Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-10-16
THE BALLOON VOYAGE FROM NEW
YORK TO CONNECTICUT.


the mammoth balloon "Graphic"be-
came so unwieldly in a gale of wind
as to compel its abandonment and
the substitution of the smaller bal,
loon in which Donaldson, Lunt and
Ford embarked on Monday morning
hoping, we persume,t to reach Europe
but determined to reach somewhere
which they did with bump, all
three having jumped from the car
to save their lives. Nothing very
important occurred on the serial jour-
ney until the balloon reached a
point above Litchfeld, Connecticut,
when the gas bag became an elephant
that no man could control. The
aronauts tell their owp story:
Two of the pigeons arrived at the
farm of their owner in River Cliff,
Connecticut, before II o'clock. They
were not tired. They carried the
following dispatches from the bal
loon:
In THE CLOUDS. 1906 A. I'VE
are forty-seven hundred feet high
going northeast. We all feel very
happy. Donaldson says, "The
dream o! my life is now realized"
Lunt is busy doing something with
the ballast and stopping every mo-
ment to admire the surprising gran
dure Of the scene. 1t is very hazy
all around US, and light clouds are
floating below. We have just heard
three cheers below, and have given
''toot, toot," with the fog horn in
reply. We are now at an altitude of
five thousand and eighty feet,or just
one mile. We have just struck the
lower portion of the eastern current.
We have just passed over Norwalk.
ALFRED FORD.
LATER.-It is now 9:2O o'clock
and we are still 1000 feet high.
Lunt is raising "the old Harry" with
the horn, and we all feel jolly. The
scene is magnificent. The sun shines
splendidly, and Donaldson has just
been singing. "Do they miss me at
mome?" FORD.
The Balloon crossed the Sound at
Glen Cove at $50, and went north
ward over the lower corner of West
chester county. Then it SHE'D north
eastward over Bethel, Conn.,, at IL,
having occupied an hour and three
quarters in going about seventy
miles. Its next vagary was south
ernly bolt of fifteen miles to Bridge
port, and then northwesterly one
of about forty miles over New Ha.
ven and Waterbury. Thus far it
had drifted about 130 miles in two
hours and half. During the next
two hours it aoated to the northwest
reaching New Canaan, Litchfield Co.
at l /.
DONALDSON AND FORD JUMP.
New CANAAN, Conn, Oct.6-3 Pm.
We have met with a terrible misfor-
tune. In a terrible storm of rain we
were trying to effect descent, when
it was thought advisable that we
should all leap out. Donaldson and
myself leaped twenty feet from the
boat to the earth. Mr.. Lunt, how
ever, was not quick enough, and was
carried away, clinging to the anchor
ropes. We fell on the farm of Mr..
Charles Lewis, North Canaan. .Litch-
field county, Connecticut,at lis Pm
I was driven over to the town of
Canaan, and there. to my great sur
prise and joy, found that Mr..
Lunt was all right. 1t appears that
he went up the side of the mountain
in the balloon and that, as soon as
he found himself near the earth, he
jumped into tree and fell down
through the branches upon the rocks
beneath. He then walked over to
farm house near at hand and was
brought over here. OF course the
balloon and everything was lost. I'VE
had very pleasant time Of it up to
about II O'Clock, when we began to
get into a area in Litchfield county.
After passing over a mountain we
came into'a valley, where all motion
of the balloon was suspended, and
we were for time shrouded in O.
dense cloud of mist and pouring rain
The balloon was caught and shaken
with violent gusts of wind. Donald
son was uncertain what to do. AT
first we thought We would wait till
the balloon came down, and then
CUT ALL THE ROPES AND DROP THE
BOAT,
letting the bag escape. The storm,
however, had increased with such
violence that this seemed utterly i'm
practicable, and Lunt advised that
the valve should be opened. We
were now suddenly shaken in gust
Of wind and sent to an immense
height over the valley The rain,
which was now pouring in torrents,
however, soon rendered the balloon
SO heavy that she came down again,
spinning over the tops Of the trees,
across small brook, and towards
bank at the bottom of the mountains.
Donaldson said. "Yoa had all bet
ter make ready to jump out" and
placed himself at the side of the boat
l followed his example, and thought
Lunt had taken care of himself.
When we were about twenty feet
from the earth, Donaldson and 1
jumped simultaneously. We were
both very much stunned. but moth
ing serious happened. Donaldson,
who is looking over my shoulder as
l write this, says have underesti-
mated the distance we jumped, and
that it was thirty feet. One thing
is, the ground was softened by the
pouring rain, and therefore a leap
from considerable hight would be
attended with less danger. l am
sorry about the pigeons. l hope the
balloon will be found and those
beautiful birds liberated.
MR.. LUNT'S EXPERIENCE.
CANAAN, Conn.,, 6-4 P. M.-We
were attacked by a tremendous squall
of wind and rain at fifteen minutes
past one O'Clock, and we're driven
near the earth with frightful velocity |
Everything was thrown overheard
without avail, and as we were dash