The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-01
Ghe 9ailg Argns.
BALLOON ASCENSION.
A Daring Aeronaut up IN a Blaze of
Fire--Ee Falls from Distance of
Half Mile in Smoke and Fiane--His
Limbs Shattered to Splinters. Ga

From the B0eling Green (Hy } Pantagraph,
To make their fair successful, inviting
and attractive as possible, the directors
aud managers of the Mclean county fair
last week advertised grand balloon as
cension. The services of Prof. s. ID.
Atcheson, daring aeronaut of Cincinnati,
and Mr.. q, Z. Grady as manager, with
large and handsome balloon, equal to the
dimensions OF all ordinary cottage houses,
were procured. Thursday was the day,
for the grand ascension. The bold and
dauntless aarOnaut stepped gracefully for
ward and grasped the trapeze. He was
cool, calm. collected, and full of nerve, as
though enjoying the commonest everyday
pastlme. His appearance was quite at
tractive. He is comparatively young in
years, and has the muscular, wiry elasticity
of the triumphant athlete, aud form and
mold that would have done credit to the
antique wrestlers when the Olympic games
were iD their palmiest splendors, and when
a laural wreath won there was next in hon
or to a victorious battle won on the field
AS he grasped the trapeZe, by order of Mr.
Grady, the stays were cut, and up, up
shot, straight as an arrow, the air-ship,
swift and graceful in featkery lightness.
As he assembled, the guy-ropes were
dropped, and on he sped amid tumultuous
and deafening shouts of the people, to
whom he waved his hand from distance
beyond where the clouds and the thunders
make their home. Higher and higher
went the balloon amid the unrestrained
enthusiasm of the people.
When she had reached an altitude OF
nearly half mile. dense smoke was seen
issuing from the balloon, curling biuely
towards the bluer skies, when horror oi
horrors, the balloon was discovered to be
on fire, as some thought it was before il
assembled. Tongues Of red fame would
pierce through and dart from the sides
She was soon enveloped in fame anC
smoke, and instantly collapsed. The scene
now beggared description. Down with the
velocity of an eaglet stretched upon the
plain, down came the aeronaut in ball o
fire and smoke The sight was sickenine
and painful The shouts of enthusiasm
were changed into walls of despair. Ey
cry cheek was blanched with terror
Women shrieked aud screamed aud faint
ed away; children uttered piercing cries
and ran to and fro; old men in groans an(
stihed sohs turned away their gaze only t,
look again and find the terrible reality al
too real; horses champed their bits,snapp
ed their reins, and ran riderless and un
pursued in all directions; men on horse
galloped with the speed of Mamelukes t
the spot where the unfortunate man seem
ed falling. Downward, still downward
with arowy swlttness came the intrcpi
aeronaut, sea of fire roaring and hissin
above his head, and clouds of smoke en-
veloping him. Nearer and nearer he ap
proacEes, his face to the fire his feet t
the earth. On he comes, till his fee
strike plumb against projecting gree
limb of tree larger than man
leg, which was stripped from tn
body as though it had been a blade Of foe
| der upon a cornstalk, so great was til
.. force Of the conclusion. A second MOI
) and his feet struck the ground with sue
: force as to make quite an excavation. II
! instantly fell seEsless, and was thought b
! Ill to have been killed outright. He W;
, rescudeG and borne away from under tt
: burning balloon, which was destroye'
Restoratives and proper medicinal appl
: ances were resorted to, and soon the peri
t. GUS voyager through air and fire W;
brought to consciousness His left this
between the knee ana hipjoint W;
/ shattered to splintcrs; his other leg WI
bruised and hurt; his right hand WI
: badly lacerated, and bleeding and paint
abrasion appeared on the left tempt
Besides these his breast was mashed i
and it was thought he had sustained fat
internal injuries He manifested Il
utmost coolEess aud fortitude, and W
. taken to the Lucas Hotel Of that tow
Is where he was kindly cared for He W
. still alive when we left Calhoun on Frida
though little hopes were entertained
. his recovery.
? S.-Just before going to press we I
. ceived special dispatch from Calhou
! stating that Prot. Atcheson will likely ST