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

During my life | have had only ono
adventure. but that was of so fearful
nature, so full of peril tlat it has
left on my mind 50 vivid an impress
sion that | shall never forget it.
Should my mind become a blank.
should all other things fade away,
the memory Of those few hours would
still remain. Although years have
passed since then | still retain the
memory of that awful experience as
II it happened yesterday.
When | was IS there was among my
friends an Hronaut, Professor Dixon
by name One day the professor
gave me an invitation TO accompany
him in an ascension to take place in
San Francisco Being adventurously
inclined, | accepted.
My knowledge of balloons was very
small, being gathered mainly from
what had read. | have lived the
larger portion Of my life in small
country village and had never yet
witnessed a balloon ascension. In
deed, had never seen a balloon other
than one of those small paper toys.
But my ignorance of ballooning in
stead of making me hesitate caused
me TO be all the mere eager.
At lat the eventful day arrived.
When | reached the grounds the
balloon was already inflated and Pro-
fessor Dixon was delivering a short
lecture upon ballOoning from Mont
golfer TO the present day. Tha
wind was blowing strongly. almost d
gale it seemed to me, bat as the aero
naut felt no apparent concern, i took
my place without anxiety.
The professor soon finished his dis
course and ordered the men there for
that purpose TO cut the ropes. They
obeyed his command At the same
time there came an extremely power
full gust OF wind.
by some means the anchor. which
was upon the outside of the basket,
at.this instant became loosened, slip
ped and fell to the ground The wind
coming with such force at the same
moment gave to the balloon a side
ward tendency Instead Of ascend
ing directly it was borne along by
the wind, dragging the anchor after
it over the ground.
This Immediately caused a panic
among the spectators. who rushed to
the right or left to escape the dan
ger. All were fortunate enough to
do so except a negro.
He was so frightened that he stood
still, staring at the oncoming anchor
The anchor trailing on the ground
back of the balloon gave the rope an
inclination oblique to the earth.
Consequently the negro was struck
by it on the forehead and being very
taut. it instantly upset him. At the
same time his feet few up and the
spokes OF the anchor caught him
under the knees, causing him TO con-
vulsively bend them. There was a
sudden lulu in the W nd and the bal
loon changing its course from hor-
izontal to a vertical one, rapidly
arose, with the negro dangling from
the end of the anchor line.
We were for a moment appalled, by
his peril, but Professor Dixon quick
ly grasped the rope. and with an ex-
hibition of strength | had not given
him credit for possessing, hauled up
the anchor and pulled the negro into
the car. The negroes peril seemed
to have in some way affected his
senses and we were unable to get any
words from him. Whatever we said
or did he only stared at us with a
vacant expression.
The profe sor decided to continue
his trip, and after heaving over the
ballast we sat down and talked of the
Negroes adventure, the balloon in the
meanwhile going in a southeasterly
direction. At the same time he told
me a number of exciting adventures
that had happened to himself and his
aeronaut friends.
He was in the midst of one of the
stories when the wind, after stopping
momentarily, suddenly and without
apparent cause changed to a south
westerly direction. carrying the bal
loon in that course at speed of over
thrice that at which it had been
going.
Professor Dixon discontinued his
story, quickly arose and gave sud-
den ERIK on the valve rope, which from
some cause, broke without opening
the valve. leaving us at the winds
mercy.
The wind continued its course and
in a short time the balloon, seeming
each moment to gain speed. had left
the land and was over the Pacific
Ocean. We were as helpless as if
adrift in a boat and could only sit
and wait for the adventure to end as
il would.
We had, perhaps, been travelling
for a couple of hours In our present
direction, when we espied far aheal
of us small island. We were soon
nearly over it. and examined it, but
were not much interested, as it was
barren, rocky spot.
We had continued our journey at
still increasing speed for about forty
FIVE minutes. when we discovered
before us, but slightly to the right,
another island. We were soon
abreast OF it, and simultaneously the