The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-09-02
The Lost Balloon Heard FrOm--.6rim-
woods Body Found.

aldson made balloon ascension from
Chicago, accompanied by N. s. Grim
wood, a reporter attached to the Chicago
Eyeuanq Journal. The wind carried them
over Lake Michigan, in the direction of
Muskegon, Mich, which point, had the
current continued in the same direction
and of like intensity, they would have
reached about two O'Clock ON the morning
of the following day. About midnight ter
rible storm arose, and the wind suddenly
shifted to an opposite direction. AT that
time they were thought to be within
twenty or thirty miles of Muskegon, and
as neither aerOnauts nor the balloon had
been seen since the impression prevailed
that they had either found a watcry grave
in the depths of the treacherous lake or
suffered not less horrible fate by being
carried into the wilderness of Northern
Michigan, where they must have inevitably
persisted of starvation. The feeling of re-
greet at their untimely fate was universal,
and, though some protessed hope of their
ultimate return, the greatmajority believed
they had miserably persisted.
Such was the public feeling on the 10Th
day of August. On the afternoon of that
day, thirty-three days after the ascension, a
telegram was received from Montague,
Mich, announcing the finding of the body
of young Grimwood on the lake shore,
between Whitehall and that place. The
discovery was made by a Mr. Beckwith,
who carries the mail between Stony Creek
and Montague. During his trip along the
lake shore he noticed apeculiar smell and
was attracted by it to look along the
beach in search Of the cause. When
he came up to the body it was
lying on its face and partially covered
with sand. Decomposition had already set
in, and Mr. Beckwith describes the ap-
pcarance of the remains as most horrible
and offensive At first MIR. Reckwith
thought it might be the body of some
from some vessel, and which, though a
a public interest sufficient to require him
to try to identify him. lie looked again
and saw what appeared to be a lite-prcscrv-
Of the acronauts, he overcame his
tho dead. The pockets contained a watch
Grimwood, his diary, in which were brief
jottings of the incidents of his trip, a
num- bcrcd ticket to the Chicago Public
Library, and other things which showed
conclusyely that it was the body of poor
Grmwood. 1t had on full suit ofclothcs
excepting boots and hat, and the prepare
tons made, by tightly buttoning the coat
and putting on the lifc-prcseryer
seemed to indicate that the young
nan had prepared to swim, and
might have succeeded in sustaining
himself above the surface for some
time had the life-preserver been of any
use. After being examined the body was
buried near where it was found, it being
impossible to transport it with the appli
ances at hand. As soon as the finding Of
the body was known search was imme
diately instituted for traces of Donaldson
or the balloon. The shore for several
miles was carefully looked over by men in
parties and singly, brtno other body hac
yet been found and no trace OF the air-bae
had been reported up to the evening Of
the 18TH
A dispatch to the Evening Journal give:
the following as copy of the jottings IL
Grimwood's diary:
JPN A BALLOON!
From the earliest days of chill hood have
ALWAYS had a prcscntiment that some time
sooner or later, was bound to rise Their.
arc some people who make sport of PRESENT.
ments, but, after all, presentiment is
have been to-day if hadn't had present.
mem? In accordance with my presentiment
| have risen, as it were, to "pOlnt OF or
der" Like great many p liticians, rise b,
means of gas.
regret the fact that there are only two 0
us-Prof Donaldson and myself-as 1woul'
like to belong to the "upper ten" Prof
Donaldson seems to be very pleasant gen
tleman, although q philosopher and aero
naut.
Although it is scarcely an hour since
struggled into eminencc, the restraints o
my position are already beginning to be irk
some to me and wear upon my spirits
cannot help rejecting that, if we fall, we fa
like Lucifcr, out of the heavens, and tina
upon our arrival upon earth, or, rather, upo
watcr-for We are over the middle of LAX
Michigan--we would be literally dead
The Chicago Journal of the 18th says:
"Mr. Grimwood was a young man
more than ordinary promise-physically
stalwart, robust and strong; intellectually
cultured, studious and unobtrusive; SO
cially, of peculiarly pleasant, good ma
tured and humorous disposition-oftc
witty, always gentle; and morally, high
minded, of noble instincts, the best c
habits and above reproach. He was amb
tious of eXcelling as a practical newspape
man. He became a reporter only as astep
ping stone to something higher in tn
Journalistic profession, and had he live
he would no doubt have been SUI
ccssful humorist and essayist in literature
His last words among his assemble
associates in the Jou1mol office on tn
afternoon of the day he assembled in tn
full of good spirits He was TWENTY-FIVE
| Of. nj, 1oc nd O
gagged to be married to lady in Lockpor
III. His aged father, Mr. William Grin
wood, of Kendall County, ILL.,, is in t.
city to-day, sadly awaiting the arrival
the body of his mourncd SON.
THE HOUR OF THE DISASTER.
In regard to the time of the fatal acc
dent the Journal of the Goth says:
I" In specializing upon the probable tim
the balloon went into the water, the waite
found on the body of Grimwood ma
furnish very valuable assistance, if indee
the testimony it gives is not almost abs
lutely conclusive Though dumb. it sti
speaks; and though it has become rust
10y lying five weeks in the water and O
the shore, still it reveals the secrets of tn
last fearful hour and the struggle wit
death, upon which SO much h;
been said and written. 1t is q small
lady's gold watch, and when found Ii
crystal was gone. The breaking of til
crystal, in all probability, occurred at
period subsequent to its going into tt
water, and quite likely while the bod
was drifting toward the place. where
was found upon the shore. The hant
remain undisturbed, and point to twent
minutes past eleven. Was that the fat
moment when, struck and overcome /
the gale, ballast all out, the balloon r.
fused longer 20 carry its load of huma
freight and gave them over to helple
and unequal struggle with the wave.
The watch was received at this off,
in exactly the condition it w;
when taken from the pocket of Grir
wood. 1t is important to know,
order to determine the value of the ey
dence, whether it was run down, and if
was then but little or nothing is dete
mined by it. This question was dete
mined this morning by an examination /
MIR; j. H. Allison, the experienced watcl
maker at the establishment of Matson
GO. He opened the watch, the first tin
1t had been opened since it was closed |