The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-07-14
UP IN THE AIR.
4 BALLOONIST,S PERIL.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ON A CHURCH sTEEPLE
THE BRAVERY OF MR. oSMENT.
The Rockville (Ont.) Recorder gives the
following detailed account of the perilous
position in which Prof. Squires, the seronaut,
was placed on Dominion day: At O'Clock
P. NJ, Prof Squires attempted to ascend
with his balloon, the Atlantic. The starting
point was courthouse square, The profess
sOr regarded the situation as particularly |
dangerous in a high wind, as the square is
fianked on each side by lofty buildings. in
Guiding the courthouse, Bank of Montreal. |
and w. NJ. Church. During the afternoon
| the balloon, which was being Inflated with |
hydrogen gas, was the center of attraction,
| and at the time of starting fully ten thou
sand people had assembled to witness the |
voyage In md air. The Atlantic is con- |
structed of peculiar quality of muslin,
very thin and soft in texture but when |
oiled, capable OF holding the gas. The neS-
| ting which envelopes the balloon is double
| and twist ed silk and the ropes by which
the netting is attached to the basket are
aoOut q of an inch in diameter. The basket
is constructed of strong wicker work, being
about three feet in diameter and two feet in
depth. The ropes by which it is attached to
the balloon are woven in so as to pass
completely in under the same. During the
day several small balloons were sent up to
sh w the direction of the wind. From ex
periments thus made il was shown that the
principal danger was the Bank of Montreal
and the w. NJ. Church Previous to starting
it was determined to remove the balloon
from the place where il was inflated, to q
point nearer the court house, with the ex-
pectatlon that the Atlantic would pass to
the north of the spire. The cargo in the
basket consisted of three bags of sand,
| weighing each about 30 pounds prapplinp-
iron, to which attached strong rope
and Prof. Squires, who was to start on his
18th voyage among the clouds. All being
in readiness, orders were given to cast off.
There was a hush, and the multitude grew
silent as the unweldy Atlantic, being freed,
swayed backward and forward, and slowly
rose from its resting place to make another
voyage in the ethereal blue. A steady gale
had been blowing all day, but its strength
was not apparent until the balloon struck
the current of air above the house tops; this
reached, 1t swayed with the breeze, and
swept on at a rate of at least Is miles an
hour 1t course was directly for the steeple
of the w. Nj. Church. The professor at once
PERCEIVED THE DANGER,
and could have avoided it by throwing ont
} a bag of ballast, which would have given
him sufficient buoyancy to have passed over
the steeple, but unfortunately the square be-
low was crowded with thousands of Specta-
tors, and bag of sand thrown out would
have crushed some person below. The sand
was thrown out in small quantities, and the
balloon swept upward and onward, but un-
fortunately not swerving from its dangerous
direction. It became apparent that the bal
loan would strike the spire, the watching,
anxious, breathless multitude awaiting the
( shock with compressed lips and blanched
cheeks. With tremendous rush the At
lantic struck. the apex of the spire, and in
another instant parted in twain. At the
same moment the basket containing the dar-
) Ing aeronaut crashed against the spire some
20 feet below. Seeing, as it were, instant
death before him, Prof. Squires threw one
hand forward to avert as far as possible the
shock, at the same time allowing his body to
sway in the opposite direction. The crash
of the collision sounded over the SQUARE now
silent as the grave. Asthe balloon collapsed
and the gas escaped it was seen that the net
ting had caught on the point of the
spire. moment of breathless suspense
Squires was not seen to move a muscle.
$ whisper ran around-the collision has killed
, him! Then a slight movement and the
basket began to slip, 1t was evident that
I the netting was giving way. Women grew
/ white with terror; brave men trembled.
There, at a height OF 80 feet above the earth.
! was fellow being hanging by few slender
2 threads above and around him, the glitter
!, ing steeple sheeted with tin, below the cold
] stone battlements of the tower, on which to
g fall was instant death. A pause, and the
: basket had evidently been arrested in its
!. downward course. Squires was seen to grasp
q the netting; the rope rose, he might be saved.
? The moment he struck the spire there was
J, rush for ladders and ropes. Without num-
r Der were the plans suggested to save him
from death. But at this moment brave men
] were clambering up the inside of the grim
church tower, determined to save a human
life. A small window directly below the
caves of the tower opens directly beneath
where the basket was suspended, but I'M
I fortunately it was very contracted, and it
s did not seem possible for a man by any
means to squeeze through the aperture.
But in a few seconds a man thrust his head
, through the window, and a board was
! pushed out of the lower portion of the open
; ing, the end on the inside. being held by
| men within.
THEN BEGAN A STRUGGLE;
it was apparent that a man was endeavoring
to crawl through the narrow hole out upon
! the board. The clothes were torn from his
person in the attempt, but inch by inch he
gained, and at last was seated on the board
, directly below the basket. The situation
| was one of great danger. Should the netting
1 give way, the basket in its descent would
: catch the daring man and hurl him, together
with Squires, into eternity. At his appear
ance there was cheer that made the wei kin
ring again. The heroic man who thus risked
his life to save fellow-being in distress was
D Arthur Osment 1t was seen when Osment
s stood up that he could only reach to the
e bottom of the basket, and that he could not
a assist Squires from his perilous position.
. The main body of the network had caught
on the northern side Of the spire, only two
or three small cords having passed around
r the other side, aud these " hen the basket
q slipped became slack. The least motion on
% the part OF Squires would have precipitated
g him upon the stone steps below. Osment
: spoke to Sqaires, who requested him
% 30 place bis shoulder under the basket; this
l. being done, Squires caught hold of slight