Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-09-03
Special TO the Inter-Ocean.
The Lost Aeronauts.

MONTAGUE, Mich, Aug. II.
Your correspondent has Just had
an interview with Mr.. A. Beekwith.
the mail rider who discovered the
body of=GrimwOod, the companion
of Professor Donaldson in their dis
astrous balloon voyage. The corpse
was found on the beach of Lake
Michigan between here and Stony
Greek, about ten miles north of this
place. Mr.. Beckwith did not at first
imagine that the body was that of
Grimwood, but upon an examination
of the letters and papers found in
the clothing, the identity of the man
was established beyond doubt. The
excitement became intense. for ey-
cry one knew of the balloon ascen-
sion. An inquest was held, and the
body was buried as soon as possible
after being found. 1t was dreadful
ly decomposed, and the hair was al
most quite worn off the head. The
feet and hands were bare, and the
clothing tattered and in places torn
by the constant abrasion against the
shore and the bottom of the lake.
Attached to the body was a life
preserver, which was bursted, but
whether owing to the conclusion
produced by fall from the clouds,
or by reason of contact with the
shOre,it was impossible to determine.
In the pockets of his clothing were
several letters and notes of his trip,
evidently written after going up and
while sitting in the basket. Nothing
has been heard of Donaldson, nor
have any remnants of the balloon
been discovered. The finding of
GrimwoOd's body, however, has in
duced the prosecution of thorough
search of the beach north and south
of here in order, if possible, to find
them. 1t is mystery how the body
could have escaped the notice of
passing vessels, or why, if it has
been beating the shore for weeks, it
was not sooner found. Judging
from the appearance of the body no
bones were broken, although por-
tions of flesh were worn off the face,
and the bones of the feet and hands
were bare. 1t was fearfully swollen
and the skin was broken in several
places, and the intestines were pro-
truding. A more horrible sight
could not be imagined. There was
nothing to indicate as to how death
was met, whether the balloon was
struck by lightning, or collapsed in
mid-air, and the body fell to the sur
face, bursting the life preserver; or
whether the balloon struck the wa
ter and was rent in tatters, leaving
the men TO battle with the waves,
only at last to be drowned; or wheth-
er, as has been suggested, Grimwood
and Donaldson drew lots to see who
would jump from the basket, aud
the choice fell upon the former. But
in that case what became of Donald
son and the balloon? The opinion
prevails among those who saw the
body, that the @ronaats found that
the balloon could not remain in the
air, that they saw they must strike
the water, and prepared for the
worst by putting on their life pre-
servers that the basket struck the
surface and filed, and being virtual
ly at anchor the balloon was torn to
shreds by the gale which was blow
ing and the men were left afoat in a
heavy sea in which no man could
live for any. great length Of time,
even though he had a life preserver
on. But these are onlyspeculations;
q more careful investigation and the
possible discovery of the balloon
may finally disclose Just how the dis
aster occurred.