Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Up, Up and Away!

I’m not crazy about heights, but I’ve always thought it might be fun to go up in a hot air balloon just to see the world from a new angle. The following article in the Evansville Journal of Wednesday, 1 March 1876, has me wondering if maybe I should keep my feet on the ground.

Earlington, Ky., Feb. 28, 1876 – Professor Perry attempted to ascend in his balloon here on Saturday, but the distance was short, as in the rise the balloon caught on a corner of a building and after gaining an altitude of about 100 feet, his flying car began suddenly to descend and lodged in a tree only 100 yards from the starting place. The gentleman came down on a ladder, glad to reach Mother Earth once more.

The craft sailed off and fell in a neighboring yard, where it frightened an old lady and a darling baby nearly into spasms. The old lady ran into the house and called for help as only a frightened female can do. A little camphor and some thorough argument on the part of her friends convinced her that a planet had not arrived from on high.

So much for the balloon ride.

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