Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 July 1883 — UP IN A BALLOON. [ARTICLE]

UP IN A BALLOON.

A North' Carolina Child’s Thrilling Aerial Voyage. A recent telegram from Morehead City, N. 0., says: The 3-year-old daughter of Mrs. Robert .Elliott'was brought here a month ago to recover from an attack of fever Yesterday morning a strolling Italian made his appearance with a large clifSter of those red bladder-like toy balloons. Maj. Hawkins of .Alabama, to amuse the child Birdie, tied the cord around her waist, and then, as is so often done to amuse children, gave her a toss of five or six feet in the air, and .held held ont his hands for her to return. “Great God! she is gone,” cried the Majqr, as he saw her rapidly going up, up, up, until she had passed the house tops. Floating in the olouds with outstretched hands, the little angel could be heard distinctly calling “Mamma! Mamma! Mamma!” untilhervoice became drowned by the whistling of the ' -‘All to your beats!” shouted old Capt Dixon, “and never a feon of a man turn baqk until that child is brought to ita mammy. ” Minutes appeared as hours and the babe was flying southeast like a kite, and woul<J .be out over the Atlantic is lets than no time. Away went twenty or more knpllmanned boats amid the shout® of men and screams of women and children. These boats were joined by a like number from Beaufort, all of which kept as near under the little angel in the dona as possible.. Mr. Charles 3. roorheeet, of the Southern Express Company, with a party of gentlemen were out taking a sail Mr. Voorhees is one of the most expert riflemen in the country, hnd had on board his Smith A Wesson “Bang!” Went the rifle, but no change in position. Again, again and again—at the fifth shot one balloon disappeared amid the shouts of the boatmen. At the eighth shot it became evident that the balloons could not logger carry the weight of the littfe floating angel, as she wasgraduailyflefccfsßing, not in a straight line, but in a southeast direction, toward Harker’s island—but whether dead or alive none could telL Down, down, down she comes, as gently, as if handled by human hands, and to fall m a bradle of sand. Toland, toland, and all pdt to shore s fast as the sails would propel the boats. Then began the race for the baby, and she had come down on a sand bank only a few hundred yards distant With fear and trembling all ran up, Ben Pivar in in front. “Gentlemen,” says he, “Use’s alive and kicking.” There sat little Birdie, playing with a lot of shells, and as she was picked up she clung to a handful, sajing, seis for mamma." u At the wharf, after everything seemed safe, then little Birdie came the nearest of losing het life. Col Whitford, a man of generous impulses, seized the little angel in his awns, and at a lightning speed started for Its mother, who was then lying in an unconscious state, under the skillful care of Dra Haywood. Arendall and Kelly of Louisiana. But, before the kind-hearted Colonel had gone far, amid'the dense crowd and confusion, he ran off the wharf into water eight feet deep. Several jumped oveiboara and aided h'm in landing his prize. The child was none the worse for the ducking. One of the mighty subjects to be discussed at the Concord School of Philosophy thia year is “The Distinction of Reality and Potentiality from True Actuality.” When that discussion fairly seta in, it will be time for the rest of the world to take to the wmida- Buffalo Express.