Year: 1869

In some respects the most remarkable


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 balloon itself, with


out his consent, and without any inten-


ton that he should go up on the part Of


any other person. II was rarefed air
balloon. The car was in the form OF a


boat, and was to be suspended from the


balloon by cords attached to each end Of


it when the balloon was filed. There was


also an anchor suspended by cord from


the bottom Of the boat, which was intend


ed to catch upon the ground and hold the


balloon when it should come down. p 4


After the balloon was filled and was


ready to 90 up some of the assistant 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 hold


ing it and began 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 begin


ming to rise, it passed so closely over this
4 boy-who was sitting quietly near by with
his companions, not dreaming Of being
4 anything but spectator Of the proceed
| ings--aa to catch the fuke in the waist


band of his pantaloons, and as 1t con-
| tinued to ascend it took him up with It,


The boy uttered piercing screams and
cries and calls for help and there was


perhaps no harm in this 80 long as he
i held ON bravely. OF course no help was


possible except calls to him from below to


hold on. He found that the waistbald
| began to give way, and he instinctlVcly


grasped therope above his head with both


hands, and SO sustained himself. The
/ strength of his hands, without the aid OF


the hook in his wsistband, would not have


been sufficient to sustain his weight many


minutes; and the waistband was not
. strong enough without the hands Both


together, however, answered the purpose.


II was very fortunate for Guerin that 1t
was a Montgolfier, that is, rarefied air


balloon, and not one filed with hydrogen,
that was running away with him for in
the latter case the gas within would have
continued to expand as the outside pres
sure upon it diminished by the increasing


elevation; and as there would have been
no possibility of opening the valve, as II
, usually done, TO relieve it, the balloon
T would have burst and collapsed, and the


poor boy would have fAllen a thousand
: feet or more to the ground with full force
! But being Montgolfier, the ascending


power gradually diminished as the all
grew cool until at length, after float
: ing moment in equilibrium, it be
gan slowly to descend. AS the bal
;. loon descended, the rope which haC
7 begun to untwist under the influence o
1, the boys weight, turned more and NOR
? rapidly; and inasmuch as person sus


pended from balloon is never consciou
y Of his own motion-the illusion whicl
!. makes the motion seem to be in the cart
i and not in the balloon being perfect "a
/ 1t is indeed on smaller scale to q persol
{ going up in the elevator of hotel-it az
peared to Guerin that the earth was spi1
Q ming round beneath him in vast an


most frightful gyration. Guerin was NOR
If terrified than ever. AS he drew near th
,e ground, or rather, as it appeared to hin
y as the ground and the Concourse of spet
g. tators upon it came whirling up to hin
ID he cried out to the people to save hin
g They called 10 him in reply not to /
e afraid, that he was all right; and, recei'
ID ing him in their arms as soon as he can
IN within reach, they at the same momel
u stopped the spinning Of the earth and u


hooked him from the anchor.


d The incident Of course created gre
u sensational the time fand, as the accoul
as of it became part Of the history
ID aerostation, the story will be repeated
3, all coming time, Guerin found himsC
le very suddenly famous. As he was only
D. the air about fifteen minutes, 1t isEe
al probable that this boy acquired historic
lie Immortality at an earlier age, and in
i. shorter time, than any other human bein
y --Jaco5 Abbott, IN Harps's Nagqzifls ]
90 JAy.so ,8. 3saseas sir.rs