Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-11
HID LAST BALLOON T0YAGE.
DOnaldson's Fate ChrOnicled by
VHirnseuf.

MEET WITH THE SAME TRAGIC END WHICH
BRFEIL DONALDSON AND GRIMwooD?
The uncertainty OF the fate Of Prof. Wise
and his companion, Burr, who assembled In the
balloon pathfinder, from Lindell Park, St.
heard from, recalls the story Of lOnaldson's
tragic death, as compiled by the missing aero
maui from papers picked up In Lake Michigan:
which the Two voyager5 had thrown overheard
preyfous to their death Prof. Wise dedicated
his narrative as follows:
ITO all reckless aeronauts, who run their
consequences, or who, In other words, essay to
fly without making due calculations and prep
aratlons TO alight, this little narrative is dedi-
Gated"
Wise then copied, verbatim, Donaldson's
memorandum OF the trip, as follows:
al had often been excited in my feats of
rope-WalkiDg but never before did feel my
heart sinking into such dependency as l did
when the erial ship doomed up AID out over
the lake. 1t was dreary sight over the desert
"By kind Of instructive arithmetic could
still figure out another hours sail and reach
OF dry land. Grlmwood hailed me from the car
below while / was sitting in MY perch in the
lookout above, buSily engaged writing out my
experience that l had more than an hour ago
resolved TO transmit to the waves below, so
that might leave memoir Of my last voyage
In the event OF fatal termination.
"Grimwood now inquired OF me: How far
are we from the Michigan shore?' And he
added: our ballast is nearly spun out God
only knows, was my reply.
Balloon sailing has in 1t the peculiarly OF
keeping one entirely unconscious OF The speed
the ba loon is making, or the direction in which
It rs moving when you are among the clouds,
and the clouds are sailing with you, and at the
same time nothing but a monotonous waste OF
water is underneath. II Is singular that so
limited a sheet OF water as Lake Michigan
should present TO view SO few vessels to the
eye OF the Sc Onaut.
"wen, it is about $50 miles long, and this
gives us an area of 5000 square miles. Now,
II Loco sailing vessels were spread over the lake
at any one time, 1t would present, on an aver
age. Only one vessel for every thirty-fve sluare
miles, or, in other words, one vessel ON every
plot OF six miles square.
"Prof. " iSe told me that in his sail down the
middle of Lake Fri, from one end to the other
he did not see half d. zen vessels, ana in cruss-
ing ninety miles Of Lake Ontario only one YES
sci was intercepted. 1 fully realized this fact
in my own experience over the lakes, ard the
sparseness OF sea craft visible below gave the
situation an intensified dreary ASPECT.
Il now turned my face to Grmwood, and re-
quested him to look out for some lake craft,
since we could not expect TO remain afloat
much longer, as the ballast was SO nearly ex-
hauSted.
"'won't the balloon hold out all night2' said
my companion. You frequently let your bal
loon stand out all night and reascend with 1t
the next morning, hopefully calculated my
cheerful partner. Yes was the response
'that is when the balloon is new and In perfect
ORDER but remember this is a leaky Old tub
You don't pretend to intimate that We are
going to be Soused INTO the lake for the want OF
the balloon Gliding out to req Oh the land?' 'Why,
certainly sald II we don't discover land
the water and trust to Providence Donald
son. aiI't you, joking' said Grlnwood. No.
was my reply
II now resolved at all hazards, to state the
situation fairly to Grimwood, as certain de-
structi0n seemed to be staring me in the face,
ard tell him TO prepare for doom that had
foreshadowed itself to my mind all day long
l had been sailing under false colors long
enough. Ii only made my anguish Of mind
greater as / pretended to assume compoSure,
and thought that had taken along with me a
gentleman of culture and taents To be lost 10
the world, and for the simple benefit OF show
spectacle that had so little real merit In 1t as
to be compelled to hang its financial success
On the miserable attraction OF acrobatic bal
looming. and thus, through me, to commit a
moral homicide. My heart was throbbing with
emotion as l contemplated the whole situation
Perhaps Grimwood will grow desperate If let
out the whole truth. He may become revenge
full, and grapple with me for the decision as to
who is to take the last chance for life; for what
will man not do TO save his own Life? One or
the other OF us must In very short time leave
the balloon, or both OF us perish together in
the angry waves.
