Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-04-23

Height of $500 Eeef-tne AncnOF
W1ne Rreaks, the Balloon Bursts,
aud the Car. Containing Heven
Persons, is thrown 10 the EHrth.
From the San Francisco Alta. April AL
Captain G. Barber made the second
ascension with his silk balloon, LIE
Secours, yesterday afternoon, from
Woodward's gardens. The entire after
noon was occupied in initiating the mon
ster and when it left on its sail in the
air, contained about sixty thousand feet
of gas. The attendance at the gardens
was not as large as usual on the occa-
sion of ballon ascensions. Many un-
doubtedly remained away on account OF
the wind. At halfpast three o clock
everything was in readiness and the
passengers took their seats in the car.
They were Miss Marie Gaugain, Miss
Alice Burlington sixteen years of age,
daughter of A. c. Burlington; August
Buislay, William Marriott, Jos. Irwin,
H. Guisoulaphe, and the aeronaut, g.
Barber. One false start was made, and
at forty.six minutes past three clock
Barber gave his command, "All hands
let 90" and the balloon shot up like
rocket, aud continued quickly on its
course across the city to Hunters
Point, rising to hight Of sixteen hun.
dred feet, going in a southerly direction,
and then turning around skinned across
the bay, being at point opposite San
Leandro in twenty-one minutes after
starting from the gardens. A carrier
pigeon was here let out Of the basket
with dispatch, stating that pleasant
| L. nd oil all
our friends we died happy" The pigeon
swung around and then dropped into the
water. Thirty minutes after leaving the
gardens the excursionists we're inland
about ten miles west oil Alameda. Some
euss in Alameda tried his aim, and fred
| a shot at the ballou; the sound was dis
tinctly heard by all in the car. In Ala
media Barber, against the protest OF
Buislay, opened the valve when the car
was within two hundYed and fifty feet CT
the ground.
| A strong wind was blowing at the
| time and the balloon was going at the
rate of mile inmate. Buislay said il
would not be safe to land, and protested
so strongly against it that four bags of
ballast were thrown out, and the balloon
/
along, and passed over Alameda. Thirty
eight minutes from the time OF starting,
the anchor was dropped, with one han
dred feet of rope, being at the time about
two miles directly west from, San Lean
dre. The anchor dragged for about an
eighth of a mile, caught on fence
which was broken to pieces, and then
caught on a shanty occupied by Murillo
on the Estudillo rancho, the windows
and sashes of the house being torn out
The rope, one and a quarter inches
thick, broke next, and the balloon
bounded up suddenly a distance OF four
hundred feet. Mr.. Irwin heard a quick
| snap and a tear, and, on looking up
discovered large opening in the bal
| loon, and Ithe verdict was promptly an
nounced that the balloon has burst. "
Orders were then given for all hands to
| get to the bottom of the basket, as close
as possible. The car came down slant
ing, with terrible velocity, struck the
ground heavily aud eapsized The wind
again sent the balloon up, and the seven
occupants, huddled together underneath
the basket with ropes and sandbags,
were dragged for three hundred yards,
rolling on top of each other, and being
squeezed and janmed as though they
we're sardines, and utterly helpless. The
balloon at this tiae was in the grounds
of the county hospital at San Leandro.
The lives Of the seven sxcursienist'
we're saved by tie timely arrival of par
ties In the hospital, who ran to theii
rescue, caught the car, turned it over,
cut it from the balloon, and extricated
the occupants. Mr.. Irwia was the srsl
to be helped oat, and he, in turn, helped
Buislay, whose arm was caught In one
of the rings attached to the car. Miss
Gaugain was the last out, being TIE un
dermost.