Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1879-10-15
The Missing Balloon.

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 5.-Nothing has
been heard of the missing balloonlsts.
1t is now generally believed that Prof.
Wise and George Burr are dead, or if
they are still alive that they are lost
in the woods of Macoupin county, Hi
nois. A reward has been offered for
the recovery of the bodies by young
Burr's father. This, it is hoped, will
stimulate search. 1t has been said by
some that the whole thing is merely
an advertising scheme, and that the
aeronauts will turn up at the proper
time safe and WELL Burr is cashier of
the First National Bank. His father
is president. His friends are very
indignant, and say that the young man
would under no circumstances lend
himself to such scheme. Then again
the lady to whom Burr was engaged
to be married, who was to be apprised
of his safety at the nearest telegraph
station, has heard nothing from him.
The air-ship started from the fair
grounds here at 81 p. m. on Sunday
last, in a storm of wind, the velocity
of which was more than sixty miles
an hour, and in twenty minutes was
seen scudding along the clouds at AL
ton, twenty-five miles distant. 1t
was seen later at Bunker Hill, and
was last seen, as far as is positively
known, at Cariinville, Illinois, fifty
miles northeast of st. Louis. Had
the balloon made a safe landing, it
seems highly probable, to say the least
that Prof. Wise and Burr would long
before this have found their way out
of the wilderness, especially as the
Professor had compass with him.
1t seems that Prof Wise had serious
misgivings about the voyage before
the start. Several people wished to
go, but the balloon would not lift
them. To Mr.. Burr, who offered to
go alone, he said; eff only one man
can 60, | will be that man if two can
go, you will be the other but |
would rather leave you behind. 1 am
old enough now to die; you are young
enough to live many years" Mr.. j.
F. Downew, Prof Wise's nephew, has
received from the agent of the Wabash
Railroad at Illiopolis, Illinois, this
dispatch: Found on Monday morn
ing, two miles west of here, paper
dropped from Wise's balloon" This
would indicate that the air-ship had
been carried to the northward In all
probability the balloon has been
dashed to pieces and both men lost.
There is yet faint hope among the
friends of the aeronauts that the adven-
turers may be alive. The Pathfinder
was a new balloon, built of stuff made
expressly for it and another balloon,
1t was one of the best he ever made,
and was not oiled until three weeks
ago. 1t had never been used and was
exceedingly strong. If it had been
rotten. it would never have survived
the hard usage it received on Sunday,
and would not, with the immense
strain on it several times, have got
out of the park. The netting of the
balloon was not as heavy as it should
have been for stormy weather, and
vet heavy enough for all practical pur-
poses. The cause of the swapping
during the filling process is easily ex-
planned. The bag was allowed to fill
too rapidly without commensurate at
tention being paid to the relieving pro-
cess. so that too much strain fell on
one or two cords added to this came
heavy puff of wind just as the men
were letting the balloon up, doubling
the strain on these few cords MIR.
Burr made the ascent simply for the
love of adventure. The young lady
to whom he was engaged was prom
ised tidings of the first anchorage OF