Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-30
HOW IT HAPPENED.
The Late Balloon 'sAcclalcnt'' Eru nh.
Ical1y Drsc:iiscei.

HOW IT HAPPENED.
The Late Balloon .tAcci.,cnt,, t;rnn1,.
Icaliy Described.
Flom George Ashton Lunt in New York Graphlo,
While consulting rs to the best
method of evaling tho mountain re-
gion and its changeablo currents. we
were suddenly cnvelope.l in {: thick
clond, and All instant later q terrific
sqnaIl OF wind and rain caught the bal
loon, twisting and shaking it so vio-
lently that 1 own that I deemed it's al
most instant destruction certain.
and in another moment we
were whirled off we knew not
whittier. The great bag above III
tapped and doomed like the sails of a
snip when too close hauled, and every
convulsion was echoed from the inte-
rior and prolonged. into a dull and
ominous roar That the moment was
ono of great danger could not for q
moment doubt, but the horrible noise
above and the kissing below OF the
wind over the tops of the still invisible
trees rendered conversation almost i'm
possible.
I Was standing in the Dow of the boat
ut this time; Mr.. Ford was in the
centre, and Mr.. Donaldson; in the cock.
pit. Suddenly The latter shouted.
Look cut Be ready to jump when
tell you,'' and the next instant the
green tree.tops swept past the boat on
either side. At this moment we de-
scended out of the cloud, and saw
that we were falling literally falling
into Il small open space between two
pieces of woodland. In IN instant J
had dropped over the side of the boat
and was holding on to the gunwale,
and glance showed my companions to
be also in readiness behind me. Down
we came, the balloon driven furiouslv
earthward by the seemingly perpcndic.
ular gale, and the boat spinning about
like mere chip. Suddenly Donaldson
shouted, " Jump out, qnick!" and suit
ed the action to the word, followed in
another second by Ford. I heard the
double thud with which they struck the
earth, with horror, and all that Donald
son had told mo of the difficulty OF
judging distance after an ascent flashed
through my mind, and turned my head
to see the effect of their fall.
They were bota rising from the grass.
but my readers may judge my sensa-
tions when I saw that they we're a hum
bred feet below me and the balloon was
shooting into the air again. One second
Of indecision, and swung myself upon
the boat and shouted to Mr.. Donald
son, What shall I do 2" The fury of
the storm, however, drowned my voice
and his, and in another moment I was
again in the clouds, which were so thick
that even the great bag above me was in
visible. The time from Mr.. Donaldson's
first warning Until now could not have
exceeded 80 seconds; yet there was,
alone, in the largest balloon ever sue
cessfully inflated, and perfectly igno-
lant practically Of its management. For
short time stood absently clutching
the ropes and wondering what was to
become of me, but soon felt that my
safety depended upon prompt action,
and began to think what had better be-
done. Should I cut off the great
drag rope, ascend above the storm,
and trust to luck to make another
landing III a southern country?
drew my knife Tor the purpose, but re-
membered that ] had asked several
aeronarts whit would be the effect of
such a sudden Tightening of balloon.
and they had each said it would proba-
bly, burst AS I had no desire to in
clude this performance in my i'm
pronptu programme, the knife Was
returned to its sheath aud the valve
resorted to. The cord was tangled by
the neck of the balloon, and for some
time my entire weight was apparently
inadequate to open it.
1t appears, however, that this was all
error OF judgment on my part, and
that did really open the valve. This
must have been the case, for in a short
time the extension of the drag.rope at
an acute angle showed me that the bal.
loon had again descended, and began
to anxiously peer through the mist for
signs Of the earth. They came With a
vengeance. The roar of the storm over
the trees became audible again, and a
moment later the balloon emerged
from the cloud, and I saw myself near
ing the forest with alarming rapidity.
! had let out too much gas from the
valve, and the balloon was descending
very fast. had barely time to CLIMB
into the concentrating ring when the
boat was dashed against tall tree
the balloon Strengthened out in a line
With the wind, and away went the whole
machine, humping and crashing over
the tree-tops, your artist-correspondent
studying the topography of the sur
rounding country with ogreat energy,
and feeling newly-awakened, but deep
interest in the heretofore neglected
subjects of timber, meadow, and
ploughed ground. Watching my op-
portunity swung myself into tree at
a moment when the boat and rigging
were SO cntanglcd us to deaden the way
OF the balloon, but before could make
myself secure it again broke loose, and.
some OF the gear coming III contact with
my hands, scraped me off.
Under ordinary circumstances, gen
tleman in thin boots and minus a hat
AMI coat would consider a two lie
walk in pouring rain, over swampy
ground, with incidental fence climbing,
ditch-wading, etc, just cause for i'll
vective against the thousand ills that
flesh is heir to. Whether the statement
that never enjoyed walk so much
before in my life will be received sim
ply rs evidence that I am one of those
rare beings who accept without
grrmbling the dispensations of
Providence, I know not. The cir
cumstanccs may be attributed to meek
ness or ecrentcicity, as my readers
please. It is fact, however, which
will maintain to my dying day, that,
of all the Professionalism in which l
have heretofore engaged for purposes
of pleasure-not even those we'll. re-
membered evenings "by moonlight
alone" with her by my side-none ever
gave me more unalloyed joy, nor did I
ever labor more cheerfully for the
emolnment of Crispins than in those
two wet, sloppy, boggy miles to the
nearest station, where l found my
companions busy writing kilograms of
my probable death.
Explosion Of Giant Powder.
The Marquette Mining Journal con-
tains the following account Of fatal
accident at the Republic Nine: "About
o'clock on the morning of the 10th
Albert Andrews and John jenkins,
Cornishmen and miners at the
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