The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-10-27
AMONG THE CLOUDS.
THE BALLOON WEDDING.
MARRIAGE IN MID AIR.

MARRIAGE IN MID AIR.
THE CINCINNATI sENsATION-A VERY SUCCESS
FUL AFFAIR-A SPLENDID ASCENSION AND
SAFE DESCENT-MRs. BARNUM DESCRIBED
TEE PLUCKY CLERGYMAN.
The Cincinnati Commercial tells in an an
mated way the story of the balloon marriage
in that city Monday: After a slightly cruel
delay of forty-eight hours, caused by the
bursting of the bridal balloon that was to
carry them aloft, Mr.. Charles NJ. Cotton
and Miss Mary E. Walsh, two young aud
blooming attaches of Barnum's Roman Hip
podrome, became man and wife yesterday
at 4:40, p. NJ, at the altitude of one mile
above the western edge of the city. The
balloon assembled at 4:30 O'Clock, and landed
in perfect safety at $40, in a vacant lot lust
south of the Widows Home, Mt. Auburn.
At P. NJ. the bridal party was back in the
city, the journey from first to last having
been one of uninterrupted enjoyment.
The opinion of the public generally in re-
gard to the extent OF splendid humbug that
Barnum can accomplish amounts to a SUPER
stition. He is supposed to be able to dazzle
the judgment and confuse the visien to
degree almost supernatural. 1t strikes us
that he is giving the people this time mag
nificent show for very reasonable price,
and we do not hesitate to say that the hip
podrome performances are quite beyond
parallel. Yet some persons imagine that
they are getting mysteriously hum
plugged after all. The balloon we'd
ding was pronounced by these
knowing ones to be mere adj
vertising device, just as If the good looking
young men and women around hippo
drome could not love and wish to marry with
all the eclat attainable. The match yester-
day was one of affection, and would have
occurred in commonplace fashion but for the
fact that the press agent of the hippodrome,
Mr.. d. s. Thomas, wanted it to take place in
balloon. Through his efforts the consent of
the young people was obtained, and he met
with hearty cooperation from Mr.. Barnum,
his captains, and the entire company. This
was the first wedding in liberated balloon
on record. A couple were married at San
Francisco few years ago in a balloon,
which was secured to EARTH however, by a
rope. Cincinnati has therefore another
event of novel interest to be placed in her
note book. Mr.. Barnum has so large a
talent for organization that he does not
spend much of his time Eat the front"
He forms his departments, and over each of
them places a tried subordinate. A con-
slant flow of kilograms keeps him informed
OF the condition of affairs with the show.
The news of the collapse of the balloon Sat
urday did not suit him. He took the first
train for Cincinnati, accompanied by the
young, English wife he married abroad
about two months ago.
NIX. AND MRS. BARNUM
occupied seats yesterday afternoon in the
front row of chairs nearest the judges stand.
The veteran Snowman looks hale and &C.
tive, though he is now in his 65th year, and
40 years have elapsed since he printed his
first posters about Joice Heth. Mr.. Barnum
is rather pOrtly, has a fresh though not
horid complexion, and is moderately bald.
His hair retains enough OF the original ligh.
brown to make the gray a little doubtful.
He shaves clean, and dresses in spotless
black, rUffied shirt and drab kids
His jewelry yesterday was a medium sized
diamond cluster pin and a neat
gold vest watch chain. His eyes are rather
prominent and of grayish-blue color. His
teeth-well, his teeth are faultlessly regular
you know. He has a cordial smile. an at
tentive manner, and sprinkles his cOnversa-
ton with harmless humorous sallies. The
famous Phineas is as well preserved an au-
tumal gentleman as could be found the
country over. His young wife, apparently
aged about "a, looks like lady of amiability
and refinement. She Is short in stature, in
Ginning to plumpness. Her complexion is
blonde, and her features are of purely
English type. The eyes are blue, hair a
golden brown, profile decided but regu-
lar. 1t was evidently her first visit to the
hippodrome, for her interest was undis-
guised and she watched the Indians and the
buffalo with special wonder. Mrs. Bsrnum
was richly dressed in black silk, black cloth
cloak covered with jet beads, and black
velvet hat with light blue and black feathers.
445 fingers OF the left hand blaZed win five
or six large diamond cluster rings. Mr..
Barnum was very attentive in explaining
the various acts to her, though he was
rather struck himself by the spectacle of
Indian life'' which be had never seen be-
lore. He pronounced it "verY good indeed, "
and SO 1t is. We judge that since his