The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-12-11
A BATTLE FOR LIFE.
The Frightful Experience Of Ger
man AerOnaut.
A Thrilling Struggle with Dosth in the
Air-The Balloon Caught by q Whirl-
wind and Tossed Hithcr AMI Thtth-
ora Peasants Sorry End.

h
Wind and Tossed Hithcr AMI Thith-
ora Peasants Sorry End.
The German aeronaut Wolff recently
had a most terrible experience during
trip in a balloon from the grounds of
the Cologne Exhibition of the Art of
War, says the New York Sun. In COM
pany with Peter Schmitz and a manu-
facturer named Depenheuer he started
in the balloon Stollwerk at one o'clock
on cloudy afternoon. Tho balloon
flew one mile almost straight upward
into the thick of storm. Wolff, fear
full of the strong winds and hail around
him, decided to make landing as soon
as possible.
''There was nothing but woods and
woods under u.s." he said, subsequently.
1.-The balloon descended with violent
rapidity. I finally discovered a little
clearing on a steep mountain side and
prepared to anchor. The balloon de-
scended more slowly, and the people
who had observed us hurried together
underneath to help us land. drew the
vertilator little further open and mo-
toned to Schmitz to get out. Deepen
heuer alighted. and all was we'll, when
suddenly whirlwind struck us. A ter
rible jerk sends me on my back in the
car. I jump up to find all things swim
ming down, down below me, and two
men clinging hclplcssly to the edge of
the car. eaten the nearest one, a peas
ant who tried to assist in the landing.
Too late! His strength is zone; he lets
go, and l hear with horrible distinct
ness the muffled thud of his body on the
ground.
My heart sickens, but rally to save
my friend Schmitz, who still sticks to
the cars side. Already the clouds are
sinking beneath us. We are at least
two miles above the earth. I try to raise
Schmitz into the car but he has sunk so
far down from the edge that can hard
ly grasp his wrists, and he is too weak
to make an effort for himself. Both of
us groan our despair, for all seems over.
Slowly and painfully raise him a lit
tie. set my teeth in the back of his coat
and endeavor to bind him fast with the
storm-lipe. A few moments drag by in
hope and despair, and finally succeed
in fastening the rope under his arms
AID in tying him so to the car. There
is no safety in the device. however, for
were S;;.,l:a:tz to lose consciousness for
an instant his body would relax and he
would slip away. call to him: Spread
out your arms! Spread out your arms!
I lcar j;.j body move il response to my
:,t.r,nn:;ion. but his voice is lost TO me.
".AI this has occupied twenty-five
minutes, and we have in the meantime
been slipping upward. Every thing
now depends on our making quick
landing. draw open tho valve and we
begin falling. We plunge into great
storm. The balloon spins around in cir
cles, and sways about like drunken
man. Rain, hail, thunder and lightning
sweep over US. The balloon reels so
that must lie on my face to remain in
the car.
".Petcr! Peter!' l call to my friend.
Hold fast! Only hold fast!'
mo response, for he can not hear me.
The. agitation of tho balloon has
loosened the rope and he has sagged
back again, down the side of the car, 50
can see only his finger tips on the
edge. ! creep to the side of the car,
seize his right wrist with my left hand,
and with my right hand and teeth tug
at the valve. -: r.. ~ t''.'= 10.
"1 can not hold out longer comes in
a weak voice from. Schmitz. Il am slip,
ping away IL
~.
&.