The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-01-26
Terrific Balloon -s,EUentare.

''l on are about - witness Professor
WIS ASCENSION" said a gentleman 10 me.
as l entered the enclosure devoted to the
aernnautic display.
lie was an entire stranger to me but
not at ali being sUperstitious in matters OF
etiquette, did not object to this bru~q1s
mode of introduction, aud 50 civilly au-
sWeTed Yes
''Bu, l shall 60 farther to see it than you
viii, continued the gentleman. - intend
TO ascend with professor W.
on may so farther and fare WORSE;
said [.
''Nou are pleased to he witty" said lie.
''but l intend TO make some examination
oil those upper regions for myself. toasoer-
tam whether the stars celestial are un dgty
during The day, or whether sheils is rs
much siuecure as he uiiicc of our stars
terrestrial Would you like 10 ascend aith
us?'
NO thank you kindly said 7; "ln
getting into the clouds one might lose one
self-the way is likely to be ulistP Every
one TO his taste; the earth uas such charms
for me that ] would not change q spaderul
Of II for cubic NJ lies Of the blue enlpyrean.
l m no poet"
Vain declaration Vou li;tle did 7 i'm.
agihe the horrors that awaited me Hon
lille did / foresee my dreadful fate in
hanging between the heavens and the
earth, spectacle to laughing men. gig.
ling women, and inseusito huUti ing bows
We entered tie enclosure. There was
the vast Sikeu bubble, putting out its hol-
low cheeks just ike the face Of a fat clown
when laughing, and rising aud tuggiu2
away Al the ropes, rs il impatient 10 leave
our society.
''You " III not accompany me SAID mv
friend, 10 whom [ replied in the negative
'ferhaps the gentleman would assist
III cutting the ropes, said the professor.
''Certaiuly,'' said I, ..witli pleasure
''Ihank you," said the aeronauts
''rlease take ynur station"
lie and my friend entered The car.
graspcd one of the ropes and awai ed the
order. In a moment more 10 came
''Cut - said one vuice-''No. hold OF. =
said another.
| was 5ewildered, and did both. When
the others cut, | did tie same. and with
the direction to bold on, I graspea the
end Of the rope still near me. aud held on. -
In moment more I was hgty feet from the
ground.
Imagine my susreneft There was I. Ike
a freshly caught fish, dangling az the end
oi a llnc. with the balloon representing the
aoat. l cried out TO nay friend ard tie
aet'naut, but IN vain. The spectators le-
low, thinking l was some aerial acrobat
vino was about to turn fifty double SON et-
saults and then, aligLtiug on his feet befar..
them, chceIed sufficiently io G-oUu Ey
voice.
The parties in the car conld not see me.
but 10y The hat swung occasionally over
tie side, knew they we:e bcusug to the
crowd below Meauv bile ] Was swinging
like pendulum below them. with oulr ten
fingers 10 sustain the weight Of one Eun-
drcd and eighty bounds li'm rather stout.
and preserve me from being thiuiy spfead
over ihe gruuud beneath aud 'la.tiiug the
lean earih' with ms human folin Giv.u,..
What an age Of terror,
In the meantime my fiHgets sfineneE
but 1 cluichtd the rope with the euelcy of
despair. ] had long since ceaSed calling;
] had exhausted myself Suddenly a r,.fd
peispi'aiion broke ont npou me / knew
my hour had come. My fingers vge,a slim
ping down The rol,ci Ola, those aralizir,rr
moments Inch bg inch I approached nv
doom. First the leit hand lost its haiG.
and then, aS ieit the cEd slipping la .he
httle'hnger of the right, ! nttsred one brief
payer aad fell-OJT or BEDi
Being, As before observed, 4 corl,ul.nt
man, my lall had shaken the whol. Eonse
aud The alarmed inmates, aroused f.,u,
sweet slambers, = were knocking violent
ly at the door, which had the effect of re
storing me 10 consciousness. wben dis
covered that my terrific balloon ascenIs'
was nothing more t!lan q nightmare. ss-
lierinduced am led 10 lie lieve i, lle res-
tivities susGal on Thanksgiving Dav. in
which | msy say l indulgel suunen i,ai-
No. viii not betrs,y my fiends: bar al
low me 10 tell yon. dear reader. thar Sucl
Thanksgiving dinner as they gave is not
TO be sneczed at.
DIED Of hatd drink was the verdict Of
an Intelligent iury u;,or. the b. trIy of a mo-,