Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-07-22
DON4LDSON'.S FATE.
From the Chicago Tribune of Saturday

Grimwood of the JouI nal persisted in the hurri-
Of Thursday night. Had the balloon been
in its most proper trim, that ruthless tempest
would have sorely tried its staunchness. But IT. as
there is abundant reason to suspect, the machine
was In fit condition to brave even the lesser
hazards of trip across Lake Michigan, the hope
that Donaldson and his guest reached solid ground
in safety seems only too desperate.
Friday morning, after a night OF unusual hur-
ricane there was early and anxious inquiry at the
IIippodromc for the adventurous pair. 10 the
first as well as to the latest questloner, Mr. Bar
NUNS agents could only reply with an expression
of hopefulness. Donaldson had survived such
momentous perils in the past, had come out scath-
less from so many hand-to-hand encounters with
death, that there excuse enough for being
confident.
But when. later in the day, coastng schooner
brought of the balloons dire peril at an early
hour of the night, some time before it was called
upon to stand the tremendous shock OF the tenn
pest, hope for the voyagers, safety gave place to
reluctant belief that they had both persisted.
The Little Guide, a small craft employed in the
lumber and tanbark trade, entered this port about
8 o'clock. Upon her arrival, her captain, q Swede
named Andersen, and his mate, compatriot
named Rasmussen, both told how at o'clock on
Thursday evening, when off Crosse Point, some
twelve miles north of Chicago. and while standing
out thirty miles from the shore, they had seen the
balloon dropping its car once in while into the
lake only some mile and halt distant from their
vessel. Realizing the dangerous situation Of the
aeronauts Captain Andersen headedt the schooner
10 their direction; but before he could oveltake
the machine, which was bounding at rapid pace
on the water, there sudden tightening of the
car, and the globe shot upward to great height
soon disappearing altogether from the view of the
crew of the schooner. There is every reason to
believe that the cause of the renewed buoyancy
of the balloon was either the loss of most of the
ballast or of one of the two luckless yoyagers
Captain Andersen and his mate were, so far as 1t
can possibly be settled at the present. the very last
observers Of the balloon and its human freight
What, after their brief glimpse, became OF the
great sphere and Of the two men who intrusted
their lives to its perfdious keeping
Mr. Elias Colbert, whose patient and successful
Investigations in meteorology entitle him to per-
feet credit, warrants, with his ripe experience, the
following theory: When the balloon left the
circus grounds at 5 O'Clock it rose to an altitude
of 5000 feet into the current Of wind blowing
steadily to the northeast. Before the impulse OF
that continuous breeze it ran about fifteen miles
an hour on course which had for its starting
point Chicago, and for its conclusion the neigh
borhood of Grand Haven, in Michigan. There
were about one hundred and twenty miles of
water to be traversed so that the voyage. under
favorable auspices. and at tue rate of fifteen miles
an hour would terminate IN eight hours. Land
should have been reached about ! O'Clock A. NJ
AT o'clock the Little Guide, standing out some
thirty miles from the Illinois shore, off Goose
Point, and about twelve miles north OF Chicago
sighted the balloon still its course, and exactly
where our calculations would place ii, to wit :
about thirty miles from its starting point, with
ninety miles yet to traverse before it could arrive
at its destination. From causes easily understood
upon reference to an interview with Professor
Steiner, printed below, the balloon had lost a
great deal Of its carrying ability even at this early
stage. 1t already lowered on the very surface OF
the lake, and dragged its car the very crests
of the waves. What it was that Donaldson threw
overheard to tighten his craft we perhaps will
never know. 1t is not impossible that his unior-
tunate companion relinquishcd his hold, and, be-
wldered by the fury Of the race across the hungry
plain of waters, fell cut of the and persisted.
Meanwhile, terrible hurricane was gathering at
a point parallel with the northern extremity OF
Lake Michigan. This storm-center, as meteOro-
logical writers term it, was spinning round and
round on its eastern course, twenty times faster
than the dragged balloon was plunging before the
northeast breeze. Of course when the car dipped
into the lake it Immediately retarded the flight OF
the balloon, acting upon it like brake. With
this impeachment, the machine, probably could
travel no faster than eight to twelve miles an
hour. The reader can, just here, realize the siu-
alton of Donaldson and his companion. Running
northeast, they knew nothing Of the tornado
whirling tempestuously to the northern end Of the
lake, big with their destruction. The moon shone
fitfully, clouds thickened behind them, and chased
each other in constant procession across its face.
Perhaps they deserted the lamps of the little
schooner twinkling two miles Oft. The lake was
rutied by the steady blow, and as they were
torn through it by the unwieldy monster, over
which they had too little control, its waves must
have broken over them and angrily tested their
grasp of the car. The tempest, on the other
hand, gathering volume and fury in the north
spun round on its centre, and swept in frenzy
over the face of the lake. When the balloon had
achieved, probably, two-thirds of its disastrous
voyage, and only forty miles had to be traversed
to complete it, the storm burst in all its terror
ON the laboring sphere. The path of the hurrl-
cane and the course of the balloon ntersected ast
about forty miles from Grand Haven, and it
was at the point of that intersection that the gale
struck down the balloon. Every buffet the hap
less globe received must have driven it nearer to
the seething water. The situation of the adven-
turerers by this time must. indeed have been de-
plorable. The sky was inky black, except for the
constant flashes of lightning. The wind roared
and screamed through the meshes of the network
The struggling balloon, wrenched and twisted by
the gale, now frantically endeavored to rise, now
flung itself in gigantic despair into the murderous
embrace Of the lake. As the storm-wind poured
its fury about the doomed machine it spun round
like a top, with the poor wretches IN the car
dragged headlong through the waves in their
cage, which whirled them from side to side, gid
dy with hopeessness and dismay. AT last, II
Grimwood had not been dashed out of the car be-
fore this supreme hour, his inexperienced hands
must have loosened their death grip, Donaldson,
an experienced gymnast, probably hung en- with
a stronger and more skillful hold. But even If
the Wider Of the two lost men survived his COM
/ ade, there could not have been many minutes be-
tween their drownings. Once fairly sprawling
upon the surface Of the water the balloon could
not escape from its adversary by flying before it.
1t took only the violent conclusion, and then rent
in twain like the vail Of the Temple by its death
blow, the huge yet unsubstan;ial creature burst
and sank. How the TIVE men met their fate will
probably never know. A tragic chorus sang their
requiem in the roar of the thunder and the wall
of the wind. Had there been fitting inspiration
for such an ending, their death would have been
heroic. But, wild as their enterprise was, no.
body can think without thrill of the two souls
which, Selling the wings of the storm, passed out
of the crash and the ruin Of that empestuous mid
night into the haven Of a perpetual good morning
Professor Steiner, an experienced and scientific
pronaut said "Wash Donaldson had his balloon
made for him in New York 1t was new this
spring; in fact, elieve it was made in April
Ii was taken to Philadelphia before it was finished
and that is where | saw it for the first time. He
had made ten or twelve ascensons in 1t before
that of yesterday, and the bag had been subjected
to great deal OF hard usage. 1t was torn in sew
cral places, and it had several patches. In some
places there were ridges in it where the raw
edges Of tear had just been stitched together
instead of having new piece put in under the
seam TO strengthen it, 1t was good enough bal
loon for one or two ascensions but avery inferior
one to use in the neighborhood of these lakes.
Why, it would take the very best of China silk to
stand that racket. When Donaldson went up
IN 4. ,ho ha1 haya Lost denl