al had now fully resolved to be man in
every sense OF the word, and give Grimwood
the little remaining time for a last autobio-
graphical sketch in the event OF his going over
board, mine being to the present extent ready
for doubtful transmission in the like contin-
".Grimwood, are you prepared to hear the
worst Of our situations?
al am always ready for an item, Donaldson,
good CT bad, high or low, up or down. pitch In
Donaldson, and give US the news
"This good tempered response rallied my
dropping spirits again, and began to hope
against hope. strained my eyes TO the cas-
and the west. and the north and the south, in
the hope Of espying something that should
promise rock OF safety for two wandering
spirits of the air. Really. 1 began to feel more
like dreaming spirit than living man. Grim
wood was all this time writing down rapidly
our words and the scenes around US, seemingly
reliant on safe ending to the perilous voyage
"'Ships seem to be as scarce as land, Donald
son. he muttered, but we have life preseryers
and If It must come to that we will battle for
life In the waves
"Inow proposed to him inasmuch as our time
was we'll nigh spent, that we draw lots for the
chance OF one OF us remaining with the balloon.
life-preseryer, so that we should be prepared
for the emergency when our ballast should come
entirely to an end.
al am agreed was the ready reply Of Grim
wood. prepare the drafts, and as was never
lucky enough to draw prize In lottery, am
sure to draw one in this, either Of wind or wa
ter. Besides said he the prize may be ship
so let US hold up to the last grain Of sand in the
hope OF tntercepting craft below; and in the
event OF falling in with one we will pounce down
upon 1t like hawk upon sparrow
a. prepared dozen sticks OF matches had
In my pocket, All OF different lengths aud
handed them TO GTtmwood to dispose OF the
game. as he desired. He said:
Never mind, Donaldson; keep them In your
own hands. | Will draw one, you another, aud
he who draws the longest shall have the choice
and l do not care much about the choice, be-
cause II Is IIobSon to me at BEST since would
be as badly of In the crazy old balloon without
ballast, without experience and without knowl-
edge in the art OF air sailing, as shall be in the
water With a life-preseryer. II the choice falls
TO me l Will sell out cheap anyhow; should
Providence send a vessel in sight, and near us,
In that event would sooner take 10 the water
lot than the air plot
LAS he reached out his hand to draw his lot,
he remarked: Your hand trembles,' and 50 1t
diG-a thing that seldom occurred 10 me.
1.-The sun was now going down behind the
cloud bank 0 golden -frlnged horizon All
nature was still as death. | imagined that
the gold and purple coloIed drapery that ap-
peared to curtain the chamber behind it repre-
sented tie mausoleum Of our approaching rest.
Ing place. place; 60, ,o,,on,o.o t. 49,, ~
hand resting on his notebook, his counrenance
indicative or deep thought, his face fixed as
that OF statue. For the first time he seemed
to realize the soiemnity of the occasion. He
refused 10 measure lots with me. He said In
very serious mood, Donaldson, 1t is all for the
best; am ready; God be with u.s. Aud his chin
sank slowly upon his breast. The scene un-
rSrved me. turned my eyes once more to the
setting sun, and there l saw depicted In the
cloud formation an old man with sickle In his
hand.
"Oh, what solemn scene was before me, 7
was ready TO sink down with grief for now
were Hitting through my mind the scenes OF
my cGildhood-the happy days OF youth, the
papgs or cespsed love, thoughts OF the two
lite OUSprfQpS of flesh or