The Osceola times., 1884-04-26
HOW DONALDSON DIED.
The spirit ofthe Great Balioonist Describes
His Last Voyage

The spirit Ohtne orcht thnhooAAhss Des seSiDcs
His Last Voyage
A young girl of Reading, Pa, has
lately developed remarkable powers as
spiritual medium, it is said, and last Sat-
urday, with circle of spiritualists about
her, she took trip to the spirit world, as
she called it, and related what she saw.
Among the people met there was Prof.
who had never been heard
from since he started on that perilous
balloon voyage from the lake front, Chi
cago. The professor was considerate
enough to try to clear up the mystery,
and told the young lady all about his
perilous voyage and the terrible expe-
riences accompanying 1t.
THE AERoNAUT's STORY.
The young lady's story, as given by
the Philadelphia Press, is as follows.
"The fact is for the past ten days
have seen the face of the sarae man every
day. l was in the spirit land. l call it
spirit land, it is so much prettier, l think,
than the clairvoyant state; the latter is so
vulgar and common, ana, I am told,
there is so much humbug in it."
BY this time eleven people had assem-
bled in the parlor and formed a circle
about the girl. The gas was turned down
iust trife, and in very short time the
parents nodded and pointed to their
whose face had turned slightly
upward Her eyes closed and her hands
rested together on her lap. She sat upon
a hassock, and it was at least three min
utes of silence before she spoke again.
The measured tick of the clock, the low
hum Of the gas, the cracking coal in the
crate, the hurrying, creaking footsteps on
the pavement in the icy air of the night
alone broke the Stiffness"
II see the same mans face coming
toward me again." said the young me-
dunn. "He has black wavy hair, well
rounded head, large short neck, dark
complexion and black mustache. As he
comes nearer to me see that one of his
eyes is dark and the other light. On one
of his cheeks see dark mark. 1t is a
mole or birthmark of some kind.
sPrRIT'R FRUITLEss SEARCH.
"He looks at me as ifseeking some one
he cannot find. This is the eleventh
time have seen his face. He seems to
want me to speak to him, and appears to
be in trouble because did not speak to
him before. l now speak to him and his
eyes light up and sparkle with delight.
He smiles and says:
"T am glad you spoke to me. You are
the first to greet me from the world be-
low since l left it. Why did you not
speak to me before? Do you know me
No, you do not. You were too young
when lived in your city. But no doubt
you heard of me. My name is Donald
son. l was called Prof. Donaldson
Here the circle of friends were aston
Ished and became doubly interested. }
Don't you remember my name? Invent
up in balloons in Reading and gave en-
with presents to all the lit
lie children and the grown folks too.
Tell your father and those folks near you
who / am; they will remember me. Also
tell them that want to clear up the
of my strange death.
"'Some say that am not dead and
will come back to my old home and
friends once more. That is not so. |
am now out of the earth and flesh and
am in the spirit world.
DoNALDsoN's LAST ASCENSION.
Everybody who remembers me will
remember that was never heard from
after went up in the balloon at Cbica-
go. That was my last assertion. Our
balloon was caught in a terrible wind
storm in the upper current. never ex-
perienced such storm on land. 1t blew
our balloon basket to pieces. My friend
Or friends, were blown out Of the basket
car, leaving me up in the rigging, sitting
on the hoop of the balloon. saw eve
rything below me b'own into shreds.
Then the gas-chamber of the balloon
made fearful plunge and careened to
one side, and threw and the hoop up
ward, and for few minutes | was sailing
the air on top of the balloon.
That was the strangest ride ever indulg-
ed in by mortal man. These few min
utss seemed like an age. ! had the pres
ence of mind to grasp hold Of the netting
80 that 1t would not slip down and re-
lease the gas-chamber Then the gas be-
gan to escape from the mouth of the bal
loon, and it would have sutTocated me
had not the storm hurled us through the
air at terrible pace. was far above
the clouds, but how far | could not tell,
because all our instruments had been
blown into the lake. | tried all | could
to have the balloon right itself. | got
way down on the side of the balloon and
pulled at the hoop and rigging, but it
would not come.
THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
"'Then went back and tied myself
to the end ofa strong rope around the
body and fas 'ened it to the iron hoop, so
that if it should be blown off ! would
not drop to the earth. Then crawled
out on the side OF the balloon again, fur
iher than before. Just as had finished
This the balloon gave another awful lunge
and was thrown off into space, but was
held by the rope. The balloon there
righted and | was dangling in the air