Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-08-07
4 Perilnus Balloon Adventure.

The proposed balloon trip across the
Atlantic has excited in the public mind
an active interest in all that relates to
aerial navigation, and the following Won
derful adventure and narrow escape from
a tragic death will prove interesting even
to those who read of it at the time it oc-
CURED:
In September, 1864 Professor La Noun
tain brother of the unfortunate aerOnaut
who met with so sad death by falling
from a balloon at Ionia, Mich, on the last
Fourth Of july, made an ascent from
Watertown, n, Y. He was accompanied
by Mr.. John A. Haddock, of the Water
town Ref07n1er. SO great was the ascen-
sive momentum of the balloon that they
assembled nearly three thousand feet in an
almost perpendicular line. They went
ultimately to a height of three
miles and a half They went due east all
the time; and, unknown to themselves,
they drifted at a rate of one hundred miles
an hour. Night came on; and presently
they found they were drifting over woods.
Professor La Mountain thought they were
the woods in New York, near Canada;
but upon their descending and pulling off
the top of one of the trees, they were very
much alarmed at finding that it was
spruce They knew that no spruce grew
in New York, and that, consequently,
they had drfted into a colder regon-in
fact, into Canada. The thought then
flashed upon them that they were above
the great Canadian wilderness, an almost
bOundless extent of forest, which reaches
up TO the Arctic Circle. Professor La
Mountains narrative proceeds as follows:
"If it were true that we were above the
great wilderness, the sooner we stopped
where we were the better. Daylight
came. We shot up again. AS far as the
eve could reach there was one unbroken
sea of forest. | said to Mr.. Haddock,
My friend we are over the Canada woods.
| have got done travelling with this bal
loon, and, if we get out with our lives,
we may call ourselves lucky fellows
Discharging gas, we came down
as rapidly as possible, the balloon settling
between two tall trees. We jumped out of
the car, and l experienced a bitter grief
in being compelled to abandon my noble
balloon. Tears blinded my eyes, and it
required my utmost effort to forsake my
cherished companion of many an aerial
flight We shaped our course south of
east-supposing, if we were in Canada,
that would bring us to the Ottawa River.
We found that to make progress through
the woods was most laboriOus. The
ground was soft; the bushes grew close
together in a tangle; and everywhere were
strewn branches of trees, broken down by
the storm of the previous night" They
travelled through the woods all that day,
finding only two little white frogs to eat.
At night they came upon shanty near
river; but, to their lneXpresslble dlsap-
pointment, found it was deserted. They
slept there all night under some straw,
suffering bitterly from cold and hunger.
In the morning they took the boards from
the roof of the shanty and made raft,
and, taking each pole, floated off down
the river. 1--WE continued,' says he,
pooling down the creek all day-weary,
exhausted, almost broken down by effort
and yet seeing no probability OF relief
from our sore distress AS night approach
ed, a cold, drizzling rain commenced
falling. But there was no hope for US
there; our only hope, if hope there was,
was in pushing on, and still on 50 the
poles splashed in the water until halt-past
ten O'Clock at night. Then we were obllg-
ed to stop, and, having selected on the
forbidding bank spot more favor
able for landing than any other,
we pushed our impromptu vessel
ashore, climbed over the clayey bank, and
curled ourselves up, muskrat fashion,
under a projecting and partially protect
ing shelf of earth So ended our first
days experience in the woods. We could
not sleep; we were too weary, too chilly,
too sad, too anxious. Soon after twelve
O'Clock the rain slackened, and we took
advantage of the pause to pole a short
distance, when the flood-gates were re-
opened, and the storm beat upon us once
more" Then they were obliged to land
again, and by and by they fell asleep
for about an hour. After taking to the
raft again, they came to some rapids half
mile in length. They were obliged to
take the raft apart and carry it round:
About seven O'Clock the wind commenced
blowing, and they determined to stop.
So they drew the raft up into the woods,