Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-10-14
A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
A Balloon ExpIodes 5000 Feet
Above the Earth.
Terrible Descent.
The Inverted Canvass Saves the
AerOnaut.
Terrible Descent.
From the Akron (O.) Beacon, September %.

From the Akron (O.) Beacon, September %.
Yesterday (Tuesday), September
%, 1875, (dates, you know. must be
exactually fxed), Mr.. J. G. Johnston.
of Northampton, made his first balloon
ascension, from the Summit County Fair
Associations grounds, in his balloon
"Snmmit
At 3 90 o'clock, everything being
in readiness, the Professor, cool and
collected as though nothing Of import
ance was going on, chcerfully sung out,
"Let go!" and at the same time sever
ed the rope that held his airship to
terra frma. Immediately after the bal
loon ascended, Beacon reporter,
mounted on a fleet horse, followed in
the course of the aerial voyager. and,
keeping as closely beneath the balloon
as was possible by such locomotion,
plainly witnessed the various phases of
what proved to be one of the most ex-
ciling trips on record.
Mr.. Johnston landed at fourteen min
utes of 4 O clock, having been in the
air Just twenty-four minutes. and hav-
ing travelled in all about eight miles.
THE STORY OF THE TRIP.
Within a few minutes after Mr..
Johnston landed, our reporter inter
viewed him substantially as follows:
Reporter y How did you feel while
you were preparing to leave the groun-
ds?
Johnston. I had no fear whatever
for myself, but felt worried because |
knew the crowd was getting impatient
and [ wanted to relieve their anxiety
II. = Why did you not abandon the
idea of going when you knew that
Prof. Wise was not going to accompany
you?
J.-Because [ had all confidence in
myself, and knew that [ could manage
the "Summ1t"
R.-How high did you ascend imme-
diatelv after you left the grounds?
J.-About 1000 feet
R,-What was the highest point that
you reached?
J.-When going over the Cuyahoga
Valley | examined my barometer, and
found that | was $500 feet high, and
ascending.
R.-What was the state of the at
mosphere.
J-It was very clear, no noticeable
change however, over the 1000 feet
R.--Was their any unusual expan-
sion Of the balloon?
il do not think there could have
been at this height.
THE EXPLOSION.
R.-When did the explosion take
place?
J.-Several minutes after I had
taken my first observation.
R.-How high were you when the
balloon bursted?
about 1000 feet I think.
R.-Did you have any warning in
any way of its going to explode?
il did not. The first [ knew
of its collapasing was while [ was
working at the drag-rope, trying to
undo the tangle. | heard a report, as
Of, a canon, and simultaneously | be-
gan decendlng at terrible rate.
R.--What were your feelings while
falling?
il had no time to think. 7
heard whis. ling about my ears, as [
uever heard before. The flags that
had securely fastened to the sides of
my basket were partially torn from
their places, and instesd of lying pen
dant they stood erect.
R.-How long did you fall at this
rate?
From three to ten seconds
[ cannot tell exactaly.
R.--About how many feet did you
come at this speed?
il think. about 1000, when the
descent was checked by the balloon
becoming inverted into parachute.
R.-What did you do to protect
yourself?
il began to throw out sand as
soon as [ could, but had only time to
get out one bag, which weighed about
seventy pounds.
R.-Was their any gas left in the
balloon?
J.-There was not a bit left some
time before I got near to the ground
R.--W ere you not afraid OF beng
dashed to pieces when you knew this!
il had no time to be afraid. 1t
went like lightning at first, and then
the basket began swinging in aterrlble
manner, threatenening every minute to
/ ipyert and collapse the parachute.