Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-01-17
Terrific Balloon Adventure.

Terrific Balloon Adventure.
"You are about to witness Professor
WIS ASCENSION" said a gentleman to
me, as L entered the enclosure devoted
to the aeronautic display.
He was an entire stranger to me but
Z not being superstitious in matters of eti-
quette, | did not object to this brusque
mode of introduction, and so civilly an
swered "Yes."
"But | shall 90 farther to see it than
you WILL" continued the gentleman.
t"I intend TO ascend with Professor W."
"You may 90 farther and fare worse, :"
said /.
"You are pleased to be witty" said he;
"but | intend to make some examina-
tion of those upper regions for myself,
to ascertain whether the stars celestial
are on duty during the day, or whether
theirs is as much sinecure as the office
of our stars terrestrial. Would you
like 10 ascend with us?'
''No, thank you kindly" said I; sin
getting into the clouds one might lose
oneself-the way is likely TO be miSt2
Every one to his taste; the earth has
such charms for me that | would not
change spadeful of it for cubic miles
OF the blue empyrean. I'm no poet"
Vain declaration. How little did
imagine the horrors that awaited me,
How little did | foresee my dreadful
fate in hanging between the heavens
and the earth, spectacle to laughing
men, giggling women, and insensate
hooting boys.
We entered the enclosure. There was
the vast silken bubble, putting out its
hollow cheeks like the face of a fat
clown when laughing, and rising and
tugging away at the ropes, as if impa-
tient to leave our society.
''You will not accompany me?' said
my friend, TO whom | replied in the
negative.
.'Perhaps cne gentleman would assist
I'm cutting the ropes" said the profes-
sor.
''Certainly," said l. "with pleasure.
'.Thank you," said the aeronaut;
"please take your station"
He and my friend entered the car. l
grasped one Of the ropes and awaited
the order. In moment more it came.
"Cut'' SAID one voice-'.No, hold
on" said another.
| was bewildered, and did both.
When the others cut, did the same,
and with the direction TO hold on, l
grasped the end of the rope still near
me, and "held on" In moment more
was fifty feet from the ground.
Imagine my suspense There was l.
like freshly caught fish, dangling at
the end of line, with the balloon re-
presenting the float. l cried out to my
friend and the aerOnaut, but in vain. The
spectators below, thinking was some
aerial acrobat, who was about TO turn
fifty double somersets and then alight
upon his feet before them, cheered suf-
ficiently to drown my voice.
The parties in the ear could not see
me. But, by the hat swung OCCASION
ally over the side. | knew they were
bOwing to the crowd below. Mean
while was swinging like pendulum
below them, with only ten fingers to
sustain the weight of one hundred and
eighty pounds ('m rather Stout and
10 preserve me from beirg g thinly spread
over the ground beneath, from 'larding
the lean earth" with my human form
divine. What an age of terror!
In the meantime my fingers stifrened,
but l clutched the rope with the energy
of despair. l had long since ceased cal
ling; Ihad exhausted myself. Suddenly
a cold perspiration broke out upon me;
/ knew my hour had come. My fingers
were slipping down the rope! Oh!
those agonising moments! Inch by
inch approached my doom. First the
left hand lost its hold, and then, as |
felt the end slipping by the little finger
of the right, L gave one brief prayer and
fell-oUT or Bed
Being, as before observed, corpu-
lent man, my fall had shaken the whole
house, and the alarmed inmates, aroused
from ''sweet slumbers," were knocking
violently at the door, which had the eff
feet of restoring me to consciousness,
when | discovered that my ''terrific bal
loon ascent was snOthing more than a
nightmare, superinduced | am led to
believe by the festivities usuaI on
Thanksgiving Day, in which l may say
l INDUCED somewhat-No. | will not |
betray my friends; but allow me to tell |
you, dear reader, that such a Thanks
giving dinneer as they gave is not to be
sneeZed at.