Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-07-10
LA MOUNTAINS DEATH.
Particulars OF the AerOnaups Fatal
Ascension at IOnia, Mlch.-
The Balloon Collapses at
'the Hight OF Fifteen
Hundred Feet.
The Fearful Descent-ConditiO of
the Body.

Special Dispatch to Chicago Tribune.l
DETROIT, July 6.-Mail reports give
some interesting details of the fatal ac-
/ cident to the aeronaut La Mountain, at
lonia, last Friday. His balloon was what
is known as hot-air one, and was SIM
ply filled with rarified air, and not gas.
The canvas had somewhat OF a worn APP
pearance, as if the worse for being
filled with heated air too often. At the
summit, where the canvas was sewn to-
gether, a block some ten or twelve
inches in diameter was fastened, and
through a hole in this six guy ropes
were secured, hanging down over the
sides of the balloon, being at the bottom
some seventeen feet apart, and these
were tied to the basket by the Professor
himself. There were no ropes running
around the balloon horizontally to keep
the guy ropes from SLIPPING, or to pre-
vent the whole thing from sliding out be.
tween the ropes with gust Of wind. At
three fifty-five pm. the Professor
stepped into the basket, and the
balloon took shoot up almost per-
pendicularly, with the Professor
swinging his hat to the crowd, all appar-
emily enjoying the sight. In few mo-
ments more, however, the mouth of the
balloon was observed to wave about two
or three times, then to pass between the
ropes, careening over on the side, when
the ropes broke out from their fastening
at the top, and the fall commenced. La
Mountain was noticed to be apparently
making some effort to get the basket
above him, and, if possible, to break the
fall, but after the first struggle he fell so
rapidly that nothing could be distin-
guished but the falling body, his hat
coming after him, about 100 feet or more
behind, tie old canvas, nearly collapsed,
falling down gradually. The body struck
the ground half dozen feet from the
northwest corner of the Jail building
1t struck with such terrible thud that it
Jared the ground for fifty rods around,
and made an indention in the solid
ground eight inches in depth. There
was scarcely bone in the whole body
not broken into fragments. 1t was as
limp as a rag. There were very few
fractures of the skin, except the right
foot, the bone of the right leg being
driven through the bottom of the foot.
The body was laid out on couch, a
circle formed and a procession of all
who wished to view the remains passed
around. The professor is brother of
the celebrated aeronaut who died two or
three years ago. This ones name was
Edward LaMountain. He was jewel
Ter by trade, and lived at Brooklyn, in
this State. He had said just before he
went up that he wished to take the train
for home as soon as possible after com
ing down, as his wife was very sick. He
himself had not had his clothes off for
ten days.
There were from 10000 to $4,000 peo-
pie who witnessed this horrible tragedy
He was seen by people four miles from
the city at an angle of thirty-fve de-
grees The best estimates makes the
night from which he fell from 1000 to
1900 feet. Those who we're on the hill
back of the town said the strangest
sight was to witness the people swaying |
back and forward like field of wheat
moved by the wind.