Year: 1869

/ In some respects the most lremarka-


bic ascension that ever took place was


one made by an apprentice boy Of


twelve years old named. Guerin, who


was taken up by the action Of the bal
loon itself, without his consent, and


without any intention that be should 90


on the part of any other person. 1t


was a rare6ed air balloon. The car


was in the form of boat, and was to


be suspended from the balloon by cords


attached to each end Of it when the bal
loon wasflledai ai 5lg,aI1-9 p.


There was also an anchor suspended
| by cord from the bottom Of the boat,


which was intended to catch upon the


ground and hold the balloon when it


should come down. 9il


After the balloon was filed and was


ready to 90 up some of the assistants


held it by cords, while others went to
work to attach the car to it. They had
secured one end, and were then going
to secure the other, when, by some


means or other, the balloon broke away
from those who were holding it and be-
gan slowly to rise, and at the same time
to drift along with the wind, dragging
the car and the anchor over the ground.
1t happened that, as the anchor was
thus drawn along, and was beginning to /
rise, it past so closely over this boy
who was sitting quietly near by with
his companions, not dreaming Of being
anything but spectatoFof the proceed
ings-as to catch the fukein the waist
band of his psntaloons, and as it con
tinued to ascend it took him up. with it.
1l The boy uttered piercing screams and
cries for help; and there was perhaps no
harm in this so long az be held on brave
ly. Of course no help was possible ex-
cept calls to him from below to hold on.
He found that the Wristbands began to
give way, and he instihctiyely grasped
the rope above his head with both
hands, and 50 sustaining himself. The
strength Of his hands, without the aid !
of the hook in his #aistband, would aot
have been suficienEtosustain his weight
many minutes; and the waistbaad was
not strong enough withoRsrLhe hands.
Both together, however, answered the
purpose. M ... saT


1t was very fortunate for Guerin that
it was Montgolfier, that is, a rare6ed
air bolloon, and not one filed with hy-
drogen, that was running away him
for in the latter case the gas within
would have continued to explode as the
outside pressure upon it diminished by
the increasing elevation and as there
would have been no possibility of open
ing the valve, as il usually done, to re-
lieve it the balloon would have burst
and collapsed, and the poor boy would
have fallen thousand feet or more to
the ground with full force. But being
a Moptgo6er, the ascending power grad
ually diminished as the air grew cool,
until at length, after floating moment
in equilibrium, it began slowly to de-
scend. As the balloon descended, the
rope which had begun to untwist under
the influence of the boys weight, turn
ed more and more rapidly; and mas
much as person suspended from a
balloon is never conscious of his own
mOtion-ths illusion which makes the
motion seem to be in the earth and rot
10 the balloon being psrfeet--as tits. IN
deed on a smaller scale to a person go
ing up in the elevator of hotel-it ap- n
peared to Guerin that the earth was
spinning round beneath him in a vast
and most frightfui gyration. Guerin !
was more terrified than ever. Ashe
drew near the ground, or rather, as it !
appeared to him, as the ground and the
concourse of spectators upon it came
whirling up to him, be cried out to the
people to save him. They called to him
in reply not to be afraid, that he was
all right; aud, receiving him in their
arms as soon as he came within reach, |
they at the same moment stopped tie
spinning Of the earth and unlocked him
from the anchor? fisa


The incident of course created great
sensation at the time, and, as the ac-
count Of it became a part of the history
Of ;erostation, the story will be repeated
in all coming time Guerin found him
self very suddenly famous As,he was
only in the air about fifteen minutes, it
is very probable that this. boy acquired
historical immortality at an earlier. age,
and in shorter time than any other
human being. ii'd .af- " .''.4