Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-10-13

have to leap out of the car" At this moment
we could hear railway whistle somewhere
below us, but We could see nothing. The rain
meanwhile was pouring down, so that we were
all drenched to the skin The drag-rope
caught around a tree and broke off a huge
limb; then it made a rebound and caught
around some rocks, so that we were shaken
about in the boat with tremendous force.
However, it soon liberated itself, and then
we went spinning over another ridge Of the
mountain with great velocity. After getting
over, however, we were in calm, and then
Donaldson said "Oh, if there was only half
II dozen fellows below to take hold of that
drag rope, what pretty landing we would
make However, the gusts of wind soon
caught Us again. and we went spinning across
the valley at a most alarming rate. About
one hundred feet from the surface, Donaldson
saw that we were nearing a bank, where we
would probably strike, and he said, "Now,
boys, prepare TO leap out" AT this moment
Lunt was standing on the port side, near the
bows. donaldson was next to him. seated,
and holding the rigging; | saw that the de-
cIsive moment was coming, and that we should
have to take the chances of two or three diff
terent ways of breaking our necks, so | took
my place behind Donaldson. Presently, on
looking behind | saw we were passing over
a rising ground, and that now was our time
Donaldson saw it also; he pitched his
| Two travelling bags. | brew myself from the
| car clinging to the rigging; then, without
| knowing the distance, | let 60, and in sec
| ond Donaldson and were rolling together
upon the wet grass.
! We had scarcely time to pick ourselves up
/ whcn, 10 our horror, we saw the balloon make
| Il sudden rebound and fly off into the clouds,
| with Limit clinging to the rigging. | confess
! | stood para)yzed with amazement. The
| shock had received from the fall Git appears
we fell thirty feeD was altogether forgotten
in the terror | experienced in seeing Lun,
borne away in this terrible manner. Donald
| son, VINO was more awake to the eXigtncies
of the moment, ran and tried to seize the
drag rope, but that, of course, futile
Limit shouted out to us some remark, which
we could not hear. Donaldson shouted in re-
ply, .Open the valve." Bat the roar of the
tempest was too srI at to permit word TO reaci
Lunt, and he presently disappeared in the
binding mist. The rain was still pouring
down in perfect deluge, aad were botl
soaking wet. A gentleman who saw the
whole disaster-Mr. Albert Peek Briggs o
C.naan-canc towards US aud asked If ",
I were hurt by our fall. Donaldson's frs
words were, "Wlat State are we in?" Mr.
Briggs told US Connecticut, and furthe
armed that we had fallen upon the farm o
Mr.. Charles Lewis, at North Canaan, Itch
field county. w crawled into the barn, hal
; drowned with wet, and had some converse
, ton about the disaster with Mr.. Briggs an
another gentleman. We sent out to try an
u get a team from person near at hand, bu
there was great deal of delay, and as | wa
J. anxious to get to the telegraph station,
II begged MIR. Briggs to drive me over, whic
u he very kindly consented to do, leaving Don
= aldson in the barn, and promising to SEM
u another conveyance for him. While | wa
writing my despatch in the telegraph office
news was brought me that ''the other man
> was all right. and that he had just arrived a
the hotel in the village. l sent messenge
after him, and in a few minutes had the graft
6cation of shaking Lunt by the hand. Don
aldson presently rejoined US, and there were
the three Daily Graphic "skyscrapers" al
safe and sound, once more reunited upol
terra .f'naa. You may very readily belev,
that we extended congratulations 20 one an
. other that we had escaped with whole bones
-. 1t appears that we left Brooklyn at nine
teen minutes past nine in the morning, AM
reached North Canaan at quarter past on
in the afternoon, thus performing an aeria
voyage of one hundred and twenty miles il
l. something like four hours.