Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-03-28
"a terrible sltuation Is


Mysterious Island" now appearing
serially in Scribner's Monthly, gives
an idea of the apparently hopeless
plight in which this author delights
in placing his heroes.
A terrible situation, that of these
unfortunateS! They were evidently
no longer masters of the balloon
Their endeavors were fruitlesS; the
envelope of the air-ship decreased
more, and more. The fluid escaped
without any possibility of retaining
it. The descent was viSably accel-
Grated, and, an hour after noon, the
car was suspended not more than
six hundred feet above the ocean.
1t was, in fact, impossible to pre-
vent the flight of the gas, which
escaped freely through large rent
in the sack of the balloon.
By tightening the car of all the
objects which it contained, the pas
sengers had been able to prolong
their suspension in the air for fome
hours. But the inevitable cataStro-
phe could only be delayed, and if
some land did not disclose itself e e
.Ilghtfall, passengers, car and balloon
would have finally disappeared be
meath the waves.
The only manGuvre still left to
perform was accomplished at that
moment. The balloon passenger
were evidently energetic people,
who knew how to look death in the
face. Not single murmur had
been heard to escape from their
lips. daa ''aifa7 a'.
The car was only kind of wicker
case, unfit to float, and there was no
possibility of maintaining t ON the
surface of the sea, if it fell there.
At two o'clock the balloon was
scarcely two hundred feet above the
water. ft .,.s -- -
AT that moment, a manly voice,
that of one whose heart was inacces-
sible to fear, made itself heard. To
that voice responded no less energet-
1t voices. -
''Is everything thrown out?"
"No there is still ten thousand
francs in gold"
A heavy sack fell, at the same in
stnat into the sea.
'Is the balloon rising again %
''A little, but it will not be long
| in falling back"
''What is there left to throw
away ?" ia'f '''
'sNothing." .a
''But there is? The carp
''Let us cling to the net, and INTO
the sea with the carp
1t was indeed the last and on
ly means of Tightening the air
ship. The cords which held the car
were cut, and after its fall the balloon
ascended two thousand feet.
The five passengers had hOisted
themselves into the net, above the
ring, and supported themselves in
the labyrinth of meshes, looking
down into the abyss. + ..
Everyone. knows with what stat
les sensibility balloons are endowed.
To throw out the ightest object is
sufficient to provoke tOppling
from a vertical line. The apparatus
hpating in the air, is like a balance,
of mathematical precision. One
comprehends, then, how, when it is
lightened of a relatively considera-
bic weight, the topping will be i'm
| portant and abrupt. That is what
happened on this occasion.
But, after having poised itself
an instant in the upper zones, the
balloon began TO redescend the
gas continued escaping from the
rent, which it was impossible to re-
pair.
The passengers had done all
thai they could. Henceforth no hu,
man means could save them. They
had nothing more save the aid OF
God to count on. .-
At four o'clock, the balloon was
only five hundred feet above the
surface of the waves.
| A sonorous barking was heard. A
dog accompanied the passengers
and held himself embedded neal
his master in the meshes of the
net. a- .
"Top sees something!'' cried Ont
of the passengers. a4 ,-.-.c. p.
| Then, at the same instant, strong
voice was heard. .l .Ut .a.l. I
Gland! land!" t.-F .t
r. Scribney's for ADrik