The Republican journal., 1871-10-12

lhOl Inu.t ,Ocl. - correspondence VI tiit Now
York World
Should live to be hundred wears old
the horrible scene witnessed by me on
saturday last will never be ei1aced from
my memory | see it before me now, and
since that day have been haunted ever
since in dreams by Il sea of upturned faces
and mguiShcd eyes, straining TO watch IN
lis descent through the air the body OF 4
human being, which in a few seconds was
dashed, mauolcd and bleeding, upon the
earth, nj my feet, would have written
OF il before, hut the sight so unstrung my
nerves that was rendered utterly inca
pabe even of collecting my thoughts,
much less OF putting on paper deliber-
ate account of the facts in the case. To
see a man whom scarcely a minute before
had spoken to as a friend. lerked up in
TO the clouds, and then hurled down again,
his hair streaming wildly behind him, like
that of Lucifer hurled over the battle
ments OF Heaven, falling, falling, whrl-
ed. doubled up, and then spread out, his
arms apart as il rushing TO embrace death,
might we'll unsrng the strongest nerves :;
and when to this are added the agonized
cries of the dying mans wife as she
clutched my arm and shrieked, My God.
my God, will he die ?" | wonder that
even vet with these things in my mind, |
am able to record what heard. felt and
SAW You have doubtless received by
telegraph 4 brief despatch telling how
Prof. Wilbur, the well-known aeronaut
fell while attempting to climb into his
balloon. and how he was killed, but facts
81 meagrc are bat an aggraVation. |
will therefore State the affair simply as nj
occurred. The Agricultural Association
of this county had been holding its an
nual fair tor some days, and no greater
interest attached to il Than is commonly
connected with such exhibitions of the III
duStlial products OF large and flourish
in@ community. The farmers came in
their wagons, bringing with them their
wives and daughters, all dressed IN AS
gorgeous array as their circumstances
Would permit. The large pumpkins and
enormous squashes. the new patent chum
aud washng-machne and the country
hoy lounging about and gazing in open
lnouthcd admiration of the yoluble gem
1leman who displayed with all the elo-
tIucncc of a Cicero his intallible toothache
cradicat0r, received their due share of at
trntlon, and before long the interest in the
tar WAS ON the Wanc. But il had been
ANNOUNCED that on Saturday. the last day
at the exhibition, Prof. Wilbur, the great
American NronAut, would make an ascent
i'm his balloon. rs he had done one week
before ut Croydon 1t is not often that the
inhabitants OF Orange county have AN OPP
pnrtunity Of Witnessing such sight. and
curiosity being on tip-toe. ii is not To be
wondered at that when Saturday arrived
the tair ground was tull almost to sntlo-
cation, while ON The outside of the en-
closure Il large crowd had assembled to
witness the flight of the great ship OF the
:tIr. II was the greatest day OF the week
everybody WAS in holiday dress, the girls
looked their prctticst, The farmers their
most inrid, aud the country beaus We're
heneckticA and invested in colors veing
NOT only with the rainbow. but with the
utmost powers of moline The centre Of
attraction WAS, OF course, the enclosed
space where the balloon was To he intlat-
ed, about which gathered nm eager crowd,
looking ut everything connected with the
expected event. Studying the ropes, peer