Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-07-18
A TERRIBLE BALLOON TRIP.
Story Of a Lady Passengsr---"I Thought
My Time Had Come "...The
PerlIOus Pler--.ln the
Swamp - The
Escape.
San Francisco Chroniole.l

Graphic, who accompanied Prof Col
grove in the balloon which left Wood
wards Garden on the Fourth. Her
injuries are far more serious than at
first supposed, and will conine her to
her room for some time to come. She
was found,with her head covered with
bandageS, her eyes blackened, and her
face Scared. Her appearance told
the story of her disastrous Journey
Sit down, said she, " and | will tell
YOU all about it. You see, | am just
going to try to get over to my home in
the city, though the doctor wants me
to remain here for a few days. | think
l will feel better at home than in a
strange place. A look of pain
crept over her face, and the
long, low sigh which she uttered
told its own story. I'm black
and blue all over my left side from
head to foot, and every time | move I
feel sharp twinges of pain. / can'ttalk
fast, for the physicians say if | do |
shall tear my lip open again. You
know 1t was cut when when we had
the accident. This is the second suit
that I've borrowed since last night.
Niue was wet and torn, and the one |
had first belonged to a Danish girl.
who was very kind to me at the farm.
house. But you want to knew about
the accident: When we started from
the garden | felt no alarm or uneasi.
ness, though | confess | thought |
should. We went up ike a shot from
the ground, and in a few minutes Mr..
ColgrOve said We are 5000 feet
high. The sensation was something
indescribable you could not convey
the exact idea in any words, for it was
one of those sensations that must be
experienced by a person in order to
be truly realized. There was no mo
ton whatever. We were simply there
with the great panorama of land and
sea, mountain and valley, in fact, all
the world below us. 1t was when the
balloon was stationary over Hunters
Point that the sublimity of the view
came to me with its fullest force.
When we were away up there Col.
grove said he thought he'd go up.
stairs as he called it, and | asked
him why? He said he did not like
the way the balloon was acting, and he
showed me the little rent through
which the
GAS WAS ESCAPING.
We then went down and up again.
and then down toward the wlter. II
saw the little shadow and called Mr..
Colgrove's attention to it. He acted
very coolly, and | felt great confidence
in him. The shadow on the water
grew larger. We thought we were
going to strike the water, and every
thing was thrown out to tighten the
car. 1t was of no use. and we went
down. | could see by the shadow that
We were travelling very fast, though we
could feel no motion whatever. lie
told me to turn my back to the water.
hut before | could do so we struck and
went under. | was frightened, and
thought my time had come to die. We
went right under the water. lost my
hat, and my hair came down and
began to blow about my face. After
dragging through the water Il little,
the balloon lifted aud we had time to
breathe. C%olgrove told NE to catch
the ropes and hang on. | did so. The
balloon then came down, but we we're
more prepared for the shock and knew
what it meant. 1t would strike
the water, drench us, and fly
up to como down again. My mouth
and ears got full of the water, and |
could hardly hang on. Then he put
his arm around my neck and told me
to lean against him aud keep my
senses. He seemed to be sensible of
the danger, but wa cOul and firm, and
not a bit frightened. did not mind
the dipping so much after the first
shock that was the severest one. We
came down into the water four times
with great force, going under each
time. and the car struck, | should
think, about thirty times. We were
going very swiftly, | climbed up the
rope so as TO be out Of the water when
the car struck, but it was so dangerous
up there, swinging out Of aud into the
car, | came down again, lest | should be
thrown out and drowned. We saw the
pier ahead and knew we would strike
it. Colgrove said to me, IF We strike
that pier it will be sure death" |
was 80 tired and worn out with the
knocking about that | had got that I
did not care much. | thought there
would be one crash and then all
would be over. IL was
TERRIBLE POSITION
| can tell you, with almost certain
death before you. He said / had
better get out in the water, but [ had
on a pullback dress and it was soaked
through and through. | tried to get
up, aud he tried to help me, but my
clothes were like so much lead. [
had hurt my leg, and could not get out
OF the car. He was trying to help me
out, for ! thought if we struck
should be killed. The pier was struck
before We hardly knew it, and | then
received all my injuries. / cannot
remember much more about the strik-
ing: | knew Colgroye had left the
balloon, for he had his arm about me
trying to protect me when we struck.
Then he went out and / think [ fell
in a swoon. | cannot re%collect how
left the balloon, for the next thing
knew | found myself in the mud of
the swamp, | struck in a real nice,
soft, muddy place, and it was
= good thing for me, as
should have been dashed to
pieces R | had struck anything
hard. | suppose that the Gen.
eral Inst threw Us ont when the
49,. l..l - r. IL