Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-07-17
a Terrible Fall.

DETAILS OF THE AWFUL DEATH OF la
MOUNTAIN, THE BALLooNIsT.
The following extract is from the Grand
Rapids, Mich, Eagle of July 8: The
balloon was one OF the hot-air Kind, in
tended to rise by the well-known upward
pressure OF the heated air confined, until.
cooling in the upper rarefed atmosphere.
It gradually descends. Ii is thought BY
seine that the renowned La Mountain
would not, after all his great experience.
have been likely To use this inferior means
Of ascension. But, as there Is no ras AT
Iona, II was impracticable for him or any
one 10 use any other than hot-air balloon
At fifteen minutes before four o'clock the
sack was supposed to be properly inflated.
aud at that moment the tethcr was cut. ana
up II flew from the assembled multitude
The sack OF this fatal air-vcssel was
about one-third or onc-fourth larger than
the one OF the same Kind which recently
made two asccnsionS in this city. Ii
probably held about IL 900 feet Of air.
The form was, as usual, oval. except where
i closes to point underneath. The swell
81 the oval was capped by wooden hub,
supposed to be firmly fixed there, and per-
forated by three holes. through which ran
the three suspension cords of the basket.
crossing each other and coming down aud
around aud beneath the sack, forming six
ends. To these the basket containing the
Hronaut was suspended. There was no
netting. such as always covers and encloscs
the sack OF the large sized gas balloon. or
the accident resulting thus horribly could
not, probably, have occurred There was
but little wind at the time, and the balloon
arose directly upward. remaining right
over the courthouse square whence IL
Il -.
10 size. till Il wa. judged, by that appear
ance and the rate of its upward movement
70 be 5000 feet high. The shouts had ceased.
and 10000 upturned faces watched the
diminishing object ntently when the basket
was seen To separate from the sack, which
hung and wavered about In one spot for
half moment or so. while the basket and
the man were shooting downward with the
velocity OF u cannon shot
~ the vast throng OF witnu sses compre-
henied the frightful tragic spectacle Il
thrill of intense horror spread through
them, As from among them issued one
widespread suppressed groan of agony.
for all seemed too horror-strickeu to shrek
~ course, there was no such length Of
time IA the downward flying OF the dcvot-
Ell man as the reader has occupied in read
ny These last lew lines describing it. From
80 'A7AaAAt VI Aht AlNst>tfT 10 inc balloon
TIL he struck the ground the time was not
probably more than fifteen seconds. n,
measured of on the watch dial by the
secondhand. AT height of tive or six
hundred feet from the earth, the uufortu-
nate man got separated from the basket
~ TACT, u appeared rs II he leaped from Il
Intentionally. This certainly made no ,lif-
ference a- TO the fatality OF the fall The
conclusion must have killed him lust rs
quickly had he struck the earth with the
basket beneath him Wonderful A. Il may
seem, from the time he spraug from the
basket his position In the air remained
erect. feet down, till lie struck. uotwilh-
standing the greater weight OF the head
anu body. which causes most human bod
Is = turn and fall head first. Its posi-
pie nc had acquired faculty OF CONTROL
iug his position In the air By athletic force.
Perhaps in the hurried thought. Of despair
he fancied he might, by striking feet down.
be spared from death
But the indescribablc swifness OF his
descent must have knocked the breath ont
81 hun. even had he struck upon newly
made haystack. Many people declare that
, they saw such movement. In his limbs and
U be alive and conscious until he struck
But this Is considered by the greater mum
per to have been entirely improbable. HI,
Ft.".'lI thIpuGh space with such light
ning-l he swiftness deprived him II all
breath aud sense OF life. undoubtedly.
while part way down. Indeed, it is hard
y possible that he Intentionally Jumped
from the basket. II Is more likely he fell
from i when he had no longer any power
To hold on 10 II. With terrific violence h..
crashed upon the earth, feet down hi
leg driven up into his body, and all but
his head being Instantly mashed into a
sickcning, qnivering mass Of spoutin.
blood, protrnding bones and dropping
he>h. His feet struck into the earth sew
eral inches. He struck few feet from
the jail wall, only about eight rods from
the very spot where he went up Down
came the basket right after him, and hi,
hat came waycring down. What became
81 the sack Of the balloon !. not known.
La Mountain resided IN Brooklyn. In this
state. where he leaves a wife and child.
He was apparently about forty years OF
age.