The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-07-22
DONALDSONS DOOM.

THE QUERY STILL UNSOLVED.
NO NEws-CoNJECTUREs AND sURMIsEs-THE
SEARCH FOR THE BoDIEs-vIEws OF PROF.
KINe-BELIEF OF THE SIGNAL SERVICE
PEOPLE.
The fate of Donaldson and Grimwood still
absorb the attention of Chicago. In the alb
sence of any definite news, the following
from the Chicago Tribune of yesterday, will
be of interest: Moment by moment, mir
utes lengthen into hours, hours into days,
and the days are hurrying rapidly onward
to complete the week, and vet no tidings
are heard from the missing balloonisGs.
Where they are, dead or alive, is matter
OF the merest conjecture. 1t can not be
said that they are dead until some definite
information to that effect is made known.
There have been so many hair breadth es-
capes and withal so many fatal accidents
from balloon ascensions that one hardly
knows which side of the case looks most
probable. When one reads such escapes as
that made by Mr.. Haddock and Prof. De la
Mountain, where the aeronaut lanced
in an immense forest in Canada,
and were not heard from for two weeks,
it seems hard to retu-e Messrs. Donald
son and Grimwood the same chances and
hopes of survival that Messrs. Haddock and
De la Mountain proved possible, ana even
probable, under conditions of the atmos-
fatal night, if such 1t may be called. They
were supposed to have been provided with
inflated life preserving vests, and il they
were dropped into the lake from no great
altitude they might have survived the
storm Possibilities in this this , direc-
p, ssible limit by the recovery of boy
who had hoated for fifty hours in the lake
supported by a mere board, an account OF
which was published in yesterdays Tribune.
Here again IL may be found impossible by
many TO give the balloonists up for lost,
when such a miraculous occurrence trans
pires under precisely the same circum-
ances, the fierce squall included. The
aerohauts, if provided with these vests,
were infinitely more safe in the water than
was this unfortunate boy his plank.
But
THE CHANCES
for any such survival are infinitely small,
and the chances that they are deep in Lake
Michigan are as infinitely greater in proper
ton. The balloon carried 900 pounds OF
sand, an amount sufficient to give the aero
nant large control of his balloon, so far as
altitude was concerned. The barometer was
exec edingly low shortly after the time that
the balloon started from the earth, lower, ia
fact. than it has been for long time in this
city, as is iDstanced by the United
States signal Office returns. This
indicated unusually heavy atmosphere,
under which circumstances the balloon
would have risen prOpOrtiOnately higher
than if the atmosphere was clear. 1t has
been stated that under these circumstances
the balloon would have gathered hundreds
OF pounds of moisture added to its weight
80 materially as TO seriously impede il. But
previous to the occasion the balloon had
rested lor nearly sixty hours in the open
air, besides making one trip. During
II nd
gathered about as much moist
ure it was possible to carry.
About The only additional that couldssettle
upon it was that which would gather on the
outer surface already heavily mOistened on
its inner side. In the event of q rain il
might have gathered considerable weigh,
but certainly not enough to overcome the
amount of sand it carried, which could be
thrown out ct pleasure. Besides all these
advantages there remained the valve-rOpe,
by pulling which a sufficient amount OF gas
could have been liberated to enable the
balloon to reach the earth in very short
time. This last woold afford Donald
son very little consolation, however,
as his sole object must have been
10 get above the storm, If he were alive when
that approached. If the balloon was caught
in the storm, all hope must end for the re-
cOvery Of the occupants Though the bal
loon might have withstoOd the gale, &c was
most attractive object for the lightning to
strike in the fierce eclectric battle of tbat
night. II such is the tate of the aeTOnauts, il
is vsin TO hope for the recovery even of their
bodies. They would never know what bad
befsllen them, and no enc else could ever
lind out. Their prolonged absence had made
sure but two facts-One is
DIM POSSIBILITY OF LIFE,
and the other horrible death, with naught
to toll the passing souls save the wild, rest
less waves OF Lake Michigan. II is need
less to refer to the excitement that pre-
vailed in his city aud in other places dur
| ing the last few days. There is not q family
peril of one of their OVID number. Their
sympathes are all aroused, and
every man, woman and child
| is on the lookout for something
concerning the balloon. For young Mr..
Grimwood, the sadness is striking. A morn
| ing paper yesterday stated that his parents
were in the city. Tue facts are that the
young mans mother Is in so exceedingly
| feeble health that she has not yet been APP
prised of the loss OF her favOrite son. Ths
family are at their home in Indiana, and a
sadder or more mournful family it would be
indeed hard to find. In connection with
the report of Capt. Quavle, of the Presto,
Haven, it is necessary to refer back to the
suicide of d. X. Albright, off The steamer
| Muskegon, when 20 miles off Grand Haven,
on the morning of the 4Sh OF July. He was
a large, fleshy man, and it was just about
time for his body to come to the surface. and
| his it possibly is. Besides the reward of
i $500 offered by Barnum's manager, Mr..
Coup, for the recovery Of either OF the bod
les, outside parties have augmented the sum
considerably. The proprietors of the Even
ing Journal, who have taken an unusual in
terest In the matter on account of their mis-
sing employee, yesterday rece, we'd the fol
lowing from Mr..
KING, THE AERoNAUT:
CLEVELAND. o., July 10, 1s75.-To the Chi
csgo Evening Journal: If your citizens are
raising funds to institute search for Prof
Donaldson and his companion, put me down
for 500 and draw on me at sight.
SAMUEL A. KING, Aeronaut
The Journal has added 500 to this amount