The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-06-06
Terrible Ride or an Aeronaut.

y
who gave balloon ascension at Falls
Field, a few days ago, was advertised
to perform the same feat in Victor yes
tcrday, but it SO happened that the pco-
pie were given an opportunity of wit
Messing u sight not down in the bills
and ono that not many of them would
care to see repeated. M. Lavalle makes
his ascensions by aid of hot-air bal
loon to which is attached trapeze,
and on this slender bar the intrepid
aeronaut hangs by his legs, one arm,
or neck, and performs other feats not
particularly pleasant for nervous peo-
pie to gaze upon.
At Victor, his balloon was inflated
within about rod of the old brick no.
tel, and when the air had become sutii-
GENTLY heated, he stepped forward
dressed in his tights, and grasping the
trapeze bar in his hand, gave the signal
for the man to cut the monster loose.
The order was obeyed, but, thanks to
some ones blunder, one of the guy
ropes held fast, which caused the bal
loon to careen terribly before the
cord snapped, and then as it shot up
ward with resistless force, it swung the
unfortunate man toward the brick wall
He saw his danger, but was powcrless
to avert it, and in second he struck
against the wall with sickcning thud
The people could see that he was bad
ly hurt, but he retained his grip upon
the bar and was drawn up the side of
the building, tearing off the wooden
cOrnice and then sailed out into the
clear air. The people were horror
stricken, and many turned away their
heads in expectation of the awful fall,
but happily the mans nerve did not
forsakc him in the terrible emergency.
Slowly and painfully he pulled himself
up until he was able to throw one leg
over the bar, and with his shoulder
partly resting against one of the ropes,
he waited until the balloon should have
spent its force and commence to de-
scend. 1t one time he was seen to
sway, as if attacked by a sudden faint
ness, and then it was thought that he
must surely fall, but he recovered him
self in a moment and secured firr.er
position.
The balloon continued to speed up
ward, and in a short time it had
reached a high altitude. while the body
of the man could barely be distin-
guished. Men, women and children
ran through the fields, following the
balloon in its course, and, at last, to
their inexprcssible relief, the air-ship
commenced to look larger, and a cheer
announced that the air was cooling and
that it was coming toward the earth.
In about half an hour it came within
the reach of a score of outstretched
hands and was secured while the in
jured man was tenderly cared for. He
was taken to house, and physician,
was summoned, who pronounced the
hurts If q most serious nature. The
left thigh was badly crushed, bone in
the left arm was broken and it was
feared that internal injuries had been
sustained. Some idea may be obtained
of the force with which he struck the
wall when it is known that new pair
OF shoes which he wore were split open
by the violence of the blow. At the
latest report last night he was in a
dangerous condition, but it was impos-
sible to ascertain the extent of his in
ternal injuries. Rochester IN. w DEM
Ocrat.