The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-10-14
Highest of all in Leavenng PowerLates U. Report
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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 10 make the
balloon descend rapidly. The aero
naut had miscalculated his attitude 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, and it bounded
again into the air as ii was carried
along by the force of the wind.
Captain Crawford ordered his crew
to push the Aloha to the utmost. No
such order was necessary, because
every man was doing all that could be
done tosforce the little craft over the
waves, which were rapidly growing
more boisterous as the wind freshened.
But the Aloha was no match for the
air ship, which always kept on the
edge of the horizon, three or four miles
in front 1t was seen to bound along
before the wind, striking the water, and
rising several times.
AT last, after running ten or twelve
miles the engineer of the Aloha an
nounced that the limited supply of
coal in the bunkers was almost ex-
hausted, and that it would be impos-
sible to run any further out into the
lake. Reluctantly Captain Crawford
turned the Aloha inshore, and the
last he saw of the balloon, with its i'll
fated passengers 1t was bounding along
toward the northeast in the direction
of St. Joseph, Mich.
Before the Aloha had returned to the
Worlds Fair Grounds the excitement
among the crowds that lined the shore
had become so intense that the officers
of the internal revenue cutter Andy
Johnson were importuned to start after
the balloon. Commander Davis was
one of those who saw the balloon drop
from the clouds into the lake, and it
did not take much urging to get him
to give the necessary commands.
The Andy Johnson was lying near
the battleship Illinois, the government
naval exhibit at the Fair. Steam was
up, and the prov of the cutter was
soon plowing its way through the seeth.
ing waters of the lake. But the Andy
Johnson is slow boat at best. She
can only 60 about ten miles an hour
at pinch, and that would not be fast
enough to let her catch up with the
balloon. 1t was 6.3o when she started
from her mooring. The balloon was
then twenty or twenty five miles from
the Fair Grounds. Darkness was
gathering over the waters of the lake.
There was little hope of rescuing the
two occupants OF the frail basket,
which was bobbing up and down be-
tween sky and water, urged along by
the gale.
Whether Professor King succeeeed
in what was his evident purpose of get
ting into the tracks of vessels and so
escaping from the perils of wind and
water, or whether he threw out ballast
and trusted to the wind to carry him
over the drearv, desolate and inhospi
! table mine on the east side of the lake
is, ~ course, unknown. The course
taken By The H+elloon was in the direct
route of the Graham and Martin Line
of steamers running to St. Joseph. A
transform set in al ten O'Clock 10 add
to the discomforts of Professor King
and Miss Morris.
At midnight the revenue cutter Andy
| Johnson returned to its mooring, hay-
ing on board Prof. King and Miss
Morris. The revenue cutter caught up
with the air ship fifteen miles northeast
of the mouth Of the Chicago River, off
Crosse Point Light house. The bal
loon was still intact and bounding
along on the top of the waves, some
times rising hundred feet into the
air, but more often dragging the car
along through the breakers.
A boat was put off from the Andy
Johnson and rescued the aeronaut and
his companion from the basket. The
balloon rose in the air and was lost
sight of. Prof. King were more dead
than alive from fright and exposure.
They were drenched through with
water from the lake and that which fell
from the sky. Their suffering were
intense.
In July, 1875, Prof. John H. Don
aldson and reporter named Grim
wood made an ascension from the lake
front in the afternoon. The balloon
was carried out over the lake and dis
appeared in northeasternly direction
as night came on. A week later the
bodies of the adventurers were found
on the east shore OF Lake Michigan
above St. Joseph. They were driver
in about the same direction as Pro
fessor King and Miss Morris were Fri
day.
QUEER WATCHES,