The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1875-11-12
TERRIFIC BALLOON ASCENSION
A Daring Kronant up in Blaze of Fire

| To make their fair successful, in
viting and attractive as possible, the
Directors and managers of the Nc
Lean County Fair last week adver.
tised a grand balloon ascension. The
services of Professor S. d. Atchison,
daring eronant of Cincinnati, aud
Mr.. G. c. Grady as manager, with
large and handsome balloon, equal
to the dimensions of all ordinary cot
tage houses, were procured. All the
appurtenances, fixtures and adjuncts
necessary to successful and COM
plete ascension were on hand
Lured by the inviting, and, to them,
novel spectacle of a balloon ascsn-
sion, the people gathered from far
and near, making vast and mixed
multitude of men, women and chill
dren. Extensive preparations had
been made, and the surging, sway
ing crowd were on tip-toe in eager
anxiety. Thursday was the day and
four o'clock in the afternoon the
hour for the grand ascension. He
was cool, calm, collected, and full of
nerve, as though enjoying the COM
monest everyday pastime. AS he
graSped the trapeze, by order of Mr.
Grady the stays were cut, and up,
up shot, straight as an arrow, the
air ship, swift and graceful in fealh
cry lightness. AS he assembled, the
guyropes were dropped and on he
sped amid tumultuous and deafening
shouts of the people to whom he
waved his hand from a distance be-
yond where the clouds and the thun,
ders make their home. Higher and
higher went the balloon amid the un-
restrained enthusiasm of the people.
When she had reached an altitude
of near half mile, dense smoke was
seen issuing from the balloon, curl
ing bluely toward the bluer skies,
when, horror of horrors, the balloon
was discovered to be really on fire,
as some thought it was before it as
csnded tongues of red flame would
pierce through and dart from her
sides. She was soon enveloped in
flame and smoke, and instantly col
lapsed. The scene now beggard
description. Down, with the velocity
of the eaglet stretched upon the
plain; down came the eronant in a
ball of fire and smoke. The sight
was siskening and painful. The
shouts of enthusiasm were changed
into wild walls of despair. Every
cheek was blanched with terror
Women shrieked and screamed and
tainted away, children uttered pierre
ing cries, and ran to and fro; old
men in groans and stifed sobs turned
away their gaze only to look again
and find the terrible reality all too
real; horses champed their bits,
snapped their reins and ran riderless
and unpursued in all directions; men
on horses galIoped with the speed of
Mamelukes to the spot where the un-
fortunate man seemed falling
Downward, still downward, with ar
rowy swiftness came the intrepid
aronant, sea of fire Kissing and
roaring above his head, and clouds
of smoke enveloping him. Nearer
and nearer he approaches, his face
to the fire, his feet to the earth. On
he comes, till his feet strike plumb
against a projecting green limb Of a
tree larger than mans leg, which
was stripped from the body as though
it had been blade of fodder upon a
cornstalk, so great was the force of
the conclusion. A second more and
his feet struck the ground with such
force as to make quite an evacuation.
He instantly fell senseless, and was
thought by all to have been killed
outright. He was rescued and borne
away from under the burning bal
loon, which ives destroyed. Res
toratives end proper medicinal ap-
pIiances were resorted to, and soon
the perilOus voyager through air and
fire was brought to Consciousness
His left thigh between the knee and
hip joint was shattered to splinters ;
his other leg was bruised and hurt ;
his right hand was badly lacerated,
and bleeding and painful abrasion
appeared on the left temple. Besides
these, his breast was mashed in, and
it was thought he had sustained fatal
internal injuries. He manifested the
utmost GOODNESS and fortitude, and
was taken to the Lucas Hotel of that
town, where he was kindly cared for.
He was still alive when we left Call
houn on Friday, though little hopes
we're entertained of his recovery
All in all, this was one of the most
thrilling and narrowing occurrences
that ever transpired in Kentucky ;
at least, we do not care to witness its
like again.
P. S.-Just before going to press
we received special dispatch from
Calhoun stating that Professor Atchi-
son will likely to survive.
SOME people are too trusting fol
this world. At a recent trial the
prisoner entered q plea of "No