Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-08-01
AN AERONAUT'S DEATH.
The Last Ascent Of ths Dare. Devil
AtchisOn-He Falls from Ills
Balloon, and Is Instant
ly Killed.

The Elmwood Qll.) Messenger
gives the following account of the
terrible death of the aerOnaut Atch-
ison at that place
BY small handbills and in the
Messenger it was announced last
week that Professor L. D. Atchison,
the somewhat noted balloonist,
would make an ascension in Elm
wood on Saturday afternoon, July
Goth. The notices appeared TOO
near to the event to draw many
spectators from the country, but on
Saturday afternoon, probably over
two thousand persons of all ages
assembled in the neighborhood on
the grounds between Dixon's livery
stable and the railroad, to see the
unusual sight of a man performing
on the trapeze as he assembled. The
afternoon proved somewhat uncer-
tain, as showers were flying about,
and this combined with other
causes for delay, determined the
aeronaut to wait for the quieter air
of sundown. Instead of initiating
the balloon with hydrogen or coal
gas, it seemed more simple, though
more dangerous to the balloon, to
initiate with hot air. This was done
by digging two holes in the earth,
with a passage. between, plac-
ing the mouth of the balloon over
one, aud making a fire of ash bar
rel slaves sprinkled with alcohol
and kerosene in the connecting
passage. An assistant, G. R. Hart,
stood inside the balloon to call out
at times how high the flames
reached inside. The day was hot,
and this station was a good deal
hotter as might be sapposed-at
least one hundred and fifty de-
grees-but he stood it out to
the last. Atchison was fussy
and eager, and appeared to be
under the influence Of liquor Mr.
Galloway, an old acquaintance FROM
Burlington here visiting his daugh-
ter, Mrs. +. j. Biggs, hailed him,
and seeing his condition told him
he thought he should not venture
up; but Atchison making light Of
it, said, "Pshaw, | have ten times
as much nerve as you hayel"
and the preparations wenb on,
He had expected to go up about
four o'clock, the hour adver-
tised, and had been indulging in
stimulants, which seemed to keep
up an unnatural excitement, while
he run hither and thither, adjust
ing ropes, keeping back the crowd,
going inside the balloon, assisting
to Ere up, repairing holes in the
balloon with patches OF cloth pasted
on, and occasionally looking up al
the sky to note the appearance oi
the weather. All this activity on
the part of one whose only business
it was to make the ascension and
perform in the air, is e1plainablC
when we say that j. A.iWhett0py,
the owner Of the balloon, was at
! hicted with aguish complaints
and the other two men, fearful tha
they could get nothing for theil
labor, hung off indifferently, an(
so AtchisOn had to do the work O
Others. That he drank liquor aui
that to excess at times Mr.. Whet
tony admitted. Indeed, he told III
he never went up without taking
such stimulant, though often re
monstrated with for it, and as Of
ten promising to give it up. Per
sons here affirm that several time
during the afternoon he was fur
nished liquor by one of our homt
drinkers and just before he as
cended, being tired out, he hat
some water poured on his head t,
cool of, and pouring out a quantit
of the alcohol used to fire up, h
diluted it and drank it of.
Calling to the man Hart insid
the balloon, just abOutseVen O'Clock
, and the answer being satiSfactor.
as to the hight Of the blaze inside
he cried, "That's right, give he
h-llp and then, rubbing som
, nowdarad raein on hands and arms