Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1883-09-29
UPWARD By TOY BALLOON
III w A CHILD DsCA1.E SUSPENDED
IN t1ID-AIR.
She Drifts SpnvvarG-An Expert RiGcmnn
Fires n Shot aud Breaks the En'irO,a
Nhrn She ne.ccnds 10 ~ Cradle of sand.
and is Hniciiy Rcscncd.

A letter from Morcheal, Y. c., says:
= At the still hour Of midnight, had the
trump of Gabriel summoned us all to a
final worldly reckoning, more excite
ment, Transformation and weeping could
nOt have come over the many good poo
pie WHO were present and witnessed the
most wonderful and miraculous escape
that ever happened in this or any other
country. Mrs. Robert Elliott, Of Texas,
has been here for the past ten days or
more, TO restore the health Of her child
Birdie, q bright an1 sweet little chcrub,
less thar three years old, who is much
emaciated from a spell of Texas fever.
This morning about ten o'clock q stroll
ing Italian made his appearance il front
of the hotel. with a large cluster OF
those red bladder5 like toy balloons,
Major Hawkins, of Alabama, to am1lsc
little Birdie, who he had at that time in
his arms. tied the cord around her waist
and then as is often done to amuse chil-
dren, gave her n toss OF five or six feet
into the air and held ont his hands for
her return. "Great God . she is gone"
cried the Major, rs he saw her rapidly
going Iup, up. until she had passed the
housetpps. Floating in the clouds, with
ontstretched hands, the little angel
could be heard distinctly calling:
Mamma, mamma, mamma" until her
voice became drowned by the wlistling
of the winds, fer the little one was drift
ing to sea
BY an act of Divine Providence. Mr..
Charles j. Voorhees,. of the Southern
Express Company, with a party Of gem
tlemen, was out taking a sail. Mr..
Noorhees1is one of the most expert ,iflc-
men in the country, and rs God had
ordained it, he had on board his Smith
Il Wesson rifle. He at once took i, the
situation, remarking, "Six miles out at
sea and going at the rate of ten miles
M hour. and now 400 yard, high. and
every minute going higher, higher.
fnigheri ! can cut those balloons, and
will doIit or die
Bang! y went the ritie-but no
changeI III position. Again. again and
again-1the fifth shot lone balloon dis
appeared amidst the shouts Of tie boat
men. AT the eight shot it became evil
dent that the balloons could no longer
carry the weight of the little floating
angel, as she was gradually descending,
not in q straight line, but il as~outheast
direction, toward Harker's Island. but
whether dead or alive. none could tell.
Down, down. down she comes-as gen
tie as if handled by human hands-and
10 fall in a cradle Of sand. With fear
and trembling. all ran up-Btn Piver in
front. ''Gent!emen.' says he. Il will
he dinged. if she amt live and kicking"
There Sat little Birdie playing with a lot
Of shells. and as she was picked up she
chung on 10 . handful, saying. Desc
sells for mamma
With, the prize they all retnnIled to
the boats. There sat Mr.. Voorhees,.
with q deatlr-like pallor Oh his connte-
nance, and whert told that he had saved
the babe unhur.. his tender heart gave
way, and he wept like n child. The
lite darling came out as bright as a
n pin. and seemed to look nrol the
whole matter as fun gotten up for he.
amusement.
Thus!ended a day of the most intense
excitement that the Oldest inhahitaa. II
this old North Carolina resort ever
dreamed or thought OF. and may the
writer never again witness lis ike.