Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1873-10-18
Horrible Death Of a BaIIoonist.

ult., at Wapello. INDIANA, from the Dur
ming of his balloon while he was max
ing an ascension, with the consequent
result that he fell from great height
and was instantly killed. The fatal as
cent was the forty-frst that he has
made. A large crowd was present at
the time, and it was before their eyes,
but not Immediately among them-for-
tunately for the feelings Of the lockers
on-that the unfortunate man fell to the
ground. The balloon used on the oc-
casion was one of kind inflated with
hot air, and by some accident fire was
ignited in it, which was discovered too
late to afford the aeronaut any opportu-
nifty to escape from his peril.
The system adopted by Mr.. Boley to
fill the balloon with hot air was to place
its mouth over large barrel lined in
side with cement, which was placed at
one end of covered trench containing
burning wood The barrel was thus
made to serve as sort of chimney, for
when the fire was lighted at the other
end of the trench the current of hot air
rushed through the barrel and so into
the balloon, which was firmly poised
above and attached to the barrel by
means of ropes secured to one OF the
hoops. a sieve was placed over each
end of the barrel with the view to keep
out cinders, but this sieve did not serve
to exclude the flames, which sometimes
Il nfn n n
the balloon during the process OF intia-
ton. Certain precautions which were
usually taken by Mr. Boley to secure
the balloon against fire were not used
on this occasion, owing to the illness OF
his assistant, cousin, who was in the
habit of travelling with him.
1t is said that the wife of the untortu-
nate aeronaut, who was present on the
ground with their youngest child, had
had presentiment of evil while in O.
hio, where she was staying, and had
gone to Wapello to be present at the
ascension, or rather to endeavor to dis
suade her husband from making the as
cension AT all events, just previous to
the departure Of the balloon and while
the initiation was still going on, she en-
treated him to abandon the enterprise,
telling him that she felt convinced that
he would not return alive. Before be
ascended she gave him farewell kiss,
as she called il, and held up the baby
for him to kiss for the last time.
At 5 o'clock in the evening Mr. Bo-
ley placed himself upon the horizontal
bar suspended from the balloon, Oh
which he was wont in all his previous
ascensions to stand and to go through
with certain gymnastic performances
while in the air The wind was blow
ing from the south, and the balloon shot
up rapidly and foated away to the
southwark. As it rose, the people be
low, straining all eyes to watch the
spectacle, observed with CONSERVATION
that its mouth was on fre-a circum-
stance that the aeronaut, who was at
that moment hanging TO the bar by his
hands, did not apparently notice. y
moan and shudder passed through the
crowd, and while some turned away or
bent their gaze to the ground, women
wept and sank upon their knees with
faintness at the too evident coming
down Of the aeronaut.
The balloon had gained height OF
fully 100 feet before Mr.. Boley noticed
the flames, which were fast consuming
the canvass. 1t would, of course, have
been death to have dropped to the
ground, and so he made desperate ef-
fort TO clutch at long rope, which had
been one of those used to keep the bal
loon steady during initiation, and which
swayed near him as he clung to his trall
support, the horizontal bar. Had he
succeeded in this he mi ght possibly
have been saved, as mis- weight would
have caused the balloon to turn in the
air, and so descending to fall with less
velocity. AS it was, however, he fail
ed to catch this rope, and when, mo-
ment after, the burning canvas parted,
there was nothing TO stay the aeronauts
fall. He was now half mile away from
the scene of the ascension, and the
crowd saw with horror the poor man
fastening downward, feet foremost, with
a sickening velocity. In few seconds
all was over, and when those who went
to his assistance reached the spot where
he had fallen-a piece of low ground
they found him dead, with the head,
arms aud body not injured, but with his
legs driven up TO the knees in the
ground, and with the broken bones OF
the limbs jaggedly sticking out of the
lacerated flesh. A quarter of mile
farther off the remains Of the balloon
fell, mass of still burning canvas. Dir.
Boley was about thirty-one years old,
and resident of AledO, ILL.,
GETTING READY TO BE HARPY.-That
is exactly what the most of us are do
ing. We are not ready 10 be happy to-
day, this week, this year but to-mor-
row, next month, another year, our cup
of Joy will be full. When tho promised
time comes, and the acme of hopes in a
certain direction is reached, health may