Year: 1871

tops.


The Watertown On. " Times of the
9th inst. says:


Miss Nellie Thurston, the daring lady
eronaut who has made several success
ful ascensions this season, under the di
rection of Professor Squire, of this city
made very beautiful ascension from
the Watertown fair ground on Thursday
Nothing was heard from her until late
hour yesterday evening, and great anxi.
ETY. was felt in regard to her safety. She
landed in the woods about twenty-five
miles back Of Richmond station, in the
town of Red6eld She remained in the
basket Of the balloon suspended in a
tree all Thursday night, and jumped out
yesterday morning m.,


As the balloon approached the earth,
the strong current of air would drive
her back again over the woods, until, by
throwing out ballast she would rise again
and keep on her way. Three times she
tried in this way to alight in clearings
in the woods. At the third trial the cur
rent, which was quite strong, drove her
back again over the forest, and this time
the " Atlantic" having lost so much gas,
refused to rise again, and settled itself
in lively manner in the top Of a tall
birch tree, in the town Of Osceola, on
what are known as the 0sceola Flats.


The noblest tree in the forest was first
to catch the silken car with its precious
freight and the lady found the balloon
spread out over the birch sentinel and
herself swinging in mid.air, about fifty
feet from the ground. Making the net
work fast as best She could to limb,
and leaving portion of the gas in the
balloon to prevent injury to it by settling
down upon the limbs, she considered
her prospects" 1t was seven O'clock
pm. Not being very well acquainted
with this portion of the United States,
and fearing to investigate strange
country at night in the midst of forest,
she resigned herself cheerfully to her
fate, and made preparations to camp
out. The basket hung partially on its
side, so that she could not rest upon the
bottom of it, but upon its side, which
was in fact a very perilous position in
which to be rocked 20 sleep.


A light shawl and the canvas used to
wrap the balloon was all the extra bag
gage she carried She did not order
them sent to her room. Wrapping her.
sels in these as best she could, she sat
down to pleasant dreams" of comfort
and convenience at home. The cold
awakened her during the night, as she
became nearly chilled through. She
awoke at 430 am, and took another
survey. Below her she saw what she
supposed we're bushes. Throwing out
her canvas, it would not reach. Then
she tied a rope to the canvas and
thought it would answer She immedi-
ately settled the bill for her lodging, and
left the Atlantic on the down
train Reaching the end of her rope,
about thirty feet, she found the "bushes"
to be. birch trees about twenty feet in
hight. She could not go back, and
dropped to the ground


Here she received injuries, and was
three hours in reaching clearing, going
distance of two miles through the
forest, iording streams and pursuing de-
yious ways. At the clearing she found
a boy chopping wood. He directed her
to his fathers house, and party of
four or five left at once to find the bal
loon. Miss Thurston was then unable
to walk and was carried by the party.
She had marked her way out by break
ing branches of the trees, so that no diff
iiculty was had in finding the balloon.
About one 0 olook the Atlantic" was
brought out, without the slightest injury,
and at two O'Clock the twenty-five mile
ride to Richmond Station was under
taken. This point was reached shortly
after seven o'clock last evening, from
which place she telegraphed of her safe
descent The balloon was brought to
Watertown on the same train. with its
fair passenger.