The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-01
Death from a Balloon.

CIona (Nfich.l Cor. of the New York Korld.l
The great excitement of the fourth of
July in this town was the ascent of Pro-
fessor La Mountain, the famous asro-
naut, in his balloon, or mammoth air
ship" The people had focked from all
the neighboring country to see so unu-
sual an exhibition, and there were at
least ten thousand people in and about
the public square, laughing and talking,
eating nuts and fruit, and firing off
their crackers, and enjoying themselves
after the fashion of country people who
are waiting for an exhibition. The bal
loon, not one of the ordinary silken sort,
but of the foolhardy pattern which, or
iginating with Monglofer, should have
ceased with him, was a paper globe,
the leavatory power of which was simp-
ly heated air. Yet the professor with
| his wonted collness, was bustling about
attending to preparations for the infia-
ton, occasionally chatting with one or
| two of his acquaintances about the pros
poets of the voyage, of the favorable
! Termination of which he apparently had
not the slightest doubt. He had sailed
in the air often enough to have no fears
and remembered not the proverb about
| the pitcher which went once too often
to the we'll. For some time the bolster
ous wind delayed the ascent, but half
an hour before starting the balloon |
swelled bigger and bigger, and tugged |
at the ropes which held it to the earth. |
There were eight of these, badly ar
ranged, and there was no network over |
the canvas bulge. The professor was
here, there, everywhere, attending to
and guiding all details of the manage
ment, while all the people were looking |
at him with wonder and admiration.
At half-past three in the afternoon he |
stepped into the car, leaning over to
shake hands with some of the people |
who were near by. Again he examined
all the apparatus within his reach, and
Eve minutes later gave the word to let
go the fastenings, and the balloon shot |
up bravely. The spectators shouted
and waved handkerchiefs and clps, and |
the professor answered the salute, wa
wing hishat in return. Hardly, however,
had the swelling paper globe ascended
to the distance of hundred feet from
the position which it first held when the
spectators saw by its action and the agi-
tation of the Bronaut that something
serious was the matter. 1t did not rise
symmetrically, but bunglingly, and
there seemed to be some breakage in
the substance of which the bag was
composed. Yet still it rose, and the
people at some distance could see that
the professor was greatly agitated, rush
ing about in his car, tugging at the
ropes, which he was evidently attempt
ing to arrange. The mouth of the can
vas tapped violently. 1t was moment
of the most intense anxiety, and the
crowd stood breathless while the bal
loon went higher and higher until it
attained an altitude of at least half
mile, when it paused for an instant
there was struggle, and the body slip
ped from between the ropes that bound
it to the car, which instantly began to
fall, while the balloon, loosened from
its burden, bounded up higher. The
car upset and the professor fell, at first
head foremost, and then turning with
legs and arms outstreatched, wheeling
like lightning toward the earth. Then
his body assumed a position directly
the reverse of its first, he struck the
ground feet first His struggles in the
air as the car began to fall, we're fear
full to see. He tried to Chamber into
the basket, and then, seeing that this
was futile, he tried to use the car as a
parchaute by turning it upside down.
But he finally left go, and as has been
said, struck the ground with his feet,
and was mashed to pulp of CORY flesh.
Blood spurted from his mouth and ears,
and in falling he made a hole in the
earth five or six inches deep. The
dreadful accident put stop to the cele-
bration of the day. The corpse was
placed in the square, where it was
viewed by thousands.
Professor La Mountain, although we'll
known for his balloon ascenciOns pre-
vious to this event, first came promi-
nently into public notice in a famous
ascent at st. Louis on July l, 1859, in
company with Professor John Wise and
two others, upon journey to the town
of Henderson, Jefferson county, in this
State, a distance of ], 1,150 miles. The
object of this serial voyage was to verify
Professor Wise's theory that an upper
current of wind existed
wherby a balloon could be,impelled
upon q long journey from west to east.
and fifty minutes, or nearly a mile
1859 La Mountain and Mr.. John A.
Haddock assembled from Watertown, !
New York, and in four hours time
made a distance of 800 miles, chiefly
after nightfall, landing at a point in
the great Canadian wilderness $50 miles
north of Ottawa city, and almost to the
due north of Watertown. Professor La
Mountain further distinguished himself
during the war by his balloon ascents
in connection with the Union armies OPP
Grating in Virginia against the Confede-
rate forces. On August 10, 1861, he
in a balloon from the deck of
a tug-boat Adriatic, anchored in New
port News, and successfully observed
the position of the Confederate forces
beyond that place and Sewell's point.
On this occasion he attained a height
of 5000 feet. Still more remarkable
was the ascent that he made on October !
4th ensuing. He assembled from the
camp of the Union army, then lying
upon the Potomac, upon reconnoiter- ! !
ing expedition. His balloon was at
tached to the ground by a cord, but
after having been up for some time he !
severed the cord, and so rose to the
height of mile and half. The wind
then carried him over the Confederate
lines, which enabled him to take still !
better observations. Tightening his
balloon, he rose to the extraordinary :
altitude of three miles, passed over
Washington at this elevation, and fl
nally descended to the earth in the state !
of Maryland.