The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-07-12
sKYWARD BY TOY BALLOON,
a Child Suspended I'm Mid-Air aud Res
cued by % Rifle Shot.

~ The still. hour Of midnight had the
trump of Gabriel summoned us all to a
final worldly reckoning, more excitement,
CONSERVATION aud weeping could not
have come over the many good people
who were present and Witnessed the most
wonderful and miraculous escape that
ever happened in this or any other coun.
try. Mrs Robert Elliott, Of Texas, ,has
been here for the past ten days or more,
to restore the health Of her child Birdie,
bright and sweet little cherub less than
three years old, who is much emaciated
from spell of Texas fever. This morn.
ing about 10 o'clock strolling Italian
maos f::s appearance in front Of the hotel,
with large cluster OF those rcd bladder.
like toy balloons. Major Hawkins, of
Alabama. TO amuse little Birdie, who he
at that time had i'm his arms, tied the
cord around her waist and then, AZ is 40
often done to amuse children, gave her n
toss of five or six feet into the dir and
held out his hands for her return.
Great God she is gone" cried the Ma
jor, SO he saw her rapidly going up, up,
up, until she had passed the house. tops.
Floating in the clouds, with outstretchcd
hands, the little angel could be heard
distinctly calling: Mamma, mamma,
mamma" until her voice became drown.
ed by the whistling of the winds. All
the men ct the ho,e! started out in boats,
for The litt!o one was drifting to sea.
BY an act of Divine Providence Mr..
Charles J. Voorhees,, Of the Southern
Express Company, with party ofgentle.
men were out taking sail. Mr.. Voor-
hees is one of the most expert rihemen
in the country, and as God had ordained
it he had on board his Smith e. Wesson
rifle. He at once took in the situation,
temarking: "Six miles out Mt sea and
going at the rnte of ten miles an hour,
and now 400 yards high and every min.
ute going higher, higher, higher. can
cut those balloons, and will do it or die"
Bang" went the riae-but no
Ggain-the fifth shot one balloon disap.
peared amidst the shouts of the boatmen.
At the eighth shot it became evident
that the balloons could not longer carry
the weight Of the little floating angel, as
she was gradually descending, not in a
straight line but in n southeast direction,
towards Harkers Island-but whether
dead or alive none could tell. Down,
down, down she comes-as gentle as if
handled by human hands-and to fall
in cradle of sand. With fear and trem-
bling all ran up-Ben Piver in front.
Gentlemen" says he, II will be iinged
if she ain't live and kicking" There
sat little Birdie playing with lot of
shells, snd as she was picked up she clung
on to q handful, saying, "Dcse sells for
mamma"
With the prize all returned to the
boats. Thore sat Mr.. Voorhees, with a
death.like pe!lor on his countenance,
and when told that he had saved the
babe unhurt, his tender heart gave way
and he wept like child. The little
darling came out as bright as new pin
and seemed tc look on the whole matter
as fun gotten up for her amusement.
Thus ended day of the most intense
excitement that the Oldest inhabtant at
this old North Carolina resort ever
dreamed or thought of, and may the
writer never again witness its like
1Hoorhedd, ". g., Letter TO the Greensboro
fiItriOf