Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-12-18
WRECKED AMIDST DARKNESS.
The Appalling Fate OF Two BaiIoonists
on Lake Ontario.

being heard ut-thus recalls the dread
ful night to Chicago reporter:
The sky, of an incXprcssibly tender
blue, was really black with stars that
really did globe themselves in heaven
The whole unlimited cNpansc was filled
with glowing worlds. round and eilul-
gent, near and far. The greater bodies
burned n il looked close upon us, and
between them stretched infinite depths
Oiled up with other stars. There were
hunI, separate and alone, out of the
only world we knew, intrudcrs upon
silence and eternity.
1t was the gradu.l sinking into the
cloud sea, or gradual rising of lis
waves around us, that brought me To "A
feeling of my own identity. | was
really glad when their flcocy moonlit
folds covered Us from the majesty of the
night. The professor, to whom it was
no new experience, was the first to
speak.
I'm going down little" said hc.
Il think we've risen too tar, and taken
a wrong direction And down we
went, into pitchy darkness. | don't
know how long we continued to fall,
but Mt last we heard the clank of n cow
bell below us
"All right" said the professor.
Were over farms yet. | was afraid of
striking east for John Browns track
My phosphorus hottlo,n said he
1--WE forgotten it, and here we are in the
dark y
| suggested rising again, and with
much grumbling he cmpticd a couple q
ballast-bags over the side, and up we
went. but not so rapidly rs before
With an impatient exclamation the
professor empticd more ballast and our
rate of ascent was pcrccptibly accclcr-
ated. The cow-bell Clankcd fainter.
and finally was no longer heard The
events of the afternoon. the excitement,
and the quiet of the mir combined to
make me sleepy, and impcrceptibly
dozcd off. the last thing remember be-
Ing the figure of the professor in black
sihou,te against the almost impCrccpti-
bic lighter color of the night.
I don't know to this hour how long
slept, but ! WAS awakened by the pro-
fessor roughly shaking my shoulder.
"Ilnle" said he, and there was some
thing in his voice that made my blood
bound. Halo. listen, What do you
hear2 Tel me. quick'
listened intently fora second or two.
heard dull and sudden rumble that
hardly died away before it was succeeded
by another sound just like it.
"What do you hear" hc demanded
impatiently.
Il hear something ike distant dis
harge Of cannon, said |.
Cannon cannon you fool, | wish
il were cannon, Hale. we are over the
shore of Lake Ontario, and this bal
loon is sinking"
Ny heart was in my throat. For
Gods sake throw over what you have
THE ballast is all gone. While YOU
Were asleep tossed it 10 clear some tree
tops"
"What are you going TO do?"
"What. What indeed. The wind has
changed or US. ! can't control the bal
loon, and we are drifting out TO death
The balloon won't live an hour. The
breeze is strong enough TO carry us
across il she would live that long, but
she won't"
Throw over your saclRl." said |.
You throw that rug over, and any
thing else YOU have about you that
weighs an ounce"
If two men ever worked quick We did.
The car was emEticd Of everything it
contained except ourselves In less than
half minute. and the noise of the break
ers grew less You car never know
with what anxiety we watched the silv-
cring edge that told where the moon
would emerge from behind q heavy
cloud that covered halfthc sky. Would
her light show us the cold bosom Of
Ontario close beneath us. or the dull
grateful color of firm ground2 II was
question upon the solution of which
hung life and death. When at last as
with bound the cloud was cleared, we
stood looking over the edge of tho car,
frozen with fright, for there. directly
below us and not a thousand feet away
lay thecrawlinC surface Of the LAKE. the
black and misty shorclinc stretching
hopc!cssiy along the view 10 the south
and fading every instant. II required
very little time 10 show Us that the bal
loon was going down with slow bu.
fatal certainty.
Hale" said the professor. looking
at me fNedly. "do you know how far
it is 70 the Canadian shore2"
I said that I did not.
I'm tell YOU" said he. we are
about ten miles of the New York shore,
and rs nearly "A | can judge by that
light, opposite the pert Of Charlotte.
From Charlotte to the Canadian shore il
sixty miles. | conclude. therefore. that
we have got to make this thing sail iiity
miles. or one or both OF Us must
drown
said nothing in answer TO this.
was in no case 10 talk. The professor
on the contrary, seemed perfectly cool
and Mt ease. hut he said nothing more
for several minutes, until. like n ghos
sweeping on the borders of ro land.
sail swept by us. tacking 10 the south.
Then he shouted. and joined him in
the cry. We heard AN answering shout
from the vessel and the sound of feet
upon the deck. and then she was gone
and we were alone again.
Did you notice" asked the professor.
how near we came 10 raking the top of
her mast ?"
/ had noticed it. and with n start
for we were hut little more than mast's
height above the hcaving water.
thanked God though that the breeze was
brisk, and that we must be passing rap
idly over. ! was foolish enough to in
dulge n hope that we might live until
wn reached the nfhpr sidn cnnnnt toll