The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-07-31
AERIAL TRAVELLING.

AERIAL TRAVELLING.
A Newspaper Reporters Account Of n Bal
loon Trip In Cannds, and the Imminent
Peril the BaIlOonists Faced.
A New York Herald man made an as
cent with Prof. Grimley in his air-ship
Canada at Montreal, and describes the
sensations OF rising and floating over
the city, driven by a fierce wind. After
careering along until after nightfall,
they discovered the balloon was de-
scending, and to prevent falling into
the forest Mr.. Grimley seized one OF
the sand bags and hurled it out of the
car. We shot upward for a few mo-
ments, says the account, and then the
car sank again. Another bag OF ballast
was thrown out, but the cold air famed
our cheeks, telling of u approach to
the earth. Only one bag was left.
Il dare not throw it over said Grim
ley. Il will keep it for the last moment.
Pail in the drag-rope or 1t will catch in
the trees
We could feel the rush Of air as the
Canada plowed through the currents on
he downward course, and both sprang
forward to draw in the heavy rope dang
ling beneath. 1t required our united
strength to pull. it up even slowly, and
as we made n tremendous effort the
door of the car few open and 1 came
within an ace Of being thrown out. !
caught hold OF an iron bar, however,
and hung on for dear life. As the car
began to tremble and shake with the
frightful velocity of its descent, by q
great effort 1 regained my position, and
we Don succeeded in placing the drag
line safely in the cage.
How can we save ourselves P'I asked.
Keep cool and get ready for work,
was the quiet rejoinder.
l turned and looked at the man. He
had the throttle-valve ropo between his
teeth and in his hands was the collapse
line, by which the balloon could be rip
ped from top to bottom instantly. We
were almost over the edge OF the forest,
and there was a small clearing and an
other forest beyond. There was no time
for notes, as we were within a few yards
Of the earth.
'Out with all the ballastr the little
Englishman cried, and l seized the re-
naming bag Of ballast and threw it over
the Car rail. 1t was too late. With q
frightful crash we struck the high pop
lar trees and cut the tops of as clear as
though with q knife. Then we tore at q
race-horse speed through the forest,
tearing away the branches Of oak and
maple trees, and throwing us both from
one side OF the car to the other. Every
time the cage struck it would steady for
a moment and then bound along until
another bough impeded its progress,
when we would receive a shock that
stunned us for the instant.
Suddenly we lifted clear Of the trees
and began to tear over the fields. The
professor gave a mighty pull on the col
lapse valve to let us down at once before
we got in the other forest, but under the
great strain the line broke, and to my
horror we headed due east for the SIMS
ter-looking forest.
Get hold of the valve rope and help
me- said Grimley, as he clambered up
in the netting and caught the lines
With might and main w drew the valve
open, inch by inch, and the Canada be-
gan to sink. While we dangled on the
ropes end among the rigging l saw we
must strike the ground.
Drop the line and cut the netting oil
the car commanded Grimley, as he al
lowed the valve rope to cut his wrist
with the great pressure from above.
did as directed, and as we we're dragged
wei fences, bitches and burrows,
grasped stones and earth to serve as
ballast. Over the clearing we went,
smashing against stumps and rocks, un.
Til it seemed as though ven the iron
car must give way.
Finally the gas began to pour from
the valve in a heavy volume and the i'm
mense canvas runaway stopped. And il
was lucky for us that it did, as ten feel
from us was a seven-foot fence, to have
struck which meant deathfor both Of us.
and had we bridged that danger we could
not have escaped the forest, only twenty
yards distant. Grimley told me to re-
main in the car while he clambered ur
in the network with a large knife in his
teeth; q huge slit was made in the can
vas, which eased the balloon of its great
power. A high wind began to blow and
the car was upset, the PROBES or and
myself being spilled out in an uncere-
monious manner.