Year: 1873

certainty that in moment he Will be
dashed to pieces.


Prof. John A. Boley has been making
ascensions in Illinois and in this State re-
Gently, in hot air balloon. The man
ner of initiation is as follows: He digs
trench some twenty-five feet long, and
two or three feet deep and wide. This
is filled with dry wood and other combus-
tible matter, and covered over. AT the
mouth the fire is set, and large barrel,
with q sieve in each end to keep out Gin
ders, and covered with cement to prevent
burning, constitutes the chimney at the
other end. Over the chimney the mouth
of the balloon is placed, to catch the heat
as it rises. The mouth of the balloon is
secured to strong wooden hoop six or
eight feet in diameter, and to this hoop
are fastened the ropes that descend to
the bar upon which the aeronaut stands
in his giddy flight. He did not use
basket, as is usual. During the process
Of initiation the flames come up into the
barrel, and frequently ten or twelve feet
into the body of the balloon. When the
balloon is full, and just before starting, it
is customary to have some trusty man en-
ter the mouth of the balloon and place a
cover over the top of the barrel, so as to
prevent danger from fire. His cousin,
james r. Spence, who travels with him,
usually performs this duty. Occasionally
Mr.. Boley has started without this pre-
caution, but it is hazardous, and once
before his balloon caught fire, burning
slowly without blazing, and he got down
in safety. Thursday, Mr.. Spence was
unwell, and could not bear the intense
heat of the balloon and the ascent was at
tempted without the precaution of cover
ing the barrel. The sickening scene that
followed was the unfortunate result.


The wind was blowing briskly from
the south, and it was not prudent to
make the attempt, but the Professor was
to receive some pecuniary aid from the
Agricultural Society, and one or two of
the Board of Managers had given their
assent for the appropriation only on the
ground that one Of the ascensions should
be made that day. Hence the induce
ment, in part at least, to brave the peril.
Besides, Mr.. Boley was a brave, consci-
entious man, and he felt he must redeem
bis promise to make the ascension.


No sooner had the balloon let go than
TO the horror and dismay of every one, it
was discovered to be on fire near its
mouth, and the Professor instead of stand
ing on his bar was holding to it with his
hands and dangling below. 1t was
fearful sight that sent an indescribable
shudder through the crowd. There was
no outcry but sort of a smothered groan
that was more appalling. Women sank
to the ground or hid their eyes, or burst
into tears, and held their breath in awful
suspense. Mr.. Boley did not appear to
notice the fire until he had gained an al
titude of hundred feet or more, and
then it was too late to let go. Besides, his
assistants say that the balloon was not
fully inflated, and no one of them thought
it would rise so high. But up he shot,
and he held on to his frail support, the
flames every moment cutting away the
canvass above the hoop, and thus hurry
ing the instant that would launch him
into eternity. There were long ropes at
tached to the top of the balloon that had
been used during initiation to control it,
and one of these swinging over the sphere
came near him several times, and he at
tempted to grasp it. Could he have done
so, he would have had other means of
support, besides his weight on this would
have inverted the balloon, turning the
burning end up, and, though he might
have descended with uncomfortable ra-
pidity, it is probable that the volume Of
canvass would have saved him. But he
missed his grasp and lost his hat in the
effort, which came whirling down in ad-
vance. A moment more and the canvas
parted, and he came darting through
space, feet foremost, like an arrow. Who
can ever forget the sight that witnessed
it? The fall occupied but few seconds,
but they seemed all too long.


He fell in stubble-fed of low ground
nearly half mile from the starting
point, coming down on his feet with such
force as to drive them in the ground
foot, and breaking the bones of his legs
in many places, and thrusting their rag
ged ends through the flesh. The body,
head, and arms were not visibly injured.
The upper end of the balloon, shortly
after he left it, turned inside out and fell |
a burning mass, quarter of a mile away. !


John III. Boley was born in Allegheny
county, Pennsylvania. He moved to
Allensville, Vinton county, Ohio, leaving
that place last June, (25), for Aledo, Ill
inois. His age is about thirty-one. He |
has made twenty eight ascensions be-
fore coming West, and has made twelve
since. He leaves a wife and four child
rem in destitute circumstances. His wife
has been staying in Ohio, and the three
oldest children are now there. Recently !
she became so uneasy about him that she |
felt that she must come soon or never see
him again. She was here and entreated
him several times during initiation not to
make the ascension, as she felt that he
would never come down alive, and at
last when everything was ready she bade
him adieu and told him to kiss the baby
for the last time. Her presentiment
seems to have been too true WdpelLo
(Ioted) Republican, September 26th.