Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-07-21

| nOur nau passed When we again eS-
pied an island. We looked at it.
Yes. it was the same island! The
professor stared ha d at it as il
| quickly neared and as quickly disap-
peared but with q vacant look in
his eyes. This time it was still fur
thor to the right.
When it had disappeared from our
sight, Professor Dixon turned to me.
Fired" he said, and there was
something in his very tones that
warned me OF greater perils, "we aye
in the path of cyclone. Faster and
faster it is carrying us around;
Away nearing the center. soon we
will be in the very vo tex and then
what happens none of us will ever
know" And with pale face he re-
sumed mis- seat in the bottom of the car,
l realized the dreadful i'm jort OF
his woods We would continue our
circular course TO the middle of this
aerial maelstrOm and would at last
reach the center. and then what
would ha)r en-? Where was the out
let! Did it reach downward TO the
blue waters far below us. or did it
reach upward far into space2
If We lived we would know. Our
speed had increased until it was
faster than the fastest train
Now all around us the was flying
driftwood, trees and wreckage OF
every nature, all going in the circu-
lar course with US; but in the &C ter
of the aerial whirlpool the motion
was upward. Huge trees would arise
with lightning-like rapidity to dis,
appear-where
During all this time we had been
Obliged to hold ourselves to the bot.
tom of the car by main force. The
negro, although he held on tightly.
uttered 40 sound until the car was
struck by an immense tree. Opening
his eyes, which were shut. he uttered
an awful Shrek; cry of intense nor.
ror that ] can hear to this day, and
spraug over the side.
Gravitation seemed suspended; he
remained in the air for minute
and then there was a sight which
would have siclened any man. lie
was struck by two ma ,ses of wood
and fairly ground into pulp before
our eyes.
The sight was horrible n so
shocked my senses that, man though
| was, / nearly tainted. Probably |
would have done so had not the
scene around me possessed so terri
bic fascination as TO keep my mind
busy. Huge trees, spars and many
other things there were; all twirling
and twisting about as lightly as a
feather.
But now a change occurred. The
circles of the balloon grew smaller
and smaller. and the speed faster and
faster. and finally with loud whizz
our course was changed from cir
cular to an upward one.
Although our former speed had
been great, far swifter than any form
of locomotion, it was now ten-yes,
probably twenty times greater
Upward we shot with a swiftness
that took my very breath away; yes.
that took the vision away from before
my eyes Nothing could see, not
even the sides of the balloon car OF
which | had hold. Everything APP
peareI as an unbroken gray mass Of
chaos.
But still our upward direction on
tinued. Breathe. / could not; my
head ached indescrlbaby the blood
was streaming from my ears and nose
and over me there was quickly steal
ing feeling of utter mum bness.
My senses were nearly gone when
we seepod to stop. We remained
perfectly still for second, and then
fairly rushed obliquely downward
toward the earth.
Then my senses deserted me and
became unconscious.
When | regained consciousness all
was changed. lay weak and nearly
helpless in berth on board a yacht.
cared for by people who were utter
strangers to me. 1t was three weeks
after my awaking to consciousness
and five in all, for had remained in
a trance-like stupor for two weeks.
that was able TO go about.
From what | then learned, it must
have been many hundred miles from
the scene of our disaster here we
were picked up.
The occupants OF the vessel. which
was a private pleasure yacht, had
one day, when amusing themselves
by fishing, been startled by the sud-
den fall of large object from the
sl<v They rOwed IN and 1nsnected IL
and found IL to be ruined balloon;
and from among the debris, entirely
wrapped up by what had once been
the gas bag, they extracted the pro-
lessor and myself.
The professor when he regained
his strength was violently insane,
but finally recovered. AS for bal
Ions, neither of us has had anything
to do with one since that day, end
never will, think. N. Y. Journal
Different.