Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-09-23
A woman.s Adventure.
A BolIoonist al NigAt is the Ire, Tons.


The WATERFOWL IN. w Times of the 9th inst
says: Miss Nellie Thurston, the daring lady
aercI It who has made several successfulascen-
sions sis season, under the direction of Pro-
fessor Squire, of this city, made a very beautiful
ASCENSION from the Watertown fair ground on
Thursday. Nothing was heard from her until
late h11T Yesterday evening and great anxiety
the woods about twenty five miles back of Rich
land Station, in the town of Redfeld. She re-
mainod in the basket OF the balloon sus-en ied
in a tree all Thursday night, and jumped out
Yesterday morning.
As the balloon approached the earth, the
s,rorg current of air would drive her back
again over the woods, until, by throwing out
ballast, she would rise again and keep on her
way. Three times she tried in this way TO
ali hit In elearings In the woods At the third
trial the cuTrert, which was quite strong, drove
her back again over the forest, and this time the
ATLANTIC" having lost so much gas, refused to
. rise again, and settled itself in a lively manner
in the top of tall birch tree, in the town of
Osceola, on what are known as the Osceolo
Flats. '-
The noblest tree in the forest was first to catch
the silken car with its precious freight, and the
lady found the balloon spread out over the birch
sentinel and herself swinging in mid-air, about
fifty feet from the ground Making the network
fast as best she could to a limb, and leaving a
portion of the gas in the balloon to prevent in
jury to il by settling down upon the limbs, she
considered her prospects," 1t was O'Clock 2.
N. Not being very wen acquainted with this
portion of the United States, and fearing to in
vestigate a strange country at night, in the
midst of a forest, she resigned herself cheer
fully to her fate, and made preparations TO
''Camp out" The basket hung partially on its
side, so that she could not rest upon the bottom
OF it, but upon its side, which was in fact a very
perilous position in which to be rocked to sleep
A light shawl and canvas used to wrap the
balloon was all the extra baggage she carried
She didnot order them sent to her room. Wrap
ping herself in these as best she could, she sat
down to pleasant Dreams" of comfort and
convenience at home. The cold awakened her
during the night, as she became nearly chilled
through. She awoke at 40 A. NJ. and took
another survey. Below her she saw what she
supposed were bushes. Throwing out her can
vas it would not reach. Then she tied rope to
the canvas and thought 1t would answer. She
Immediately settled the bill for her lodging, and
left the "Atlantic" ON the first "dOwn train"
Reaching the end of her rope, about thirty feet
she found the "bushes" to be birch trees about
twenty feet i'm height She could not 90 back
and dropped to the ground.
Here she receivedinjuries, and was three hours
in reaching clearing, going distance of two
miles through the forest, fording streams and
pursuing devious ways. At the clearing she
found boy chopping wood. He directed her to
his fathers house, and party of four or five left
at once to find the balloon. Miss Thurston was
then unable to walk, and was carried by the
party. She had marked her way out by break
ing branches of the trees, so that no difficulty
was had in finding the balloon. Aboutone O'Clock
the " Atlantic was brought out, without the
slightest injury, and at two O'Clock the twenty
five mile ride to Richmond Station was under
taken. This point was reached shortly after D.
IN. last evening, from which place she tele-
graphed of her safe descent. The balloon was
brought to Watertown on the same train with its
fair passenger,