The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1875-09-01
Professor Kings Frightful Balloon
~ Voyage. 2


- .
King in the Burlington (Iowa) Haweye.
,.sI asoended ., from Burlington at
half-past 4 NJ, taking northeast
direction. Iu q few moments L had
crossed diagonally thea Mississippi
river and was sailing in tho direction
ofsome wild bottom lands. 1 had
Sintended to mako landing at the
hrst opportunity offered, but tho
poorest Prospeet presented just then
determined me to continue tho voy.
age. oi An.ugly looking storm cloud
lay right'iu front of me, the low,
ragged edges Of which betokened
wind as we'll as rain. knew i had
business before me, but hardly
realized tho strange and terrible ex-
perience that was about to pass
through. 1 had hardly left the
grouud before / heard the rumbliug
bunder, and in q very few minutes ]
was immersed in the cloud-that is,
what appeared TO be the superior per-
tion ofit! j thought that ut the time
| disappeared from the sight of tho
crowd in front Of Barnum's Hippo
drome l was about three.quartors of
nile high. There seemed to be
nothing unusual about tho cloud as |
entered it, it being simply dense
fog, til, ough which i arose calmly
enough for some minutes had
hoard tho thunder from tho first, aud
seemed to be getting near the sound,
when suddenly, there came All electric
discharge 10 my immediate vicinity !;
at the same moment the balloon
seemed to have been seized by somo
extraordinary, force. and gas was
hurled through the open neck iu uso',d
stream, aud for moment | was fear.
ful of being suffocated. l opeued the
valve ut the top OF the balloon to
give it vent, and did my best to get
out Of the way of the escaping gas
below. Following quickly came
another discharge in another direc-
tion, and the balloon was again
seized aud thrown with fearful veluci-
ty in that dis eotiun, and this was
repeated over aud over again, the
lightning blazing around mo, and |
looked anxiously at the escaping
volume of gas; once OF twice when
tho balloon gave such terrific lunges
| thought had bocn struck with the
huid, for it did not seem possible to
escape it. had been pitched and
tossed about in this manner for about
twenty minutes, without even reach
lug the top Of the cloud, when all at
once torrent of rain began to fall
from above it seemed to cleave the
mir almost in mass the fog around
me presented the appearance Of
white borse.tails as the falling water
pierced through it, dragging it uloug.
The weight of water showed its effects
on the balloon, too, and CONFESS
it was with sense of relief that I
saw the lower portion Of the balloon
drawn upward in parachute shape,
which Indicated to certainty that it
wa descending. l had now another
danger abead, which must bo met
with care and resolution. l could
see thing below az >et all was
log aud rain there oaule an instant
however, when saw the tops of the
trees ; it was but an instant; tho
next l was dashing through their
tops. touring off limbs and crashing
along at fearful rate. The collaps
sing cord was in my hand; threw
my weight upon it, the gas escaped,
the balloon and net work spreading
Itself over the trees, letting the car
down through then, almost to the
ground, allowing me to alight il
safety. The balloon was badly
damaged, but not, hope, beyond re
pair. A tramp through corn field
three quarters OF mile or more
brought me to house, and soon !
found willing hands to assist me in
getting my balloon out oftho woods.
had alighted two miles southeast
from Olena, in Henderson county,
liz, in what is known as Campbeli's
timber. The duration of the VOYAGE
was not over three quarters of an
hour, and in the direction in which
the drag rope )uy across the trees
alter tho descent found that | Was
returning in almost ,iircot lipo to
Burlinutop