The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-10-27
it loose. DONALDSON was looking anxicusly

LANDING PLACE,
as the sun was setting. He found what he
wanted in depression just southwest of
the Widows Home, where pond formerly
existed, but now quite dry, and almost level
with the surrounding streets. The balloon
moved at a snail's pace, as only faint
breeze was perceptible. Ii was an easy mat
ter for few men below to bring her at an
anchorage. When we arrived upon the
scene a thousand shouting men, women
and children, mainly Germans, pressed in
upon the basket, which rested upon the
earth, some large stones having been added
to the cargo. The bride and bridesmaid
were sitting on the edge of the basket sip
ping glasses of champagne, the first bottle
having Just been opened. The whole party
were in the gayest possible spirits, and all
spoke rapturously of the delights of the adj
venture. They were eager to ascend again,
but Prof. Donaldson said no. he asked for
more stone, and as they were deposited in
the basket the bridal party disembarked
and entered the carriages which had
followed them out. Donaldson said
that he would have the balloon
gas as possible for to-day's ascension.
Mr. Thomas remained with him to take care
of the balloon. The others were driven to
the city. At the Crawford House, which
was reached at SIP. NJ. just one anda half hour
after the balloon sailed away from the hip
-
the party, proposing to depart for Pittsburg
an hour later. Several of the lady riders
were waiting at the Crawford House for the
BRIDES return. They pounced out upon the
sidewalk lit was dark by this time) and
darted at the bride in the carriage to
get the first kiss from her. The ladies
kissed each other furiously, and then they
cried little. The bride and groom, brides
maid and groomsman, were then driven to
the Cathedral residence, where another mar
riage was performed by Father Quinn, in
accordance with the desire of the bride, who
is a Catholic. Archbishop Purcell made a
brief address to the couple, and presented to
each of them his photograph. The party re-
turned to the Crawford House, where the
happy pair received their friends and well
coined them with generous entertainment.
So ended the first balloon wedding. After
the balloon landed we had some
| CONVERSATION WITH THE voYAGERs,
four of whom, the bridegroom, bridesmaid,
Mr.. Coup and the Rev. Mr.. Jeffries, had
never before made an ascension. They all
agreed in pronouncing the sensations as in
descrioably inspiring. Mr.. Coup has been a
! great traveller, but never had as grand SEN
sation before. He witnessed the ascension
at Calais, France, last summer, where the
aeronaut and his wife were driven out upon
the North Sea, and after a terrible exper-
fence were rescued by British bark. The
recollection of that hair-breadth escape did
not lessen his desire to go up with Donald
son as soon as possible after returning to
America. He is not well acquainted
| with localities in Cincinnati, but he no.
ticed particularly wonderful birds-eye view
of park, probably Washington park. From
the clergyman we could get little but rhap.
sody over the general delights of ballooning
He found boundless enjoyment in the as
cent, the wedding, the drifting, the descent
and the landing. Pittsburg will lose q
| nrQ nf n oxyco nd rain q ho1.
tombstone of the born Kind like Donald
son. This was Mr.. Thomas tenth ascension
| He says the earth was rather indistinct yes
terday when the balloon was half mile
high. The air was hazy, and she scarcely
got far enough away from the heart o.
the city TO escape the smoke. He was
struck by the GOODNESS of the preacher, and
praises warmly the manner in which
he conducted the ceremony. Before the
last words were uttered, the balloon had
pierced the last stratum of Clouds and al
| most at the moment the words were spoken
''I pronounce you husband and wife, they
were lifted into cloudless atmosphere and
sparkling sunlight. A flock of birds that
flew northward under the balloon excited
much interest. Until the balloon reached
the hills around the city, objects on the
! earth were but dimly visible. The cere
mony was followed by nice little wedding
feast, the. party being decidedly coy and
PROFESSIONALLY merry. Donaldson never
made a trip before in which he landed with
in the limits of a city. Mr.. Thomas Sc
cured copy of the preachers address in
the balloon, which was as follows:
ADDRESS BEFORE THE CEREMONY
Marriage is of love, which imparts to tn,
realities of life all the charms of romance
The Creator has, in His wisdom, so con
stituted humanity that the soul hungers ant
thirsts for love-seeks affinity of sOul-anC
when that is found the two blend their iden
THY, love their individuality, and becom
one in thought, purpose and affection. Fo
the sanctitying of this union OF soul and Il
cement these ties God ordained and insti
tuted marriage, declaring that sit was no
good that man should be Alone wherefor
He provided an help-mate for hinn-'mal
and female, created He them'-sent then
forth a single pair, one husband and On
wife, dedicating each wholly to the other
together to enjoy the bliss of Eden, tOgethe
to suffer the woes of eXpulsion-to share tn,
, Joys of holiness or the miseries of SIM
, Then followed the ceremony and benedic
ton, and then the minister made the follow
ing
REMARKS AFTER CEREMONY:
Marriage is not an earthly but heaven
ly institution, belonging to the highe
realms of life, and as such is it revered b,
: the enlightened; the greater the enlighten
ment of any country or community tn
greater the respect it accords marriage. A
, an institution above those of the WORLD
merely, it is, then, most fitting that it
solemnization should be celebrated far allow
| the earth. May you, whose life-destinie
, have been joined together at this altitude
be always lifted above the Universities OF life
Hence you look down upon the multitude
below, who appear as pigmies from your ele
/, Walton, and you see that the sun is fast go
ing down upon them; shadows lengthen
and darkness will quickly en-
| fham lJnOn
seen at any time to-day; so may 1t be in life
and you be exempt from shadows and dark
ness, though you see them fall upon others
! AS you here serenely float above the hills
| the rocks and the roughness below. so ma,
: your united destinies bear you above thu
rugged places of life; may you have no hill