Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-15
WRECKED AMIDST D4RKNEss.
The Appalling Fate Of Two BallO ON.
lists on Lake Ontario.

| twenty years ago III NJ l., anu
who had thrilling experience-kane never
after being heard of-thus recalls the dreadful
night, to Chicago reporter;
thick With wit u stars that reailV did aeope them
selves in heaven" The whole unlimited ex.
panse was filled with glowing worlds round and
burned as it looked close upon us, and between
them stretched infinite depths filled up with
other stars. There were hung, separate and
alone, out OF the only world we knew, intruders
1t was the gradual sinking into the cloud sea-
or gradual rising OF its waves around us, that
was really glad when their fieecy moonlit folds
covered us from the majesty OF the night The
| professor, to whom 1t was no new experience,
| was the first to speak.
Pm going down a little,' said he. 81 think
We've risen too far, and taken wrong direction.
And down we went, into pitchy blackness. 1
| last We heard the clank of cow-bell below us
"All right" said the professor. "Were over
farms yet Twas afraid of striking east for John
He began to tumble in satchel that lay be-
tween us, and then to swear. ventured to ask
what was the trouble
| "My PHOSPHORUS bottle" said he. ''Ive for
gotten 1t, and here we are in the dark"
| l suggested rising again, and with much
grumbling he empued couple of ballast bags
over the side and up we went, but not so rapid
| ly as before. With an impatient exclamation
the professor empt1ed more ballast, and our rate
| af ascent was percept1bly accelerated. The cow
| Uell Cldilkeu IdlultF, dLu IUdlly was no longer
heard. The events Of the afternoon, the e.
citement, and the quiet of the air combined to
make me sleepy, and imperceptibly dozed of,
the last thing remember being the figure Of the
| fmperceptibly lighter color Of the night
Idont know to this hour how long slept, but
was awakened by the professor roughly shak-
ing my shoulder.
"HaleI" said he, and there was something in
| his voice that made my blood bound " Hale
listen! What do you hear? Tell me, quick"
| nr fyxyn
| heard a dull and sullen rumble that hardly
died away before it was succeeded by another
| sound just like 1t.
patiently.
81 hear something like distant discharges Of
cannon! cannon! you fool! 1 wish it were
| cannon. Hale, we are over the shore of Lake
ontario, and d this balloon Is sinkng!'
throw over what you have"
The ballast is all gone. While you were
asleep tossed it to clear some tree-tops."
What Mia are y you going to dor
on us. can't control the balloon, and we are
drifting out to death! The balloon won't live
an hour. The breeze Is strong enough to carry
us across If she would live that long, but she
WON'T
.sThrow over your satchel," said I.
''You throw that rug over. and anything else
you have about you that weighs an ounce"
II two men ever worked quick we did. The
car was emptied Of everything it contained ex-
cepting ourselves in less than half minute,
and the noise Of the breakers grew less. You
can never know with what anxiety we watched
the silvering edge that told where the moon
would emerge from behind heavy cloud that
the cold bosom OF ontario close beneath us, or
the dull, grateful color of firm ground? 1t 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 the car frozen with fright for there di-
rectly below us and not a thousand feet away,
lay the crawling surface OF the lake, the black
and misty shoreline stretching hopelessly along
the view to the south and fading every instant,
1t required very little time to show us that the
balloon was going down with slow but fatal GER
tainty.
.'Hale," said the professor, looking at me fix
edly, 10 you know how far it is to the Canadian
said that did not.
I'm tell yOu," said he. ave are about ten
| miles off the New York shore, and as nearly as
can Judge BY that light opposite the port OF
shore is sixty miles conclude, therefore, that
we have got to make this thing sail fifty miles,
or one or both Of us must drown"
said nothing In answer to this. was in no
case to talk. The professor, on the contrary,
seemed perfectly cool and at ease, but he said
nothing more for several minutes, until like
| ghost sweeping upon the borders OF no land, a
| sail swept by US, lacking to 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.
Ibid you notice." asked the professor, chow
| near we came to raking the top Of her mast?"
| had noticed it, and with start, for we were
but little more than mast's height above the
| heaying water. thanked God though that the
| breeze was brisk, and that we must be passing
| rapidly over. Twas foolish enough to indulge
| hope that we might live until the other side.
cannot tell you what an agony of conflicting emo
| lions endured. won't try. only know that
| before the bottom OF the basket spatted the
water, which it finally did, had grown ten
| years older.
That first contact with a wave came near end
| ing my share in the adventure. 1t tipped the
| car, and the balloon rising with the relief
| rtghted it again with jerk that came very near
| pitching me head foremost overheard. tight
| ened my grip just in time, but found myself
| swung outside OF the ropes, and clinging peril
| ously with my face turned inward as another
| wave struck us, then another, then another
| then another-and then the floor of the basket
| OF the balloon remained in the water, and the
balloon, still obeying the breeze, careened over,
| and began to drag us with frightful velocity
! through the tnnbling pillows.
chung to the ropes for dear life, and tried to
climb along them toward the bag, but the pro-
fessor was ahead of me, and as he climbed he
| called out:
HALE, one Of us can get to Canada, and the
| other must feed the fish. I've got family and
| I'm going to Canada
| l felt that it was my death sentence and when
| the next instant l saw the flash of his blade
| around the ring above the car. and saw the same
| baleful light in his eyes that had seen before
knew my time had come. Nevertheless made
| hSlOS otluSSlc anu ltstpt bOWdfu uiIl, Ill Tile
| hope that might clutch the ring or some of the
| upper rigging; but In the moment Of my Jump
| the basket dropped, the balloon, with Kane in
| the rigging, his shining knife between his teeth
shot upward like the rising flight of some great
| bird, and was struggling with the waves. /
| sank. but only for few seconds.
had always been a stout swimmer and I
| struck out to keep myself atloat as long as
could. 1t was gruesome prospect there in the
middle OF ontario, a mite Of humanity in an in
hnity OF water. could only hope to keep alive
few hours at longest, but meant to fight it to
the end. These things rushed across me Ikea
flash, while was yet under the surface. The
veryfrst stroke made my heel struck something.
turned and saw the basket, bottom up, within
three feet OF me. To my joy l discovered that
while it was OF willow it was waterproof, and
having capSiZed suddenly, was in condition to
be used as a buoy, so used it.
That was a long and weary wait for morning
but the sun blaZed out of the east at laSt-anu
then wished it hadn't, for the light was blind
ing. looked in vain for land Evidently had
been dropped in the middle Of the lake. and
must take my chance OF being picked by some
passing craft before night. Falling that, knew
must die. But after a morning that seemed
year, my aching eyes were suddenly frightened
oy the sight OF steamer blowing straight to-
ward me. thought She never would reach me-
but In about an hours time she did, and came
very near passing me by unnoticed. l was
nearly half mile from her course, but she put
about, and line was thrown to me, and in i've
minutes lay fa1nt1ng on the cabin floor.