Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-07-06
UP IN A Toy BALLOON.
A Child Suspended In Mid-Afr and Res.
caed by n Rife Shot.

Morehesd IN. G. le ter in the Greensboro
Patriot: At the still hour of midnight had
the tfump of Gabriel summoned us all to a
hnsi worldly reckoning, more excitement,
COZ sternation and weeping could not have
come over the many good peo ple who were
pre- sent and witnessed The most vond .rfuI
aDd miraculous escape that ever happened
IN this or sny 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, bright and sweet little cht rub
less than three years old, who is much ema-
ciated from spell Of Texas fey,r. This
morning about 10 o'clock stro!liug Italian
made his appearance in front OF the hotel
with large cluster OF those red bladder
like toy balloons. Msi. Hawkins. of Ala
bsms, 10 amuse little Birdie, who he at hat
time had in his arms, tied the cord around
her waist and then, ss is 30 often done to
amuse children, gave her a toss of five or six
feet into the air and held out his hands for
her return. "Great God! she is gone" cried
the N sjor, as he saw her rapidly going up
up, up, until she had passed the house-tops.
Floating in the clouds, with outsretched
hands, the little angel could be heard die
iinctly calling: "Mamms, mamms, mamms, !,
unul her voice became drowned by the
whistliDg OF The winds. All the men at the
hots started out 10 boaiF, for the little one
was drifting 10 sea.
By an ac. of Divine Providence Mr.
Charles J. VOORHEES,, of the Southern Ell.
press Compsny, with party of gentlemen
wss out taking 4 SAT. Mr.. VOORHEES, is one
OF the most expert rifemen in the country
and as God had ordained il be ad on boare
his Smith 4 Wesson rff, He at once took
10 the eituatIou, rsmarking, six miles Gu
at sea and going at he rate Of Ten miles III
hour, and now 400 yards high and every
minute goirg higher, higher, higher, 1 car
cut those balloons and will do il or die"
"B ,ng~ went the rifs-bul no change il
| stioD. Again, sgaiu and agsin-at th'
hf'h shot one BE- / Don disappeared amidst th,
| shouts Of the boatmen. At the eighth sho
it became evident that tbs balloons could nj
logger carry the weight of the little foatin.
angel, ss she WAS gfaiualty descending, no
in a straight line but in souihess. dire C
tiop, toward Hsrker's Island-but whether
| dead or alive zone could tell. DIVA, down
down she c IN, rs gently as if handled BY
| human hands-and 10 fall in a cradle O
sand. With fear and trembling all ran up
B n Piver ia front. tGentlemeU,p Gays he
| 81 will ne dineed if she amt live and kick
Jog" There slt little Birdie playing with
lot Of shells, and az she was picked up sh
c!upg on to handful, saying, "Dsss stLs 70
mamma" mon
With The pfizs all returned 10 the b)at.
fhere sat Mr.. Voorhees,, with death lik
paltor Gu his couniensnce, sni when toll
that he had saved the babe unhurt, his ten
der heart gave way, and he wept like
child. The little darling came out as brish
as new pin, aud seemed to look OF III
whole matter as fun gotten up for her amuse
| msnf
| Th,,o Il A..
element that the oldest iuhabitant of thi
o d North CsRolna resort ever dreamed O
thought Of, and msy the writer never sgai
| witness its like.