Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-09-29
Awful Ride in a Balloon
,r,Ao1ous ESCAPE OF PROF. KING AND a
VOTING WOMAN.

YOUNG WOMAN.
cu,c1eo. Sept. 23.-For the second
,h;s snmmer the Worlds Fair
festivities came near being married by i
dreadful calamity. Yesterday balloon
rs;on had almost fatal termination. !
II beipe State Commissioners day special
nreparations were make by the Worlds
Fair directors to attract crowds to that
mart of the grounds. One Of the amuse-
ments arranged for was balloon ascen-
SIGN by an old and experienced aeronaut,
Professor King Of Philadelphia.
While active preparations were going
on a great crowd assembled around the
balloon. Among the number were Miss
joe Morris. whose home is at Ames, Ia,
bnt who came here this summer to see
the Worlds Fair, and who had secured u
position in the Fine Arts Building, where
she sold catalogues. Miss Morris watched
the aeronaut as he made ready for his
trip and became possessed with an insane
desire to make the journey into the clouds
with him. She sought an introduction to
him and preferred her request to be
allowed to be bis companion in bic aerial
fight.
Prof. King objected very strongly at
first to taking the young girl with him,
but her pretty and persuasive manner
finally won him oyer, and he agreed to
let her 60. The weather was so fne that
the ascension seemed like childs play to
the veteran aeronaut. When all was
ready at 3.45 p. NJ, he and Miss Morris
stepped into the frail basket, and {
word was given to cast the big gas bag
loose. 1t rose quietly and impressively
straight toward the blue sky when the
balloon had reached an altitude OF about
one mile it struck q counter current OF
air which changed its course to the north
east. 1t was a stiff breeze and the bal
loon quickly forged toward Lake Michi-
| gan.
1t was only few minutes when those
below were Mortified to see that the bal
loon was rapidly being carried out over
the lake, and that it would be useless for
the aeronaut to try to descend on land.
because before he could get the balloon
down 1t would be far out at sea.
Captain Fowler, who commands one OF
this steam launches which makes trips
out into the lake from the main lagoon,
was one OF the first to see that the ballon-
lists we're in danger. He ran to his craft,
the Abba, which lay with steam up at
the wharf near the Agricultural Building
cast eff the moorings, AMI steered out
into the lake.
Professor Ling must have begun TO
realize that be must take desperate
chances If he wished to save bis own life
and that of his companion, for before the
Aloha bad steamed a mile the balloon
was seen to drop from its high position in
the air. The professor had evidently
pulled the valve and allowed enough gas
/ to escape to make the Balloon descend
rapidly. The aeronant had mIscalculated
his altitude or reduced the amount of gas
too much, for the balloon dropped as if it
had collapsed and struck the lake sharply
But the contact with the water only
served to make it rise, AMI it bounded
into the air again as it was carried along
by the force of the wind.
The Aloha followed, bnt after running
ten or twelve miles the engineer an
nounced that the limited supply of coal
IN the bunkers was almost exhausted aud
that it would Le impossible to run any
further out into the lake. Reluctantly
Captain Crawford turned the Aloha in
shore. and the last be saw OF the balloon
with its Inflated passengers it was bound
ing along toward the northeast in the d.
roction of 81. Joseph, Mich.
The revenue cutter Andy johnson then
at once started after the balloon. At
| mlu0lgQb Inc Ntobol ActuthOu w Aeo
moorings, having on board Prof King
and Miss Norris. The revenue cutter
caught up with the air ship 10 miles
northeast of the mouth of the Chicago
river off Crosse Point Lighthouse. Tue
balloon was still intact and bounding
along on the top of the waves sometime
rising a hundred feet into the air, but
more often dragging the car along through
the breakers.
A boat put off from the Andy johnson
and recued the aeronaut and his CON-
parlon from the basket. The balloon
rose in the air and was lost sight Of
Prof. King and Miss Morris were more
dead than alive from fright and exposure
They were drenched through with water
from the lake and that which tell from
the hky. Their sufferings were intense,