Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-01-15
Up fua BaIioon.

certain extent with gas, Mr.. Kelley, the
@ronaut, mounted the basket and at
tempted 10 rise, but was only lifted
few feet Several bags Of ballast were
then thrown out, and he rose again and
kept over the surface of the ground.
The basket first struck against the
fence, but clearing that the. balloon
came in nlcollision with tree, the basket
swinging under the branches, and on the
rebound precipitating Mr.. Kelley head
foremost to the earth. Several men who
were near caught the airy machine by
the lines and held it down. Finding
that it would not rise, Kelley detached
the basket and placed a board across
the hoop that was located between the
gas receptacle and the basket to keep
the lines apart. At this moment, a lad
named Gates, well-known in San Fran
cisco as match and orange vender,
ran up, and dropping his basket, said
he would mount. He was Immediately
lifted into the hoop, and had hardly
time to raise the lines when a gust OF
wind came along, and in an instant
the balloon became unmanageable, and
went off. The lad was seated with one
leg outside of the hoop and one inside,
He had only risen few feet, when the
hoop canted, (the side opposite to that
on which he was seated flying up to his
shoulder and the board dropped out
and slipped to the ground. The unfor-
tunate little fellow went off in this dan
Cling condition, with his hands above his
head holiing on to the lines, and his legs
swinging down on each side of the hoop.
In his fright he called out to those below
to rescue him; but it was of no use, he
was beyond the reach of assistance, and
the balloon was rapidly rising Peo-
pie shouted to him to pull the valve,
and let the gas escape, but his confu,
sion was such that he deubtles did
not hear, or did not understand the
purport Of what was said. The balloon
took northeasterly direction, and rose
rapidly for long time. A number OF
horsemen dashed over the hills IN the
direction Of the unfortunate adventurer
with the intention of making every pos
sible effort to avert a calamity when the
balloon should descend. Hewas watched
until the balloon appeared but speck
and when last distinguished was holding
on in the same perilous position. The
string for opening the valve and al
lowing the gas to escape had been
broken in the melee and the boy was at
at the mercy of circumstances, over
which he had no control. 1t was an
awful moment, but q scene OF sublime
graudedr. There was a little boy sus-
pended in mid-heaven, with nothing but
a board four inches in width to sit on
ard string to hold to. AS he found
himself going be. yelled to his partner,
jim, take care of my orangesF But
little did any one who saw that spectacle
believe that The would have any further
use for oranges. Up, up, up, higher and
higher, and higher did he ascend, gradu'
ally floating oceanwa ard, until ne hoyered,
mere speck, over the city of San Fran
cisco, when all at once counter current
of air struck him, and rapidly carried
him over the Contra Costra range. OF
mountains. He KEEP ascending higher
and higher until finally lost to view. We
watched him in the most breathless state
of suspense that ever mortal experienced
expecting every minute to see him
tumble to the earth, for no one supposed
that he could long retain bis seat on the
narrow board, to say nothing of the be-
numbing effect of the cold upon him.
There was bitter feeling toward the
owner of the balloon for his carelessness,
and there was not wanting those who
freely yanvassed the idea of lynching
him.
But when the Sacramento steamer
came in the following evening, to the
amazement of everybody in San Fran
cisco, the orange boy was on IT. The
balloon took a course over Martinez,
crossed the bay or straits, and finally
came down in Suisun Valley, when he
went to farmhouse and remained over
niga. and on the following day footed
it to Bsnicia and took passage on the
steamer en- route for San Francisco.
His account OF the voyage was more
snan thrilling-it was horrifying. de
says that after tying the board on which
he sat to the rope, he actually climbed
to the rope Of the balloon, distance OF
ten or twelve feet, and with his knife
punctured it in the hope that the gas
would escape and SO descend to the
earth. But, of course, he could only
puncture it at the bottom where the gas
could rot escape He said the view as
he passed over the mountains was grand
beyond description. San Francisco,
Sacramento. Marysville, Stockton, San
Jose, and in fact all the towns within
hundreds of miles looked as if they
wer,s huddIed together beneath him. He
said = !" As 1 was passing over Martinez
Itook a.orange out of my pocket and
dropped it, but didn stop to see whether
thew vot il or not" Had the balloon
desceI ded Q little sooner he would have
been d.gwned in the straits. li -i-i'
!, :. .11..1e... P6o,o-ranh.d.