the amiable professor with
questions as TO how the gas was made,
what made the balloon go up, and 9TH
| er things things of the sort. The pro-
fessor laughed good naturally, explain
| ed as much as possible, and everybody
| Messing that TO them most unusual of
| all things-a balloon ascension.
At about o'clock in the afternoon,
| the initiation of the balloon was COM
mcnced, and as the bag swelled out al
most to bursting and struggled to be
free, everybody was on glii UiUe, those
remote from the spot straining their
| necks, climbing into carriages, and
even upon the fences, to see the car.
1t had been announced that the editor
of the Orange County onion would
accompany Prof. Wilbur in his ascent,
and great things were expected from
| the report which his well known abil-
| ity as a descriptive writer gave every
reason to believe would be forthcOm-
| ing in the next issue of his newspaper.
| was standing beside the Professor
laughing and holding necessarily dis
iOinted conversation with him, for he
was busy with preparations for his
flight. He had just nodded his head,
and said laughingly, "Well, good bye,
| old fellow. I'll see yOt again soon. u
Then Mr.. Knapp stepped into the car,
and the Professor, who had hold of
the rope fastening the car to the body
OF the balloon, shouted Let gon'-
But he had spoken too soon and was
| unable to reach the car, but still un-
/ wisely kept the rope in his hand and
underworld to climb to his place, sue
ceeding 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 rope which had
fastened the balloon to the earth while
it was being inflated, upset the car
when it was about twenty-five feet
from the ground, and Mr.. Knapp fell
stunned to the ground. But there was
| no time for caring for him, for terror
held every body spell-bound. a shout
of admiration went up from those
who were too far distant from the
scene TO know that an accident had be-
| fallen the adventures, and who sup
| posed the ascent was being made sans
| cORtrctcmLis. But to those in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the car the sight
was an awful one. and for a moment
everybody seemed paralyZcd with ter
| rOr, and stood rooted to the spot with
out uttering n cry or VOID, The bal
! loon, lighlcned by the fall of NJ.
! Knapp, shot upwards with dreadfully
| increased velocity, and a scream of
! terror which chilled the blood of the
| hearers came down from the upper air,
where the doomed acronaut hung ut
| terly hopeless of escaping death. At
| my side stood a woman who, as | af-
| forwards heard, was the professor
wife. Her eyes were bursting from
| their sockets, and her face pallid and
! ghastly with fear. She clutched the
/ air as if for support, and with one
! hand grasped my arm, still looking
UPWARDS at the balloon, which swifter
/ than an arrow, shot through the air
! Up, up, it went, growing smaller and
/ smaller in its flight, and then, with in
creased velocity, it gave 4 sudden start
and shot yet faster towards the clouds.
Then a spcCk was seen far up in the
air. growing larger and largcras it fell.
20, my God" cried the woman, who
chung to me with an iron grasp, "he
| will die-hc will be killcdW Yet her
eyes remained fixed upon that falling
| body. At first it seemed like the stick
Of rocket coming down with the
speed Of light; then it was doubled up
! like ball, then seemed to unfold, and
! whirling about with gyratory me-
! ton, with hands and feet spread out.
1t seemed an age while the man was
| falling, for before he loOsened his grasp
! the balloon must have been mile from
the earth-and what an age to that
poor wife, who watched her husband
rushing toward her and death with the
| speed of light. When about half a
mile from the ground his body ceased
its gyratory motion, assumed pcrpcn-
dicular position, and came down head
first. 1t struck the earth some dis
lance from US, and then rebounded,
! falling again within few feet of where
il struck. Then, from paralyZcd fear,
| the crowd broke forth into shriekS OF
terror, woman ran wildly about scream
| ing and actually tearing their hair,
and rush was made for the spot where
the man had struck the ground. There
was an indentation not less than eight
or ten inches deep, and filled with
blood and brains which had burst from
the skull when, like a cannon ball LET
drop from an immense height, il crush
ed into the earth. The dead man was
then taken up and carried to the AL
| hort IIonca urhara tho n01r wife VIII
had often traversed The air with hel
husband, cared for it,
MitrGilleuses on new system, which