Richland beacon., 1873-08-02
Death from a Balloon.
lIona (Mlch,) Cor. of the New York World

feSSOr La Mountain, the famous aero
naut, in his balloon, or mammoth air
ship" The people had fiocked from al
the neighboring country to see so unu
sual an exhibition, and there were a
least ten thousand people in and abou
. the public square, laughing and talking
eating nuts and fruit, and firing of
their crackers. and enjoying themselves
after the fashion of country people wht
are waiting for ali exhibition. The bal
loon, not one of the ordinary silhen sort
but of the foolhardy pattern which, or
iginating with Monglofler. should hav,
ceased with him, was a paper globe
the leavatOry power of which was simp
ly heated air. Yet the professor will
his wonted collness, was bustling alb nj
attending to preparations for the intla
tion, occasionally chatting with one ol
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 well. For some time the bolster
ous wind delayed the ascent, but halt
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
i've minutes later gave the word to let
go the fastenings, and the balloon shot
up bravely. The spectators shouted
and waved handkerchiefs and cps, and
the professor answered the salute, wa
wing his hat 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 it's action and the agi-
tatiOn of the arOnaut 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 cam
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 position directly
the reverse of its first, he struck the
ground feet first. His struggles in the
air as the car began to fall, were 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
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 a stop to the cele-
bration of the day. The corpse was
placed in the square, where 1T was
viewed by thousands.
Professor La Mountain, although well |
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 /, 1859, in
with Professor John Wise and |
two others, upon journey to the town
of Henderson, Jefferson county, in this
State, a distance of 1,15O miles. The
object of this serial voyage was to verify
Professor Wise's theory that an upper |
eastwardly current of wind existed |
a balloon could be impelled |
upon long journey from west to east.
The trip was made in nineteen hours
and fifty minutes, or nearly a mile a
minute. Upon the 22d of September,
1859, La Mountain and Mr. John A.
Haddock ascended 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
lue north of Watertown. Professor La
Mountain further distinguished himself
Turing the war by his balloon ascents
n connection with the Union armies op-
Grating in Virginia against the Confede-
'ate forces. On August 10, 1861, he
lscended in balloon from the deck of
/ tug-boat Adriatic, anchored in New
oort News, and successfully observed
he position of the Confeder e forces
beyond that place and Sewa Is point.
)n this occasion he attaina height
# 5000 feet. Still more remarkable
vas the asc mt that he made'6n October
Eth ensuing. He ascended from the
amp of the Union army, then lying
lpOn the Potomac, upon a reconnoiter-
ng expedition. His balloon was at
ached to the ground by a cord, but
'fter having bern up for some time he
evered the cord, and so rose to the
leight of mile and half. The wind
hen carried him over the Confederate
ines, which enabled him to take still
'etter observations. Tightening his
,alloOn, he rose to the extraordinary
ltitude of three miles, passed over
Washington at tnis elevation. Hand f.