The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-07-30
RALLooNIsrs PERL.
Daring Rescue From Church steeple.

! A BALLOONISTS PERIL.
\
} Daring Rescue From Church steeple.
The Brockyille (Canada) Recordt
gives the following account of the pei
, ilous adventure of Professor Squire
the ballOonist, in that town, on Dc
minion Day:
The starting point was Coul
House Square. The Professor regard
ed the situation as particularly dan
gerOus in high wind, as the squa.
is fianked on each side by lofty build
ings, including the Court House, Ban
of Montreal, and Wesleyan Methods
Church. During the day seVera
small balloons were sent up to shoI
the direction of the wind; from ex
periments thus made it was show
that the principal danger was tn
Bank of Montreal and the Wesleyan
Methodist Church. Previous to start
ing, it was determined to remove tn
balloon from the place where it wa
inflated to a spot nearer the Cour
House, with the expectation that
would pass to the north of the spire
All being in readiness, orders wer
given to cast of. There was a hush
and the multitude grew silent as tn,
unwieldy Atlantic, being freed, sWaye(
backwards and forwards, and slowly
rose from its resting place to make
another voyage.
A steady gale had been blowing al
day, but its strength was not apparent
until the balloon struck the current o.
air above the house-tops this reached
| it sWayed with the breeze, and swept
| I, I
an hour. Its course was directly fol
the steeple of the church. The Pro-
fessor at once perceived the danger,
and could have avoided it by throw
ing out bag of ballast, which would
haYe given him sufficient buoyancy to
have passed over the steeple, but un-
fortunately the square below was
crowded with thousands of spectators
and bag of sand thrown out would
have crushed some one. The sand
was thrown out in small quantities,
and the balloon swept onward and
upward, but unfortunately not swerv-
ing from its dangerous course. 1t be-
came apparent that it would strike
the spire, and the anxious multitude
awaited the shock with blanched
cheeks. With tremendous rush the
Atlantic struck the apex of the spire,
and in another instant parted in twain.
At the same instant the basket con-
tanning the daring 8ronaut crashed
against the spire some twenty feet
below.
Seeing, as it were, instant death be-
fore him, Professor SqHires threw one
hand forwerd to avert as far as possi-
BILE the shock, at the same time allow
ing his body to sway IN the opposite
direction. As the balloon collapsed
and the gas escaped. it was seen that
the netting had caught on the point
of the spire. Squires was not seen
to move muscle,a whisper ran round
f'the collision has killed him." Then
a slight movement, and the basket be-
gan to slip. 1t was evident that the
netting was giving way. Women
grew white with terror; men trem-
bled. There, at a height of eighty
feet above the earth, was fellow be-
ing, hanging by few slender threads;
above and around him the glittering
steeple sheeted with tin; below, the
stone battlements of the tower, on
which to fall was instant death. A
pause, and the basket had evidently
been arrested in its downward course.
Squires was seen to grasp the netting.
The moment he struck the spire the re
was a rush for ladders and ropes
Without numbers were the plans sug-
gested to save him from death. But
at this moment brave men were clam
bering up the inside of the tower. A
small window below the caves open
below where the basket was
but unfortunately it was
very contracted, and it did not seem
possible to squeeze through the aper-
ture. But in a few seconds man
thrust his head through the window,
and board was pushed out of the
lower portion of the opening, the end
on the inside being held by men with
in. Then began struggle; it was
apparent that a man was endeaVoring
to crawl thrOughAthe narrow hole out
upon the board. The clothes were
torn from his person in the attempt,
but inch by inca he gained, and at last |
he was seated upon the board directly /
below the basket. The situation was
One of great danger. Should the net
ling give way, the basket in its de- |
scent would catch the daring man and |
nurl him, together with Squires, into
sternity. At his appearance there |
was cheer that made the Welkin ring
lgain. The heroic man who thus I
-isked his life to save a fellow-being |
N distress was Arthur Osmont. 1t !
vas seen when he stood up that he 1
could only reach the bottom of the /
basket and that he could not assist
Squires from his perilous position.
The main body of the network had
caught on the northern side, only two
Dr three small cords having passed
Iround the other eide, and these, when
he basket slipped, became slack The
east motion on the part of Squires
would have precipitated him upon the
tone steps below. Osment spoke to
Squires, who requested him to place
lis shoulder under the basket. This
,eing done, Squires caught hold of
light oval projection on the spite,
which offered slight hold, and thus
Ielped to support the basket.
At this instant Mr.. Andrew Steven
on appeared at an opening in the
pire above Squires. The opening
Onsists of small trap door, and was
ot discovered for some time. An
ther cheer went up as Stevenson
anne out on the spire, reached down
hand and firmly grasped the hand OF !
he erOnaut and slowly drew him up {
D place of safety. The suspense
las over and and Squires was saved.
tevenson displayed great presence of
hind and courage, and deserved the
raise that was showered upon him. !
IN Squires perceiving person above
i'm he inquired, "Can you hold me Z"
tevenson replied II can lift you ii
on weigh a ton"
We learn from Professor Squires
lat when thrown against the spire he
as rendered insensible for a moment
r two, but recovered his senses on
caring some person shout TO him
ON the inside of the sieeple. His
Ijuries consist of concussion of his 9
de and q bruised knee" L
A CHINESE lawyer, named Sling
lang. is soiouruinQ in Chicago, Ifhis