Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-08-27
The Tragic Fate Of Newton S. Grim
wood.

On the 18th day of July last Prof. Don
aldson made a balloon ascension from
Chicago, accompanied by N. s. Grim
wood, reporter attached to the Chicago
Evening 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 followingday. 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 watery 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-
gret at their untimely fate was universal,
and, though some protested hope of their
ultimate return, the greatmajority believed
they had miserably persisted.
Such was the public feeling on the 10th
day ofAugust. 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-
pearance of the remains as most horrible
and offensive. AT first Mr.. Reckwith
thought it might be the body of some
sailor who had been washed overheard
from some vessel, and which, though
sad event to those related to him, had not
a public interest sufficient to require him
to try to identify him. He looked again
and saw what appeared to be life-preserv-
er, and then, remembering the loss
of the aerOnauts, he overcame his
'repugnance and carefully examined
the dead. THE pockets contained watch
on which was, engraved the name of N. S.
Grimwood, his diary, in which were brief
lettings of the incidents of his trip, a
numbered ticket to the Chicago Public
Library, and other things which showed
oonclusively that it was the body of poor
Grimwood. 1t had on full suit of clothes
excepting boots and hat and the prepare
tons made, by tightly buttoning the coat
and putting on the life-preserver,
seemed to indicate that the young
man 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 a 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, bGtno other body had
vet been found and no trace of the air-bag
had been reported up to the evening of
the 18th.
A dispatcht to the EUenSng Journal gives
the following as copy of the jottings in
Grimwood's diary:
UP IN A BALLOON!
From the earliest days of childhood | have
ALWAYS had a presentiment that some time,
sooner or later, 7 was bound to RISE There
are some people who make sport of PRESENT.
ments, but, after all, presentiment is a
handy thing to have around. Where would
/ have been to-day if hadn't had a PRESENT.
ment? In accordance with my presentiment,
have risen, as it were, to 'point of or
der" Like great many P liticians, 1 rise by
means of gas.
regret the fact that there are only two of
us-Prof Donaldson and myself-as would
like to belong to the upper ten." Prof.
Donaldson seems to be very pleasant gen.
tleman, although a philosopher and aero
naut.
Although it is scarcely an hour since I
struggled into eminence, the restraints of
nv position are already beginning to be irk-
some to me and wear upon my spirits. I
cannot help rejecting that, if we fall, we fall
like Lucifer, out of the heavens, and that
upon our arrival upon earth, or, rather, upon
water-for we are over the middle of Lake
Michigan--we would be literally dead.
The Chicago Journal Of the 18th says:
"Mr. Grimwood was a young man of
more than ordinary promise-physically,
stalwart, robust and strong; Intellectually,
cultured. studious and unobtrusive; So
cially, of peculiarly pleasant, good-na-
tured and humorous disposition-of
witty. always gentle; and morally, high
minded, of noble instincts, the best of
habits and above reproach. He was ambi-
tious of excelling as a practical newspaper
man. He became reporter only as step
ping-stone to something higher in the