The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-11
COL. DE ALMA.
The Dugald Dalgetty Of Two Continents
and q Dozen Wars.
PHILADELPHIA News i


Col. De Alma, the deposed collector of GUS
toms at Stka, who on Now YenrB day forced
his way into tho White House and iDsulted
President Hayes, Is one OF the most reiuark-
able characters that ever floHted on the tide
of CoRmopoIltanism. tie 10 u citizan Of the
world In the fullest sense. and u solGipr who
has fought under dozen flags. The gallant
| colonel is now about sixty years Of age, aud
Ia probably German, mayhap q Hpssian,
and certainly u Bohemian. Iie Is well known
In Philadelpha. whore, some six or seven
years ago, he was the originator Of scheme
for trans Atlantic balloon voyage. Ii was
the time that Prof. Wiee, with his theory OF
the easterly MIR current MT II certain eleva-
ton. Dondaldson 8 intrepidity. and the
GrGphic's enterprise made balooning and
especially ocean ballooning, popular
MANIA that Col. De Alma turned up 10
Philadelphia, where he had been temporarily
stranded by u wave OF adversely which
had wrecked the Influence OF his friend, VIM.
M. Tweed. the boss Of New York. The gal
liant colonel had had some experiences In bal
looming about Paris during the Franco Prus
sinn war, and rs ne was as brave aS the brave
| and was always seeking nh opportunity TO
make II sudden fortune for his American wife
aud little children, he eagerly embraced the
popular current and launched scheme for nn
ocean balloon voyage. The Press office was
made It's headquarters; the colonel appointed
two enthusiastic young journalists bis aids
de- cnmp and things went on swmmingly
until the Graphic balloon burst, when the col
ouel's scheme also went up iuto the air. In
the meantime considerable money had been
raised, Recorder Theo. +. Walton. now Of
New York who had been eauyht with the
craza, bong liberal subscriber, oil OF which
WAS turned over to the colonel, who needed
It, poor devil. II ever man did. 1t was dur
ing this period, and over many n
strong pipe and hot toddy taken In the
early morning hours, after the work
OF getting out the paper had bsen
finished, and In u jolly crowd OF Bohemtana
that Hourished In those days, and Of which
the colonel naturally became member. that
the story OF his life was learned--not AS n
whole, however, but by bits and threads,
dropped now and then in some thrilling bat
| Tie narrative or adventuresome anectiote that
set the company roaring. Although the
| colonel had passed through many strange
scenes and vlcissltudes. and had had M OK
| perienes that falls TO the lot of few men, he
was not braggart, indeed, it was hard
rather thnn easy to draw the story from him,
aud no one but n genial whole hearted aud
| sympathetic soul was ever admitted TO his
confidence Tho colonel, who had had u
splendid military aud civil education, had
originally been a Prusslan subaltern. but
afterwards he fought on two continents, and
for every cause that would pay him
for the fighting. He had tho scars
Of battle on his person and the marks
OF his gallantry In numerous medals, com
missions and ribbons that had been conferred
on him by as many sovereigns and COM
manders. He had fought in half n dom
nan,,aintaa with the y,,Iitica If no many re
RUTHLESS HIs sword had been linsheathed for
fr.e ItaIv md he was the warm admlrer
and bosom friend OF aaribaldi, whose faith
break ~ the rehellion and the onnortnnttv it.
oifered the educated md practical man of
war invited him 10 this Country and he
aarved win pailantrv and diatinrfian in the
J1nion nrmies winning his rank ne rnlonal
Atter .ha rlnsa ~ INK wn,. hn detarmtned IT,
rana,n in thts country and songht md
fonnd smnInvment in ratlrand hniiding and
nndnr tho Csntral park aommi,aion whore
hia thorouuh knowleIps of engineerin1 made
him valuable, When the France. p,nasian
,y, b,., Ira ant hn martini t,,i,t th, I,,i
onel waited him across the ocean again. and
cropping his pr0ntAple en4aR5meHi9, no Of
,n ',,a e~olu W ~ W i"o., nse @.lu
thenId wnrrior ma IN IA content Win q macs
in the hosnitaI aerviee H., mt,st have
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