The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-02-10

Il v
ting back to Sydney until morrow
morning"
"In that case, captain" replied, II
am doably delighted at tho accident;
the ascension has grown exciting, and
we could not desire more courteous
pilot than yourself. Is 1t not SO,
madam?'
Miss, II you please" rectified the
very slight and slender lady "Miss Ara
bella Upton, ut your service" And
she added: But shall miss my last
car for Wooloomoolool"
From new vibrations the captain con-
jectured that we were carrying sus.
pended below us nearly the whole OF
the broken cable. Its weight visibly
impeded the ascent of the Condor of
the Andes. and there was reason to fear
that on the descent it would occasion
very grave damages.
The aeronaut was, fortunately,
prompt in decision. Like true cap
tain, he armed himself with penlsnife,
and, hoisting himself over the interior
abyss of the osier basket, strove to saw
away the thick rope.
How high are we?" he asked, with
out interrupting his difficult and pes.
ilous task.
Twelve hundred and twenty-five
yards" responded Miss Arabella, get
ting ahead of me again.
Painting greatly the aeronaut adoad,
addressing himself to me:
Gas soon as the cable is detached
with bound we will ascend to two
The sentence remained unfinished
At a slight cry turned around, ceas-
ing to observe the barometer. Over
the gaping void 1 could no longer see
either the man or the cable. In the
captains supreme effort, one drawing
the other, both had fallen! Above us,
toward the profound night, still
stretched the unfathomable space.
l had not much time for pity; the
balloon, suddenly freed, scaled the in.
accessible with n prodigious bound.
And without any idea of aerial nnviga-
ton, lost in space and darkness, I
found myself alone with an ignorant
young girl, as unconscious as she OF
the oanger, unable to attempt the
slightest maneuver.
Mute, but terrified OWNED it
plunged their nails into my garments
and tlesh-Miss Arabella had seized my
arm. Suddenly she let go her hold to
stoop, and / saw that she was throwing
our sand overheard.
i was about to grasp her uncere.
moniously by the waist-logicaliy con.
vinced that UNPUBLISHED we would
mount higher yet-when of them.
selves her arms fell; I realized tnat she
was inert A prey also to very painful
uneasiness, cast Il glance of anguish
at the barometer The atmospheric
pressure had sensibly diminish ed-we
had passed four Thousand yards! In
the air the oxygen had rarefied. l ex-
perienced sensation had already felt
on high SUBMITS.
Miss" called 1, striving to raise up
the young girl, but it was in vain, for I
had no strength. My legs trembled,
my head sank upon my shoulders: nc
longer felt the existence of my body.
Crawling, 1 dragged myself to the
barometer and saw with terror that
the thermometer had gone down to
zero-33S. That was the equivalent OF
siXty-five hundred yards in height, the
altitude of Chin borazo or of the kouen-
Loun chain. BY the light of the little
lantern noticed that my hands were
growing black and swelling. My pulse
counted the impro bable number of one
hundred and thirty to one hundred and
forty beatings simultaneously with
an insurmountable desire to sleep, the
forerunner of asphyXia, cadaveric in
sensibilty was gaining possession of me.
l had, however, the will to take the
lantern in my hand but on stretching
up to reach it l felt myself enveloped
by terrible cold. Ice coated the Condor
OF the Andes The mercury of the
thermometer had fallen to twenty four
degrees below zero.
then clearly comprehen ded that the
striving to recover, closed my eyes and
gave myself up.
At the horizon, low and distinct, a
brilliant and blue light was appearing.
When ] returned to the knowledge OF
things magnificent moon was illu.
minating the night. My eyes, turning
mechanically to the rim of the car,
distinguished small silk balloon fas-
tened to strap. 1t bore labels
Oxygen at seventy-five per cent And
1t was salvation! My scientific attain.
ments enabled me to understand this
salvation almost at handl A few in
halations of that over-oxygenated all
would restore me with life, with
strength.
seized the little balloon as quickly
as was capable of doing, and, care
fully unscrewing it's stopper, applied il
to my mouth to breathe. afterwards
thought of Miss Arabella, and intro
duced the slender neck between her
lips, which saw We're horribly black
and swollen.
t'reedily, as she returned to life,
took it from her again, and theL en-.
sued between us "a strange struggle OF
ferocious, faniished creatures
Very far below us vast undulations
shone. which at that height judged tc
be the Blue mountains. We therefore
had been carried fifty miles 70 the west
of Sydney.
Cool now and completely restored
was considering the quickest way in
which to end our adventure. The more
SO, as, saved from asphyxia and
strengthened, Miss Upton kept shout
ing in my ears in deafening tone: II