The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-07-16


the perilous position In which Prof
Squires, the aeronaut, was placed on
Dominion day. At 5 o'clock F. 81
Prof. Squires, of New York. the daring
: aeronant, attempted 20 ascend with bi1
balloon, the Atlantic. The starting point
was Courthouse square. The Professor
regarded the situation as particularly
: dangerous in a high wind as the square
Is hanked on each side by lofty building.
including the Courthouse, Bank of Mon
treal, and w. NJ. Church. The cargo
IN the basket consisted OF three bags of
sand, weighing each about fifty pounds
a graphing iron, % which was attached
a strong rope, and Prof SQuires. eho
was to start on his one hundred and
eighty-seventh voyage amid the clouds
ALL BEING IN READINESS.
orders were given 10 cast off, There
was a hush, and the multitude grew sd
lent as the unwieldly Atlantic. being
freed, swayed backwards and forwards
and slowly rose from It's resting place ta
make another voyage IN the ETHEREAL blue.
A steady gale had been blowing AN day.
but ITS strength was not apparent until
/ the balloon struck the current of airabova
! the house-tops. This reached, be swayod
with the breeze, and swept 0n alta rate I'D
| fifteen miles an hour lbs course wus d.
rectly for the steeple Of the w. ~
Church. The Professor az once perceived
the danger, and could have avoided Is by
throwing out a bag of ballast. which
would have given him sufficient buoyunCy
70 have passed over she steeple but uu-
fortunately, the square below was crowd.
ed with thousands of spectators. and %
bag Of sand thrown out would have
crushed some person below. The sand
was thrown in small quantities. and the
balloon swept upward and onward hut.
unfortunately, not swerviug from its dam
gerOus direction. Ii became apparent
that the balloon would strike the spirc.
the watching, anxious, breathless multi.
tude awaiting the shock with compressed
lips and blanched checks With "a tra-
mendous rush the Atlantic
STRUCK THE APEX or THE srmF,
and. in another instant parted In twain
At the same moment the basket contain.
ing the daring aerouaut crashed agaius,
the spire some twenty feet below. See
ing, rs it were, instant death before him.
Prof. Squires threw one hand forward 90
avert, as far as possible, the shock, at Cine
same time allowing his body 10 swayeiu tho
opposite direction. The crash of the coll
lision sounded over the square, now sileu
as the grave. As the balloon collapsed
and the gas escaped, it was seen that the
netting had caught on the point off tbe
spre. A moment Of breathless suspense.
Squires was not seen 10 move muscle
A whisper ran nround-the collision has
killed him Then slight movement.
and the basket began to slip. Itwus eve
ident that the netting was giving way.
Women grew white with terror; brave
men trembled. There, at "A height of eigh-
~ feet above the earth, was a fellow be-
ing
HANGING BY FEW SLENDER THREADS.
A bove and around him, the glitering
steeple sheeted with tin below the cold
stone battlements Of the tower, on which
to fall was instant death. A pause, and
the basket had evidently. been arrested
in its downward course. Squircs was seen
to grasp the netting; hope rose, lac might
be saved. The moment he struck the
spire there was "a rush for ladders and
ropes. Without number were the plans
suggested TO save him from death. but
at this moment brave men were Chamber
ing up the inside OF the grim church
tower, determined 10 save a human life.
A small window directly below the caves
Of the tower opens directly beneath where
the basket was suspended, but uuf0rtu-
nately II was contracted, and 10 did not
seem possible for IA man by any means To-
squeeze through the aperture. But I'M
few seconds IA man thrust his head
through the window, and a board was
pushed out Of the lower portion of the
opening the end ON the inside being held
By men within. Then began "a struggle;
i was apparent that man was eudeav0r-
ng 10 crawl through the narrow hole out
upon the board The clothes were torn
from his person in the attempt, but inch
by inch he gained, and at last was seated
on the board directly below the basket
The situation was one Of extreme danger.
SHOULD THE NETTING GIVE WAY,
the basket in It's descent would catch the
daring man and hurl him, together with
Squires, into eternity. At his appear
ance there was cheer that made the
welkin ring again. The heroic man who
thus risked his life to save "a fellow
being in distress was Arthur Osmcnt M
was seen that when Osment stood mp De
could only reach the bottom of the bas-
ket, and that he could not assist Squres
from his Perilous position. The main
body OF the network had caught ON tine
northern side of the spire, only two ur
three small cords having passed around
the other side, and these, when the bas-
ket slipped, became slack. The least
motion on the part of Squires would
have precipitated him upon the stone
steps below. Osment spoke 10 Squires.
who requested him 10 place his shoulder
under the basket; this being done, Squiros
caught hold Of slight oval projection
On the spire which offered q slight hold,
and thus helped TO support the basket
At this instant Mr. Andrew Stevenson
at an opening ia the spire above
Squlres. The opening consists of "a small
trap door and was not discovered for
some time. Another cheer went Up as
Stevenson came out upon the spre,
reached down a hand, and firmly grasped
the aeronaut and slowly drew him 10
ace Of safety. The suspense was over,
and
sQUIREs WAS SAVED.
Stevenson displayed great presence of
mind and courage, and deserves well the
praise that was showered upon him. ON
Squires perceiving a person above him
he inquired, "Can you hold me-" Steven
son replied, II can lift you if you weigh
tom" evidently the right man was ID The
right place. We learn from Professor
Squires that when thrown against the
spire he was rendered insensble for
moment or two, but recovered his senses
on hearing some person shout TO him
from the inside of the steeple. His inc