American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-05-15
CANTON, MISS, SATURDAY, NAY Is, 1875.

and we mounted rapidly. All at once
found myself so feeble that | could moi
even turn my head to look at my com.
panions, who. l believe, were seated.
desired TO obtain the oxygen tube, but
could not lift my arm, but my. mind was
still quite lucid. 1 had my eyes ON the
barometer, and l saw the needle pass
over the figure of pressure $50 NM, Their
$50, which it went beyond. 1 wanted to
exclaim: I'VE are at 5000 yards!' but
my tongue seemed naralyzed. Ali a
once my eyes closed and fell inert. en-
tirely losing all recollection; the time
was then about 1 80.
At :52 revived for a moment. The
balloon was descending. rapidly; l was
able to cut a sack of ballast to Stacker
the speed and to write on my register
the following lines. which copy:
We are descending. Temperature
8 G. Q7.G Fahrenheit). l am throwing
out ballast. Elevation, 315. Sivel and
Corce still Insensible at the bottom OF
the car. Discerning very rapidly"
had scarcely written these lines when
sort of trembling fit seized me and
sank down fainting for the second time
/ was conscious of violent wind, indi
eating very rapid descent. A few
moments later I felt myself shaken by
the arms and recognized Croce, who had
revived. "Throw out ballast" said he
q we are going down" But could
hardly open my eyes, and did not notice
whether Sivel was aroused. remember
that Croce unfastened the aspirator and
threw it out, as we'll as some ballast ex.
ira wraps and the like. ALL this is, an
extremely confused recollection, which
was quickly extinguished, for l relapsed
into insensibility more thoroughly than
before and l felt as if l was going of
into an eternal slumber. What happened
then? l suppose that the balloon, being
lightened, impermeable as it was and
very warm, shot up once more into the
upper regions. AT about 3:15 o'clock
reopened my eyes, feeling giddy and
weak, but my consciousness returned.
The balloon was rushing downward wi b
frighiful velocity.
The car swayed violently from side to
side and described great oscillations. !
raised myself on my knees and pulled
my companions by the arms. "Sivel,
Croce" cried, Grouse yourselves" They
were both crouched down in the car with
their heads concealed in their cloaks.
summoned up all my strength and en-
deavored to lift them up. SivePs face
was black, his eyes dull, mouth wide
open and full of blood. Croce-Spinelli
had his eyes closed and his mouth blood
stained also.
To relate what occurred then is quite
eyOnd my power. noticed tremen-
dous wind from below upward. We were
still at an altitude of 5000 metres There
were still in the car two bags of ballast,
which l east out. Soon we neared the
earth; and Isought for my knife in order
to cut the attachment of the anchor, but
could not find it.
7 - -
s"Siveli Sivelr' Fortunately 1 laid my
hand on knife, and was enabled to free
the grapnel in time. The shock of the
fall was extremely violent. The balloon
appeared to flatten itself out completely,
and thought it would so remain. But
there was a strong wind which carried it
along The grapnel did not hold firmly,
and the car was dragged across the fields.
The dead bodies of my unfortunate
friends were jerked about, and l feared
at each moment that they would fall out
of the car. Meanwhile l succeeded in
grasping the cord of the valve, and the
balloon was quickly emptied, and was
finally exhausted against a tree. This
was about four o clock.
On getting out of the car was at
tackled by a feyerish excitement of the
most violent kind, and very soon fellex-
hausted, and became livid. | thought
that WAS aboutto rejoin my companion
in the next world. .-sss-+ Z, -
Nevertheless, gradually recovered
my senses. I examined my poor COM
rades and found them cold and stiff. L
had their corpses transported to the
shelter of a neighboring farm. sobbed
to suffocation, and even yet have not re-
covered - .-.'1F :
l am at Ciron, near lie Blanc, Where L
have been received, with boundless hos
pitality. .7 !. .3-..,s--
l have been fcverish all the night.
have not yet been able to cut anything
whatever, and feel consequently very
weak. / salute you. %
CANTON TIssANDIER.