Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-08-26
The Fatal Balloon Voyage..-NewtOn
s. GrimwOOd.

CnlCdgO, accompanied by N. .. Trim
wood u reporter attached to the Chicago
Epeatnag Journal. The wind carried them
over Lake Michigan, in the direction of
Muskegon, Mich, which point, had the
current continued in the same direction
and Of like intensity, they would have
reached about two O'Clock on the morning
of the following day. About midnight ter
| ribe storm arose and the wind suddenly
shifted to an opposite direction At that
| time they were thought to be within
| twenty or thirty miles Of Muskegon, and
| rs neither acronauts nor the balloon had
| been seen since the impression prevailed
| that they had either found watery grave
in the depths of the treacherous lake Or
| suffered a not less horrible fate by being
! carried into the wilderness of Northern
Michigan, where they must have inevitably
| persisted of starvation. The feeling OF re-
greet at their untimely fate was universal,
| and, though some protessed hope Of their
ultimate return, the greatmajority believed
they had miserably persisted.
Such was the public feeling on the 18th
day of August On the afternoon of that
day, thirty three days after the ascension, a
telegram was received from Montague,
Mich, announcing the finding of the body
OF young Grimwood on the lake shore,
between Whitehall and that place The
discovery was made by Mr.. Beckwith,
who carries the mail between Stony Creek
and Montague. During his trip along the
lake shore he noticed apeculiar smell and
was attracted by it to look along the
beach in search of the cause. When
he came up to the body 1t was
lying on its face and partially covered
with sand. Decomposition had already set
in, and Mr.. Beckwith describes the APP
pearance of the remains as most horrible
and offensive At first Mr.. Reckwith
thought it might be the body of some
sailor who had been washed overheard
from some vessel, and which, though a
sad event to those related to him, had not
public interest sufficient to require him.
to try to identify him. He looked again
and saw what appeared to be a life-preserv-
or, and then, remembering the loss
of the aeronauts, he overcame his
repugnance and carefully examined
the dead The pockets contained watch
on which was engraved the name of N. s.
Grimwood, his diary, in which were brief
iottngs of the incidents of his trip, a
numbered ticket to the Chicago Public
Library. and other things which showed
conclusively that it was the body of poor
Grimwood. 1t had on a full suit ofclothes
excepting boots and hat, and the prepare
tons made, by tightly buttoning the coat
and putting on the lite-preserver.
seemed to indicate that the young
man had prepared to swim, and
might have succeeded in sustaining
himself above the surface for some
time had the life-preserver been of any
use. After being examined the body was
buried near where it was found, it being
| impossible to transport it with the appli-
| ances at hand. As soon as the finding of
the body was known search was imme-
diately instituted for traces of Donaldson
or the balloon. The shore for several
miles was carefully looked over by men in
parties and singly, bUtno other body had
yet been found and no trace of the air-bag
had been reported up to the evening Of
the 18th
A dispatch to the Erensng Journal gives
the following as copy of the jottings in
Grimwood' s diary:
UrIN A BALLOON!
From the earliest days of childhood have
always had presentiment that some time,
sooner or later, | was bound to rise. There
are some people who make sport of PRESENT.
ments, but, after all, a presentiment is a
handy thing to have around. Where would
| have been to-day if hadn't had PRESENT.
ments In accordance with my presentiment
| have risen, as ii were, to point of or
der" Like great many politicians, ] rise by
means of gas
Iregret'the fact that there are only two of
us--Prof. Donaldson and myself-as would
like to belong to the upper ten Prof.
Donaldson seems to be very pleasant gen
tleman, although philosopher and aero
naut
Although it is scarcely an hour since
struggled into eminence, the restraints of
my position are already beginning 10 be irk-
some to me and wear upon my spirits. !
cannot help rejecting that, If we fan, we fall
like Lucifpr, oat of the heavens, ard that
upon our arrival upon earth, or, rather, upon
water--for we are over The middle of Lake
hichigan-we would be literally dead,
The Chicago Journal Of the 18th says:
" Mr. Grimwood was young man of
more than ordinary promise-physically,
Stalwart, robust and strong; intellectually,
cultured, studious and un0btrusiV1; So
cially, Of a peculiarly pleasant, good-na-
tured and humorous lSpositlon-often
witty. always gentle; and morally, high
minded, of noble Instincts, the best of
habits and above reproach. He was ambi-
tious OF oXCelling rs pracuca! newspaper
man. He became reporter oniY IS step
livingstone 10 something higher in the
journalistic profession, and had ne hved
he would no doubt have been snc-
ceSsful humoris; aud esSayist in literature.
Ills last words among his assembled
associates in the Journal office on the
afternoon of the day he assembled in the
balloon were ioyial, anu he was unusually
full of good spirits. he was twenty-five
wears OF age in February last and was en-
rared 20 be married 10 a lady in Lockport,
fll7 Hi, AGED father, MIR William Grim
wood, of Kendall County, H., is in the
civ to-day. sadly awaiting the arrival of
he body Of his mourned son