Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-10-06
FATAL FALL FROM A BALLOON,
And Tragic Death of Presley Cowen.

The community was startled on Fri
day afternoon. by a telegram from Wash
ington, Guernsey county, that Presley
Cowen. sun of Judge d. ID. L. Cowen. OF
this place, had fallen from balloon
while making AN ascension from the
Fair grounds, at that place, and was
killed.
Prof. Tony White, of this place, for
the past two years, has been making as
tensions in different parts of the coun-
try, and being quite an athlete, has been
very successful, and so far has escaped
accident.
At the recent Fair in tLis county,
White made an ascent in his hot-alr
balloon, from which time Cowen eX-
pressed a great desire to make an as
cension, and when it was learned by
him that White had an engagement at
the Washington Fair, he declared his
intention of making the second ascen-
sion, if one was made, and accordingly
when the party, consisting of James and
Tony White and VIM. Seidwitz, jr., made
their arrangements to start from here
early on Wednesday morning. it was
found that Presley had also made pre-
parations to accompany them, and on
the previous evening informed his
brother Duane of his intentions, and
that he intended to go up in the balloon
on Friday. His brother tried to dis
suade him, but to no avail. The party
started from here, by way of the pike,
on Wednesday morning, except James
White, who followed in the evening by
rail, and all arrived in Washington the
same afternoon, and at once began ar
rangements for the ascension on Thurs
day. A fine ascension was accomplish
ed by White OF Thursday afternoon,
which pleased the Fair managers so
well, that they at once negotiated for an
ascent on Friday. COwen at once de-
clared that he intended TO make the
trip, to which Mr.. James White, the
owner of the balloon, and his associates,
stubbornly objected, as did the officers
of the Fair. Their protestations were
ofno avail, and when the time came for
the ascent, Presley was undaunted and
enthusiastic over the prospective. aerial
trip. When it was found that he was
determined to go, White hastily instruct
ed him as to his conduct, and cautioned
him not to venture out of the basket.
At length the air-ship was inflated, and
amid the admiration of thousands, it
sailed off beautifully toward the clouds,
but had not reached hight of $50 feet,
when Cowen climbed out of the basket
to the hoop, about three feet above it, and
waved good bye" The balloon rose
tosa hight of nearly three-fourths of a
mile, and veered off to the northwest,
about the same distance, when it began
to come down, with Presley still stand
ing on the hoop. 1t was carried over a
dense timber, and was caught in the
tops of the trees, when spectators at the
Fair grounds noticed that its top par
TALLY raised again, and it was then
that the knowing ones feared that it had
been relieved of the 9ronaut, by acci
dent. Mr.. VIM. Seidwitz and Prof.
White, with others, at once hurried to
the spot, and found their worst fears
a realization, and that Presley had fallen
fifty or sixty, feet, and lay upon the
ground almost unconscious. He was
asked how it happened, and he answer
ed that he had fallen, alighting upon his
feet, and then had fallen backward, and
complained of pain in his back. As soon
as the accident was known, DR.. Henry
was found, and with wagon to convey
him to town, was sent to the scene of
the accident After the doctors arrival,
and an examination, it was aScertained
that no limbs were fractured, when he
was placed in the wagon and conveyed
to town, attended by DIR. Henry and
James White. but upon the arrival of
the vehicle in front of the hotel, and be-
fore he was removed, his heart ceased
to beat, and Presley Cowen was dead.
The verdict of the physician was that
death was caused by internal hemOrr
hage. MI. James White at once caused
the body to be encased in a casket, and
under instructions from Judge
Cowen, to remove the body te this place,
where it arrived early on Saturday
morning, and was buried from the resi-
dence of his father, Judge Cowen, in the
afternoon.
So far as we are advised, there is no
blame to be attached to any of the par
ty living for this sad accident, but on
the contrary, everything in their power
was done to persuade the unfortunate
man from making the ascent. In JUS
tiee to all parties, and to correct tele-
graphic reports, we state that the unan-
imouS evidence of all in position to
know, is to the effect that Presley was
in nowise under the influence of liquor,
when be started on the fatal voyage.
Below reprint the letters of the Secre-
which will explain them
selves: ..
WASHINGTON, o., Sept. 80, 1881. |