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Balloon Adventures

R. S. M. BROOKS, The spot is some two miles and a half the aeronaut, was from Rome, Jefferson County. Mr. Harto have ascended vey and his family, and others, gathered from the fair and disentangled the air-ship. They then grounds, at Cen- pulled the car to the ground, and some tralia, Ia., on the boys held the ropes as the voyager 17th of October, alighted; and while he was drawn off in 1858, but finding conversation with the inquisitive people, himself unwell, accepted the the Balloon was towed to the house, and offer of another aëronaut, Mr. Mr. Harvey prepared to have some sport Wilson, who volunteered to by rising the length of the rope, to be take his place in the Balloon. pulled down. Proving too heavy to rise, Mr. Wilson effected a beauti- he stepped out and put in his three chil. ful ascent at half-past five, dren-a lad of three years, a girl of eight P.M., floated westward and then southeast- and a still older girl. ward, rising two and a half miles; and at At this point, Mr. Wilson called out to about half-past six, P.M., descended, twenty those holding the ropes to be sure and miles southeastward of the starting-point. hold fast. But the three children were He was caught by a tree about forty-five too heavy, and the eldest was taken out. rods from the farm-house of Mr. Benjamin At this instant, through the unwatchful- Harvey ness of the persons at the cords, the Balloon suddenly and very swiftly went up. intensest excitement. In all quarters the The anchor struck in a rail fence, but tore men and boys rallied in parties to scour it away, while a cry of horror burst the country and search the woods, in the from the agonized group. The children expectation that the victims would somescreamed with horror, and the piteous where descend and be subjected to the appeal, "Pull me down, father!" as it perils of drowning, or else of starving, instantly grew fainter and fainter, ren- undiscovered. dered the parents, and, indeed, all present, It was about three o'clock, on Saturday for the time perfectly frantic. It was now morning, that Mr. Ignatio Atchison, livpast seven o'clock, was becoming dark, ing on Moore's Prairie, eight miles from