The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-01-13

Adventure sfrwer.r,.sa. Daass.ss,


adventure efTWo Rapis1aa Da1lonssss
From the London Nevs.l
Since the marvellous balloon adven-
lure narrated by Edgar Allen Poe,
there has been no such voyage
through the air as that taken by two
Parisians a fortnight ago. They did
not, indeed, enjoy the celestial rcve-
lations, nor accomplish the astronom-
ical feats described by the most imag-
NATIVE Of Americans, for these two
aeronauts were enveloped i'm thick
fog during the greater part of their
journey. They were not kept III con-
slant alarm by the fear Of running
against planet, or falling down lu-
mar mountain crater ; on the contrary,
the vision of q star would have been
hailed with gladness in that long,
dreary night Of thick darkness and
cloud. II was not In the heavens
above nor in the earth beneath that
their peril lay. Their fear was that
they would be whelmed i'm the wa
tiers under the earth. A quarter be-
fore midnight of Nov. 24th this won
derfnl journey began. At that mo-
ment MN. Paul Roller and Des-
champs stepped into the balloon that
was to carry them out of the beiea-
CURED Paris. Whittier, they knew
not; their destination depended upon
wind and weather, and such c0ntin-
gences impossible to arrange or fore
see. They wished to go to Tours, for
they had with them many bags OF lei
tiers from anxious friends to still more
anxious friends, many important dis
patches from one half of the govern
ment to the other half, whose safe de-
livery involved, perhaps. the fate OF
the great sortie then at hand. But
the wind bloweth where IL listeth.
In Paris, the vanes pointed to the
north, and the north wind would
take them whittier they desired to 60
The balloon, released from its tram.
mels. shot aloft more than mile high.
i'm order that it might escape the un.
friendly salutes of the ncedle-gun.
In that high region the travellers found
the wind blowing i'm an opposite di.
rection. They saw the whole Prus'
sian camp beneath them at safe dis
tancc, but as they sped over the heads
of the foe, it was not toward the Loire
that they took their way. These
were departments of the north, ovel
which they were hurried. Then they
seemed to hear the sound of innu'
merable locomotives rafting through
some deep cutting. They were be.
yond the region of railways; the dis
tant roar arose from the waves a.
they dashed against the rocks of the
sea cost. There was no means OF ar
resting their fight, In a few minute!
they lost sight Of the breakers beneath
them, for they were whirled into
thick mist, wherein was no vision o.
any kind. They knew that they wcr'
being swept onward, but they had ne
means of measuring their pace or o
ascertaining their destination, Emerg
ing from the mist. they saw the opeI
sea beneath them, dotted with ships
They counted seventeen, among then
a French corvette, and they made sig
nails TO her, but she did not under
stand them, or at least did not an
swer. They thought they would de
scend and float until the corvett'
came UP and took them off; but thu
ubiquitous Uhlan WAS there, as every
where else-that is to say, vessel, M
doubt German. fired at them, and the.
had once more to exchange the peril
of the water, for the perils OF the air
and they were hurled along TOWARD
the north with speed that dizziet
the eve and bewildered the BRAIN
They were being swept away 10
ward The frozen sea, but for them TIT
mysteries of the Arctic Pole, the pro
blem OF the northwest passage, would
remain unsolved, for long ere the,
reached that wonderful but desolat.
region they would be stiffenet
corpscs, CONCEALED to death. SO the,
gave themselves up for lost, and the]
sent out one of their carrier pigeons
not as Noah sent forth his dove Il
return with the token Of deliverance
but to convey to Paris the tiAings o
their destination. Yet Hope SPRING
eternal in the human breast, ant
even in the hour of despair the travel
ers would not neglect one last chanC'
of salvation. They let down rope
which dragging through the sea
somewhat retarded their terrific pace
At least there was land again. The.
threw out one of their bags of letters
and, lightened, the balloon shot up
ward. They had no desire to con
tinuc their voyage toward the Nortl
Pole, so they opened the valve, lie
ont some of their gas, Descended il
making the balloon fast, and alishte'
almost unhurt on the solid earth.
Where are they? They had not tn
faintest conception. They were IA
yenously hungry, cruelty cold; th
escaping gas nearly suffocated then
and they both tainted. There wa
not house near, nor a sign OF hu
mainly. All around was snow an
the pine forest. Presently, the
csught sight of some creatures NOV
ing about they were wolves. If tn
wolves had been as hungry as tn
aeronuuts it would have gone badl
with NJ. NJ. Roller and Deschamp
especially as there were only two me
TO three beasts. But perhaps becaui
messiers les loups had dined quit
recently, they did not attack the me-
corners. These continued their toi
some Journey, and, after plungin
through the snowdriits came upon
cabin where q fire was burning.
was empty, but soon two wooden
tiers entered, and then began one
those pantOmimes to which, sint
Babeidom, poor mankind has, Il
want of q common language, bee
reduced whenever it goes a few mil,
beyond its own home. The Frencl
en- naturally enough wished
know where i'm the world they wer
But though they tried the fures
Partisan accent their hosts could M
understand word. One Of the
had a box of matches in his hand, an
q happy thought seized NJ. Botlcr
took the box, and read on it, "Chrlst
ania." So they were in Norway, an
they made the journey Of six hundrt
miles or more in thirteen hours, tn
handsomely beating the Scotch linn
ted mail to Inverness by five hour
Presently the pastor and the ensi
eer, of mines appeared. The iatt
was, of course, called Nillssen-ever
body is called Nillssen in Norwa
lust as everybody is called Smith
England. The engineer, not beiI
English, was of course, good ling
ist and understood the story OF Il
acronauts, and put them in the WI
70 Chrisfisnii At Drammen thl