The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-02-08

Ihe neu1un number OF passengers
You VIII have only the annoyance OF
passing two or three hours more than
you CALCULATED in my company, and
doubtless the inconvenience of not get
ting bacf to Sydney until tomorrow
morningi"
In that case, captain" replied, II
am douSly delighted at the accident;
the ascension has grown exciting, and
we could not desire a more courteous
pilot than yourself. Is it not so,
madam?$
miss. ln you please" rectifed the
very slight and slender lady "NIiss Ara
bella Upton, at your service" And
she added: But l shall miss my last
car for ooloomooloo!"
From Aw vibrations the captain con-
jectured that we were carrying sus-
pended below us nearly the whole of
the broken cable. Its weight vislbly
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 penknife,
and, hosting 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 per-
ilous task.
| Twelve, hundred and twenty-five
yards, '-Sssssssp ended Miss Arabella, get
ting ahead of me again.
Painting greatly, the aeronaut added.
| addressing himself to me:
LAS soon as the cable is detached
with bound we will ascend to two"
The sentence remained unfinished.
At slight cry turned around, ceas-
ing to observe the barometer. Over
the gaping void l 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 prodigious, bound.
And without any idea of aerial naviga-
ton, lost in space and. darkness, l
found myself alone with an ignorant
young girl, as unconscious as she of
the danger, unable to attempt the
slightest maneuver.
Mute, but terrifed-I OWNED it
without seeing her. for her fingers had
plunged their nails into my garments
and fesh-Miss Arabella had seized my
arm. Suddenly she let 60 her hold to
stoop and l saw that she was throwing
our sand overheard
was about to grasp her uncere-
moniously by the waist-logically con-
WINGED that UNPUBLISHED we would
mount higher yet-when of them
selves her arms fell; realized that she
was inert. A prey also to very painful
uneasiness, l cast a glance of anguish
at the barometer. The atmospheric
pressure had sensibly diminished-we
had passed four thousand yards. In
the air the oxygen had rarefed. | eX-
perienced Il sensation had already felt
on high submits.
Crawling, l dragged myself to the
baronrster and saw with terror that
the thermometer had gone down to
zero-33S. That was the equivalent of
siXty-ive hundred yards in height, the
altitude of Chimborazo 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 improbable 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 posse ssion of me.
l had, however, the will to take the
lantern in my hand, but on stretching
up to reach it l felt myself envcloped
by terrible cold. Ice coated the Condor
of the Andes. The mercury of the
thermometer had fallen to TWEEN y- four
degrees below zero.
then clearly comprehended that the
end had come, and, without further
striving to recover, closed my eyes and
gave myself up.
-Whan-I returned to the knowledge of
magnificent moon was illu-
the night. My eyes, turning
ically to the rim of the car,
ished small silk balloon fas-
, a strap. 1t bore a label:
4 at seventy-five per cent" And
Rlvation! My scientific attain
habled me to understand this
d almost at hand! A few in.
S Of that over-oxygenated air
restore mo with life, with
d the little balloon as quickly
capable of doing, and, care
Screwing its stopper, applied it
outh to breathe. l afterwards
of Miss Arabella, and intro
he slender neck between her
oh saw were horribly black
len
tly, as she returned to life, l
from her again, and then en-
ween us strange struggle of
+, famished creatures.
ow and completely restored, I