The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-10-10
MISCELLANY.
AN AWFUL DEATH.
The Recent Balloon Accident at
WapellO, IOWa-Terrifie Fall Of
Professor BOley.

From the Wapello tlowa1 Republican, sept Z6-
One of the most frightful scenes that
men and women are ever called upon to
witness, occurred at this place Thurs
day, September 25, at about half past
o'clock P. M.-the spectacle of a man
descending from a great height with
great rapidity, with the certainty that
in a moment he will be dashed to pieces.
Professor John II. Boley has been
making ascensions in Illinois and in this
State recently in hot-air balloon. The
manner of initiation is as follows: He
digs a trench some twenty-five feet long,
and two or three feet deep and wide.
This is filled with dry wood and other
combustible matter, and covered over.
At the mouth the fire is set, and large
barrel, with sieve in each end to keep
out cinders, and covered with cement to
prevent burning, constitutes the CHM
ney at the other end. Over the Chin
ney the mouth of the balloon is placed,
to catch the heat as it rises. The mouth
I of the ballon is secured to a strong
wooden hoop, six or eight feet in diane
ter, and to this hoop are fastened the
ropes that descend to the bar upon which
the eronaut stands in his giddy fight.
He does not use basket, as is usual.
During the process of imitation the
fame came up into the barrel, and fire.
quentfy ten or twelve feet into the body
of the balloon. When the balloon is
full and just before starting, it is GUS
tomary to have some trusty man to en-
ter the mouth of the balloon and put a
cover over the top of the barrel, SO as
to prevent danger from fire. His cous-
ins, James r. Spence, who travels with
him, usually performed this duty. Oc-
casionally Mr.. Boley has started out
without this preeaution, but it is hazard
Gus, and once before his balloon caught
fire, burning slowly without blazing, and
he got down in safety. Thursday Mr..
| Spence was unweII and could not bear
the intense heat of the balloon, and the
ascent was attempted without the pre-
caution of covering the barrel. The
sickening scene that followed was the
unfortunate rusult
The wind was blowing briskly from
the south, and it was not prudent to
make the attempt, but the professor was
to receive some pecuniary aid from the
Agricultural Society, and one or two of
the Board of Managers had given their
assent to the appropriation only on the
ground that one of the ascensions
should be made that day. Hence the
inducement, in part at least, to brave
the peril Besides, Mr.. Boley was a brave,
conscientious man, and he felt that he
must redeem his promise to make the
ascension.
No sooner had the balloon been let go
than to the horror and dismay of every
one it was discovered TO be on fire near it's
mouth, and the Professor instead of
standing on its bar was holding to it
with his hands and dangling below.
was fearful sight, that sent an indescri-
bable shudder through the crowd. There
was no outcry, but sort of smothered
groan that was more appalling. Wo-
men sank to the ground, Or hid their
eyes, or burst into tears, and men held
their breath in awful suspense. Mr.. Bo-
ley did not appear to notice the fire un-
til he had gained an altitude of one hun
dred feet or more, and then it was too
late to let go.
Besides his assistants say that the bal
loon was not fully inflated, and no one
thought it would rise so high. But up it
shot and he held on to his frail support the
flames each moment cutting away the
canvas above the hoop, and thus hurry
ing the instant that would launch him
into eternity. There were long ropes
attached to the top of the balloon that
had been used during imitation to con-
troll it and one of these swinging out
over the sphere came near him several
times, and he attempted to grasp it. Could
he have done SO, he would have had other
means Of support; besides his weight on
this would have inverted the balloon,
turning the burning end up, and, though
he might have descended with uncom-
Portable rapidity, it is probable that the
volume ofcanvas would have saved him.
But he missed his grasp and lost his hat
in the effort, which came whirling down
in advance. A moment more and the
canvas parted, and he came darting
through space, feet foremost, like an ar
row. Who can ever forget the sight
that Witnessed it? The fall occupied but
few seconds, but they seemed all too
long.
He fell in a stubble-field of low
ground, nearly half mile from the
starting point, coming down on his feet
with such force as to drive them in the
ground foot, and breaking the bones
of his legs in many places, and thrus-
ting their ragged ends through the flesh.
The body, head and arms were not Wis
sibly injured. The upper end of the bal
loon, shortly after he left it, turned in
side out, and fell, burning mass,
quarter of mile away.
John H. Boley was born in Allegheny
County, Pennsylvania. He moved to
Allensville, Vinton County Ohio, leaving
that place last June (25th) for Aledo,
Illinois. His age is about thirty-one.-
He had made twenty-eight ascensions
before coming west, and has made twelve
since. He leaves wife and four chill
dren in destitute circumstances. His
wife has been staying in Ohio, and the
three oldest children are now there. Re-
Gently she felt SO uneasy about him she
felt she must come soon or never see
him again. She was here and entreat-
ed him several times during the infa-
ton not to make the ascension, as she
felt he would never come down alive;
and at last, when everything was ready
she bade him adieu, and told him to kiss
the baby for the last time. Her presen-
timent seems to have been too true