Year: 1874

THROUGH THE AIR.
THE TERRIBLE AERIAL TRIP OF HOTEL


CLERK on A TRAPEZE BAR ATTACHED


TO BALLOON-BURSTING THROUGH


CLOUDS AND SNOW AND RAMA MAR


Row ESCAPE FROM DEATH.


A few days ago John II. Shearer.
the eronaut, made frightful journey
through the clouds in snow storm from
Pottsuown to CoOpersburgh, Lehigh
County, along the line of the North
Pennsylvania Railroad, a distance of
forty miles, in less than an hour. The
aronaut used 10 basket, but aseended
to the clouds revolving upon a slender
trapeze bar dangling from the netting of
his large balloon. The sight, as he
jouneyed OH toward the dark banks of
clouds low in the heavens, was one of
thrilling interest. Perched upon the
bar, after going through some hazardous
evolutiOns, the erOnaut sat looking
down on the assembled multitude


Clad In the Scant costume of circus
performer, he must have suffered in the
damp air of the upper currents. Then
he waved his handkerchief and bowed
to the masses below, who were standing
in breathless silence, after which he
shifted his position, went through more
evolutiOns, and then sat down cOmpla-
Gently on the slender bar. The mon
strous air-ship, ''The Globe" with 22,-
900 cubic feet of gas went rolling off in
the heavens toward the northeast, and
in a few moments afterward the rain de-
scended. Smaller and smaller the bal
loon appeared until finally the eronaut
and his ship went through the clouds,
and were lost to sight. His journey
through terrific rain and snOw-storln,
accompanied by n gale of wind, his ter
rible adventures in forest and woods
while effecting a landing, the sights and
sounds of a journey through the clouds,
his bruises, wounds, scratches, and how
narrowly he escaped being hurled into
eternity, partly learned from his own
lips upon his arrival here late last night,
and this morning received the remain
der of his thrilling story.


A SLENDER ROOST.


Shearer is n young man about thirty
years of age, and by occupation is a clerk
in one of the leading hotels in Reading.
For some time past he has been paying
considerable attention to balloOning,
and since his first trip to clOudland he
has made nearly n dozen aSoensions.
He has discontinued the Use of basket
altogether, and now he ascends OH a
trapeze bar hanging by two slender ropes
attached to the balloon netting. 1t is
quite an interesting study TO inspect the
rigging of his balloon just before she
sails away to the clouds. Occupying
the centre of a square portiOned off by
ropes and stakes Is the balloon swaying
to and fro with the winds The netting
comes down and is fastened to an iron
ring about one foot and half in diane
ter. The ropes lead down from this
ring, and to the ends of which is the
trapeze bar. Around the rings are sand
bags, containing ballast, well secured.
The bags hang with their mouths down
ward, so that when the aeronaut wishes
to throw out ballast all he has got to do
is to pull string untying a bOw-knOt,
when the bag opens and the sand de-
scends.


On the ring also bangles a white bag,
something like a pillOw-case This con-
tains the ordinary clothes of the aero
naut, together with bottle of spirits
and other refreshments, to be used in
the clouds if found necessary to StiInu-
late the system and warm up the body.
4 barometer is also securely fastened to
the ring, while next to it generally hangs
a bundle or two of printed circulars, to
be distributed from the clouds. The
aeronaut gathers up the weights, takes
an upright position on the bar, the ropes
are cut, and up shoots the air-ship as
buoyant as a bird. At the ascension
yesterday he sat down on the bar as the
balloon raised, and before the people
below could anticipate anything of the
kind. the aeronaut went one thousand
feet high, gave a sudden turn, and in
tentionally dropped headIong downward
from his seat, and gracefully caught
himself with his right hand, and in this
position sailed beautifully away toward
the clouds. When the aeronaut dropped
a wild shout of fear and terror went up
from the spectators.


Shearer was stiff, sore, bruised, and
scratched this morning when | asked
him for the story of his trip. A red cash
about six inches long extended around
the right side of his neck. This, said
the aeronaut, pointing TO the wound,
''might have resulted in my death. |
came near having my head cut off about
thirty feet in the air, as l was trying
to land, yesterday afternoon. | was
dragged over the top of a dense wood,
and as | went crashing through the
limbs at lightning rapidity, the rough
bOughs caught me under the ears, and
might have rubbed my very head off.
1t was the most frightfuI journey have
ever experienced or read of


FEARFUL STATE OF SUSPENSE.


when | ascended out of sight of the
people at Pottstown the air suddenly
became cold and the rain descended.
The wind blew fearfulIy, and when |
had ascended to an altitude of 3, 900 feet
/ noticed that il was showing. When
the barometer indicated !, 900 feet above
the level of the sea a furious snow-stOrin
set in. My balloon shifted to a north
eastern wind current, and was waited
along at frightful rate of speed. The
beautiful white flakes settled on the
sides of the balloon, and fell down and
completely covered my head and shoul-
ders. The balloon swayed backward
and forward, and then mounted from
the trapeze and took a seat in the iron
concentrating ring. j made an effort to
put on my heavy clothing, but found it
utterly impossible The balloon was
swaying and rolling about in the air at
an altitude of over a mile. and | did not
dare to dress myself, for fear that sud
den twist or jerk of the balloon would
hurl me headlOng down. You can inl-
agine that shivtred and shook in my
thin attire. Ny clothing consisted of a
skin tight shirt, drawers. and trunk.


The storm became more furious and
the clouds seemed TO be racing with the
balloon, and up there all was as still and
as silent as the grave. The snow-fiakes
dropped on the sides of the balloon and
descended. The creaking cords and
twines of the balloon made a slight rust
ling noise, but nothing more. IL l. I'M
possible TO tell the exact velocity in the
air when there Is nothing stationary TO
compare with. When in the storm l
must have travelled over a mile minute
With the exception of the clouds, the
snow and INV balloon, / was alone in the
world. Nothing more could be seen.
An ominous signing of the netting alone