The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1875-09-10
Professor Kings Frishtful Balloon voyage

assembled from Burlington at half past 4
p. M, taking northeast direction. In a
few moments I had crossed diagonally the
Mississippi river and was sailing in the di-
rection Of some wild bottom lands. had
intended to make landing at the first OPP
portunity offered, but the poor prospect
presented just then determined me to con-
tinue the voyage. An ugly-looking storm
cloud lay right in front Of me, the low, rag
ged edge of which betokened wind as
well as rain. I knew I had business
before me, but hardly realized the strange
and terrible experience that was about to
pass through. ! had hardly left the ground
before heard the rlmbling thunder, and
in very few minutes | was immersed in
the cloud that is, what appeared to be the
superior portion of it. | thought that at
the time disappeared from the sight OF
the CROWD in front of Barnum's Hippo
drome was about thrse-auartsrs Of mile
high. There seemed to be nothing un-
usua. about the cloud as entered it, it
being simply dense fog, through which |
arose calmly enough for some minutes. !
had heard the sound from the first, and
seemed to be getting near the sound, when
suddenly there came an electric discharge
in my immediate vicinity; at the same mo-
ment the balloon seemed to have been seized
by some extraordinary force, and hurled
through the open neck in solid stream,
and for a moment I was fearful of being
suffocated. I opened the valve at the top
of the balloon to give it vent, and did my
best to get out of the way of the escaping
gas below. Following quickly came
another discharge in another direction, and
the balloon was again seized and thrown
with fearful velocity in that direction, and
this was repeated over and over again, the
lightning blazing around me, and looked
anxiously at the escaping volume of gas
once or twice when the balloon gave such
terrific lunges I thought had been struck
with the fluid, for it did not seem possible
to escape it,. had been pitched and tossed
about in this manner for about twenty
minutes, without even reaching the top of
the cloud, when all at once torrent of rain
began to fall from above it seemed to
cleave the air almost in mass the fog
around me presented the appearance of
white horse-tails as the falling water pierced
through it, dragging it along. The weight
of water showed its effects on the balloon,
too, and / confess it was with sense of re-
lief that saw the lower portion of the bal
loon drawn upward in parachute shape,
which indicated to a certainty that it was
descending. | had now another danger
ahead, which must be met with care and
resolution. could see nothing below as
yet all was fog and rain there came an in
stant, however, when saw the tops of the
trees it was but an instant; the next was
dashing through their tops, tearing off
limbs and crashing along at a fearful rate.
The collapsing cord was in my hand /
threw my weight upon it, the gas escaped,
the balloon and net work spreading itself
over the trees, letting the car down through
them almost to the ground, allowing me to
alight in safety. The balloon was badly
damaged, but not, I hope, beyond repair.
A tramp through cornfelds three-quarters
of mile or more brought me to house,
and soon found willing hands to assist me
in getting my balloon out of the woods. I
had alighted two miles south from Olena,
in Henderson county, ILL.,, in what is known
as Campbell's timber. The duration of
the voyage was not over thEee-quarters of
an hour, and in the direction in which the
drag rope lay across the trees after the de-
scent found that I was returning in almost
a direct line to Burlington.-King IN the
BurES7oqton Haackeue.