The Portland daily press., 1874-04-22
ERMS $500 PER ANNUM ADVANCE
PerilOas Adventure.
BURSTING OF A BALLOON IN Mm-AR.-
THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF SEVEN PER-
SONS IN AN AERIAL CAR.

Inc San francisco Call gives the following
particulars OF the bursting of a balloon in
niiu w aI near tnat city, on the 4th instant.
one OF its reporters having been in the car
winch carried five gentlemen and two ladies'
Inc ascent Was made from Woodward's Car
den, Sar francisco, and for the frst h,lf
hour the voyage was a pleasant cue. Then
the wind increased, and Mr.. Buisay. the az
sistant baloonist, decided to descend Al
though opposed by the rest of the partv
The account continues: -
''About three miles directly east Law the
coast hills, and on the other side stretched =
large fertile valley. All were certain thlt the
captain would not attempt to land on this
side of the hills, at the rate the bag was
travelling, and when Mons. Barber an
nounced bis intention of landing on the bay
side Mr.. Buislay protested very strongly, and
advised him to go over the range OF hills.
The advice was disregarded and the captain
having given orders tor ali to sit in the bot
tom OF the basket, dropped his $50 pound an
chor over the side and passed out about one
hundred feet OF rope. A pull at the valve
cord brought the monster down like an
aeroilte, and the anchor dragged over a por-
tlon OIL Estudillo ranch for about quarter
OF mile without retaining hold.
Our reporter looked over the side and saw
the balloon passing over a small shanty, sit
| uated in the eastern portion OF the ranch.
He shouted to his fellow-voyagers to look ont.
and all crouched down in the basket to be
prepared for the shock. No one except Mr..
Buislay anticipated such terrible shock as
followed in few seconds. The balloon
passed over the house, and then, the anchor
struck light fence, which did not in the
least impede its progress. One of the fiuk,.s
dragged against the house, and the coDcus-
sion tn ew all the voya ers into heap in
the basket. They hardly time to recover
from the shock when the rope broke, about
three feet from the anchor, and the balloon
shot almost perpendicularly up into the air.
Bulslay shouted out that the anchor had
been lost, and to look out for landing.
All instiDctively felt the perilors position
they were placed in, the wind carrying the
bag along at a terrible rate. But the voy-
ayers sat in the bottom Of the basket quietly,
If in suspense, awaiting the swoop to the
ground, now impending. Into the air it
flew, until, four hundred feet up, a quick,
sharp, but slight report was heard followed
by tearing of silk. The baoonist looked
| upward, and saw the whole centre OF the
| balloon exposed, while the lower half was
| tapping around in ribbons. Look out, the
balloon has BURST" shouted Mile. Gaugain
| All clung tightly TO :he ropes ana sides OF the
basket. The words had hardly been spoken,
when in less than fash, what was left of
balloon was dashed TO the ground at an an
! gle vi about iorty-fve degrees, and at a terri
bic velocity. The suspense was almost mo-
me ntary, 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 been left.
The conclusion was terrific, and the two Ia
| dies and i've gentlemen were thrown together
in a mass. Not word was spoken by the la
| dies 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, aid
it completely covered the occupants. Tue
! lower part OF the balloon by this time was in
ribbons, and as tie upper portion formed a
parachute il dragged the car along the ground
al fearful speed, under which the struggling
occupants rolled along the ground without any
possible chanse Of freeing themselves from
the basket or the ropes. the former covering
them as with box, and the latter preventing
any possible chance fthe party dropping out
On over the ground the car was dragged for
distance of three hundred yards, the voyagers
with it, and coming in contact with the lane
| at every bump of the balloon. The inmate:
of the Alameda County Hospital, where The
balloon struck, ran towards il, to render as
sistance, and about iorty willing hands caugh
hold OF the long rope attached to tie basket
The balloon, after few hefectual tugs a
length settled down, after doing ali the dam
age it coull.
when taken out, Cartain Barber was un
able to walk, and was carried to the hospital
close by. Miss Alice Burlington sustained :
severe conclusion on the right side of IN,
| head, but was otherwise uninjured. Mrs
Gaugan escaped with sight cut on the cheeb
and Mr.. Guisoupbe with badly cut face and
arms MIR. Marratt was badly cut about the
scalp and his right ear was almost severed
| The Call reporter escaped with a cut lp.'