Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-03
LOST AMONG THE CLOUDS
FEARS THAT PROF. WISE AND HIS
COMPANION ARE LOST,
The Balloon Traced at Girard, Ill.,, Sunday
Night, Going Rapidly in the Direction
Of Lake Michigan, Into Which, il
is Believed to Have Fallen.

ST. LOUIS, October 2.-The sad sensa-
ton of the day in this city is the fear,
now deemed almost a certainty, that
Prof. Wise, the aeronaut, and Mr.. Geo.
Burr, teller OF the st. Louis National
Bank, who accompanied him in the
ascension of Sunday afternoon, are
drowned in the waters OF Lake Michigan.
A man named Hoxson, farmer near
Girard, H., arrived in the city to-day,
stating that upon his farm he found a
lot OF circulars taken in the balloon,
which were thrown out Sunday
night. Girard is almost in a direct
line between st. Louis and Lake
Michigan. The line in which the circu-
lars were strewn also indicated the
course of the balloon toward the lake.
4 special also states that the balloon
was seen at between IL and - o'clock
Sunday night, at a point within forty or
fifty miles OF the lake. 1t seems almost
incredible that it should have travelled
fast enough TO reach Chicago by ii
o'clock. 1t is a distance OF go miles,
but il is said by those who saw it as it
struck out in a northeast direction from
the fair grounds that its speed was very
great. Those who saw it at Alton also
say it was moving very rapidly. 1t may
be-, then, that in six hours the Path
finder, with Prof. Wise and Mr.. Burr,
was really starting along Lake Michigan
at midnight.
1t is argued by the hopeful that so eX-
perienced balloonist as Prof. Wise
would certainly have known when he
was approaching dangerous locality,
and have made descent somewhere,
even though in forest.
Unfortunately it is feared the balloon
was not perhaps under full control. 1t
had been said by those in charge OF the
preparations that new balloon was TO
be made expressly for this trip, but this
was not done. The Pathfinder was
quite old, and by many is believed to
have been quite rotten. 1t is we'll
known that some of the cordage was so
weak that il snapped easily when the
filling process was going on, and so little
ballast was taken on that once over the
lake not enough could be thrown out to
carry the air ship safely across. The
balloon must have gone down some
where Sunday night, as the gas would
have been exhausted before Monday;
and, besides this, if it had kept sailing
Monday it would have been observed
and reported.
Burr was gentleman well known in
st. Louis society. 1t is said at the ST.
Louis National Bank that the fact that
he did not notify Mr.. Nickerson, the
cashier, that he was going up in the bal
loon, proves that he expected to be at
his post by 9O'cloCk on the Monday fol-
lowing the ascension. Mr.. Nickerson
said he had not heard one word, and
that he believed George was lost. He
had tclegraphed Mr.. w. +. Burr, Presi-
dent OF the bank, and a brother to
George, and now in New York, all
about the matter, and that he expected
Mr.. Burr home tonight or tomorrow
morning. Mr.. Nickerson believes the
balloon went down into Lake Michigan
Sunday night, and utterly scouts the
idea that there is any joke or cheap adj
vertisement about il, as young Burr
would scorn to do anything of the kind.
He had made all of his arrangements
before hand, and went out OF pure love
of adventure.
The relatives of Prof. Wise, as OF Burr,
live i'm and about IT. Louis, and have be-
come equally hopeless as to the issue Of
the adventure.