Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-04-30
PERILoVS ADVENTURE.

4 . IT, 4
The San Francisco Call gives the fol
lowing particulars of the bursting of a
balloon in mid air near that city, on
the 4th instant, one of its reporters
having been in the car, which carried
FIVE gentlemen and two ladies, The
ascent was made from Woodward's
Garden, San Francisco, and for the
first half hour tie voyage was pleas
ant one. Then the wind increased, and
| Mr.. .Buisly, the assistant balloonist,
decided to descend, although opposed
by the rest Of the party. The account
| continues:
"About three miles directly east lay
the coast hills, and on the other side
stretched large fertile valley. All
were certain that the captain would not
l, attempt to land on this side of the hills
at the rate the bag was travelling, and
when Mons. Barber announced his in
tention Of landing on the bay side Mr..
Buislay protested very strongly, and
advised him to 60 over the range of
hills. The advice was disregarded, and
the captain having given orders for all
to sit in the bottom of the basket,
dropped his $50 pound anchor over the
side and passed out about one hundred
feet Of rope. A pull at the valve cord
brought the monster down like an
arolite, and the anchor dragged over
portion of the Estudillo ranch for about
quarter of mile without retaining
hold.
"Our reporter looked over the side
and saw the balloon passing over a
small shantys situated in the eastern
portion of the ranch. tfe shouted to
his fellow voyagers to look out and all
crouched down in the basket to- be
prepared for the shock. No one es-
cept Mi; Buisley anticipated such a
terrible shock as followed in a few
seconds. The balloon passed over the
house, and then the anchor struck a
light fence, which did not in the least
impede its progress. One of the fukes
dragged against the Rouse, and the
conclusion threw all the voyagers into
a heap in the basket. They had hardly
time to recover from the shock when
the rope broke, about three feet from
the anchor and the balloon shot almost
perpendicularly tip into the air. Buislay
shouted out that the anchor had been
lost, and to look out for a landing. All
instinctively felt the perilous position
they were placed in, the wind carrying
the bag along at terrible rate. But
the voyagers sat in the bottom of th e
basket quietly; if in suspense, awaiting
the s~oop to the ground, now
impending:
I into tie air it flew, until, four hun
dred feet up, quick, sharp, but slight
report was heard, followed by tearing
Of silk. The balloonists looked for
ward. and saw the whole centre of
Che balloon exposed, while the lower
half was Tapping about the ribbons
'Look out, the balloon has bursted,
shouted Mile. Gaugain. At olung
tightly to the ropes and sides of the
basket. The words had hardly been
spoken, when, in less than a fash, what
was left of the balloon was dashed to
the ground at an angle of about forty
five degrees, and at terrible velocity
| The suspense was almost momentary
for, with thud which almost crushed
the basket, it was dashed against the
ground about quarter of a mile from
the spot where the anchor had beer
left -.
The conclusion was terrific, and the
two ladies and FIVE gentlemen were
| thrown together in a mass. Not 6
word was spoken by the ladies or any
one in the car as they almost stared
death in the face. The basket was
capsized as soon as it touched the
ground, and it completely covered the
occupants. The lower part Of The bal
loon was in ribbons, and as the up
per portion formed a parachute, drag
| ged the car along the ground at a feal
I full speed, under which the struggling
occupants rolled along the ground with.
out any possible chance of freeing
themselves from the basket or ropes
the former covering them as with g
| box, and the latter preventing any pos
sible chance Of tie party dropping out
On over the ground the car was drag
ged, for a distance of three hundred
yards, the voyagers with it, and coming
in contact with the ground every jump
of the balloon. The inmates of the AL,
ameda County Hospital, where the bal
loon struck, ran toward it to render as
sistance, and about forty willing hands
caught hold of the long rope attached
to the basket. The balloon, after few
Intellectual tugs, at length settled down
after doing all the damage it could
, "When taken out, Captain Barbie
was unable to walk, and was carried
, to the hospital close by. Miss Al
| ice Rnrrinnton s,1st ainnd q anuoro