The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-02-06
1000 FEET DOWNWARD.
The Terrible Fall Of Balleoniss In an Ar
kansaS Town.

l,OOO FEET UOW y w AhD-
The Terrible Fall Of q B.lleoniss In an Ar
kansas Town.
From the Joorsbxo Ark, Tinss
About two weeks ago two men-Henry
Dirk and Willis Cowen-came to our
town and proposed the building Of a bal
loon and making an ascension. provided
our community would raise thirty-fve dol
lars for that purpose, and Mr.. Ben Wood
went to work to raise the necessary funds
and the men began the construction of the
balloon. and Saturday. the 2Sth ult. was
the time fixed for the ascension. The two
men worked day and night on the balloon
and Saturday morning it was painted and
the process of initiating 1t commenced. Al
though the weather vas very cold and
snow on the ground, the people from the
country began to come IN early. on horse
back, on foot and In wagons, and by noon
perhaps the largest crowd ever assembled
in Jonesboro was found lowering around
the fires in the public houses and stand
ing about on the snow in the public square
and around the spot where the men were
preparing the balloon The preparations
seemed to progress slowly. and the crowd.
cold, hungry and impatient ciamored and
waited until nearly clock. when all was
announced ready, and the balloon. sway
ing and tugging at the ropes. seemed like
some huge monster struggling to be free,
and the words ''let her go!" were pro-
nouneed and she shot upward with a fear
full surge. with Mr.. Dirk clinging by his
hands to the trapeze, but some twenty feet
below the balloon. Sweeping slightly
north and west the huge monster sped rap
idly upward throug'i the chill air until IT
attained height of perhaps twelve
hundred feet, and seemed almost TO MIN
gle with the murky clouds that hung low
and heavy around it. When some one
hundred feet up. the man made an effort
TO mount the bar but failed, and when
about three hundred feet up. agained es-
saved to place himself on the trapeze and
again failed, and as the balloon climbed
higher and higher he was still hanging by
his hands to the bar To those who took
time TO think, his situation now seemed
perilous, as it was evident Ire was for some
reason unable TO get upon the bar. for it
was exceedingly doubtful If he could hold
by his hands to the cold iron at such an al
titude in such an air, and many an anxious
eye looked longingly for the balloon to
commence its descent, but it still chung
with tiendish tenacity to its giddy height
The suspense now became intolerable. but
it was brief The doomed man. realizing
his peril, now made last frantic effort to
gain a hold upon the rope above. IL was
in vain. His fate was sealed. This was
known to those who looked upon the DIS
to- ,eha I h,, I,-a ii
ahold between heaven and earth. He knew
and felt it, am who can realize the horror
of that moment. A thousand eyes were
looking longingly. a thousand hearts we're
praying silently, but million arms could
not rescue him. He had passed the reach
of human aid and the limit Of human en-
durance. What scenes Of his passed life
thronged through his brain. What
thoughts Of home or mother we will new
err know. The last hopeless cry of despair
was not heard, the last startled look Of
the eye gazing into eternity was not seen.
Alone and unaided he must meet his doom.
One arm drops, nerveless, from its
grasp, an instant. the other loosens its
hold and he falls. down. down. Some
gaze at the fearful sight with the helpless
fascination Of horror, strong men who
have braved death on the battlefield turn
away with blanched faces and sickened
hearts A wall Of woe goes up from faint
ing women. all else is still. For more
than half the distance he decended in an
erect position, feet down. and then he
swung over and dropped rapidly head
foremost toward the earth. his hand
stretched instinctively forward. and then
with heavy thud he struck the frozen
ground and the sickning scene was over.
The crowd then rushed to the spot where
he had fallen. Just outside the yard Of the
west side 1T the fence al the residence OF
Mr.. G.. W. CuberhOuse, about two nun
bred yards northwest of the point he rose
from. In falling he passed through the
branches of small hickory tree and the
limbs seemed as If bewn OFF with an axe.
and where he struck the hard frozen
earth his body made cavity some inches
deep and two feet long though he re-
bounded and Law stretched upon his breast.
He had evidently been turned by stnk-
ing the tree and fell upon his back and
back Of his head. His neck. back. both
legs and right arm were terribly broken
up. while his left arm and face seemed
unnjured, and when prepared for the
grave his countenance wore a remarkably
calm. natural. life-,ike expression, rs il
sleeping, with no appearance Of agony or
discoloration.
Hi. body was taken in charge bv Cor
oner Wren. who superintended his burial
and be was conveyed gently on Monday e
his grave. attended by few humane and
sympathising citizens.