The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-20
Up in a Balloon, Boys, amt Pcrha ps
Lost i'm Lake Michigan.
(Chicag, Telegram, 18th !

loA'0'< A~AS6lSAAA3 A"'A
Various rumors are afloat tonight as
to the condition of the balloon which left
the city last night with Prof. Donaldson
and N. S. Grimwood, reporter of the
Ecening Journal. Nothing whatever
has been seen or heard of them since
early last evening, when schooner sight
ed them. AT that time the basket was
dipping in the water, about thirty miles
from this port. As the steamer turned
to render them assistance, the balloon
again assembled and appeared t, bear
away northwest. The greatest fears are
entertained by many who profess to be
skilled in such matters; but the friends
of Mr.. Donaldson in Barnum's hippo
drome express the greatest confidence in
the judgment Of that gentleman, and in
his competence to meet any emergency.
This is the l3Sth trip made by the Pro-
fessor.
The Chicago Tribune ofthe 10th gives
the following account Of the commence
ment of the perilous trip:
At halfpast 4 o'clock six bra WY can
vasmen filled the champagne basket in
which Donaldson mounts skyward, and
ten policemen, each smoking at the circus
expense his l0-penny cigar, played at
keeping order Besides these latter
there was fellow in gray clothing and a
huge diamond, who occasionally bran.
dished his cane and desired the crowd to
fall back.
Anything less inviting than Donaldson
car it would be hard to imagine. 1t was
carpeted with sand-bags, and there were
two or three miles of cordagc hung round
it in festoons. Overhead the balloon
swelled and bellied, of a dull plum color,
with rusty patches here and there where
the original fabric had given out.
The mob made prodigious noise dur
ing the preparations, and an orchestra,
hidden in some remote corner of the
grounds, grumbled tortissimo, while Don
aldson, with his coat-collar turned up,
swore roundly and miscellaneously on his
perch under the neck Of the bag.
In delirium of pocket picking and foul
language, two newspaper men passed the
drowsy line Of policemen and scrambled
into the basket. One was .Grimwood of
the Journal, well-built young fellow
with pale, stubborn face, and the other
q reporter of the Post and Mail. The
latter made the round of the crowd, bor-
rowing stray papers of tobacco, and when
he stepped out Of the car on the thresh-
old of its departure had dozen silver
foil packages of the weed sticking out OF
his pockets.
There was good deal of empty noise
| and clamor about the start. Donaldson
delivered, at odd intervals, an exposition
Of the ruder vernacular, and the canvas
men, after the manner of their kind, ad-
dressed to and received from the crowd,
divers hearty congratulations in the finest
and most rugged Anclo.Saxon. At last
there was one final volley from the rings,
and then with infinite swaying here and
there, the awkward sky-ciimber was
ready for it's fight.
| Just here the Post and Mail man
showed equally the better part of valor
and the white feather. He tumbled neck
over crop to the edge of the basket. and,
when ten feet from the ground, dropped
like scared pigeon.
! What he lost in experience he made up
in chewing tobacco gathered in tesla
mentary way from the crowd.
Grimwood. of the Journal, laid hold of
the sandbags like veteran, and when
the balloon was mere toy in the blue
ether, stood upright and waved his hat.