The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-08-26
From the New York Daily Graphic
TUE FATE OF DONALDSON.
Theory OF an Eyewitness or the As
ce1SI0n.

Having stood beside Prof. Djnald-
sons car at the time of his last ascen-
sion, l have been greatly interested
since to learn the fate Of him End his
companiOu, carefully studying every
item that has appeared in print re.
gardiDg them, both as to supposed
tidings and theories of their myste-
rious voyage. Rumors SO conflicting
and absurd, in many instances. to-
gether with the improbable theories
advanced, prompt me to tell what l
witnessed with thousands of others in
Chicago, Wednesday and Thursday,
July Il and Is. The first ascension
on Wednesday was short and spc-
cessfHl trip, four people accompanying
the Professor. After about two hours
suspension over the city and lake,
they landed within the grounds from
whence they started, and at no time
were they out of sight or apparently
more than five miles away. The air.
ship was then moored for another
trip to he made the day following.
The preparations for the start on
Thursday included the replenishiug
OF gas which bad escaped during twen- :
ty-four hours. As Co the humber OF
feet required there were many stories,
4, 500 feet being the lowest amount
mentionea 1.-THE truth was known
it would be found that Q greater qdsn-
tity was used. Two reporters were to
occupy the car with Donaldson, and
accordingly took their places, the
Professor standing OF q, wire
footing lashed above them. 1t
was found that the balloon would
not rise, and the representatives
of the press drew lots to determine
whiLh should remsin. GrimWood,
by the chances, kept his seat,
The balloon then rose about fifteen
feet and returned to the ground, when
GTimwood emptied = bag OF sand !;
and this, aided by the rapid distribd-
tion by Donaldson of a large quantity
OF handbilis from Chicago clothing
house, sent them up gradually after
the start to an altitude of about 1000
feet, from which there was no visible
change until darkness obscared them
from view. The afternoon had been
very warm, and scarcely breath Of
air was stirring this made their pro-
gress slow, for as late Ss half-past Z
P. NJ, two and half hours after their
departure they were still to be seen,
and were estimated to have been fif-
teen miles away, standing out over
the like nOrth-nOrtheast, which di-
rectiOn would require a journey of
more than one hundred miles before
Michigan shores could have been
reached. Now, there are no reports
of change in the force or direction Of
tho vufnH until hoff-naaf
when a terrible tempest came down
from the northeast. Thunder and
lightning with wind and rain pre-
vailed fiercely for more than an hour.
The balloon was reported to have
been seen by the captain of vessel
touching the water and rising again
rapidly out Of sight. This was about
thiIty-five miles out on the lake,
long before the storm. ask where
could they have been when travel
ing at the rate of six miles per hour
when the storm met them, and what,
IL they descended to the water so
early, would renew the strength of the
balloon $50 feeble at the start to rise
again and weather the storm,
which they must have encountered
one or two hours later, or to ele-
vate itself above it and be carried
hundreds of miles away to the prai-
rIes or uninhabited regions, requiring
many hours more? Twenty-one
days have elapsed and no soul knows
their fate no vestige OF the balloon
has been discovered. There Is to me
but one plausible theory Of the case
when the facts known are considered.
Had the balloon been struck by the
electric fluid which filed the skies
that wild night, she must have sunk
! in q short time after reaching the wa
ter, as without the gas cannot un-
derstand how silk or cotton oiled
could float neither would the netting
or basket. The latter might possibly
have fioated IL detached, as it was
covered with two rubber-piano Gov.
ers: but this could not have been done
without knives and ample time, which
the occasion would hardly have al
lowed. Even then such frail craft
could not long survive q storm. / be-
lieve ali went down together, and that
Lake Michigan will not yield up the
bodies OF poor Donaldson aud Grim =
wood.
LYMAN II Dow.