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Ob ob« of. these Ugh, bold knobs, in bleaehis^the Nbhu of obo curious old Diogenes.aod oatiro of thoao bills, who requested to bo deposited bon. If aoj desire to exhibit a spirit ofdaring, or perform feats of dexteritj £nd steady muscle, they can bare ample epportnoi-ty of doiog ao here on brinks and pro-jeetiona, and be repaid by obtaining rare views of the beauties of natnro.We next come to the “Devil's Backbone’’ proper. This cannot bo dnly appreciated unless seen. It is a narrow promontory, projecting from the main ridge one hundred yards, at the jnnctnre of two creeks. On the top it is bnt little broader than a table; it leans toward the east, and the water on that aide rnns so far noder aa not to be seen from the nit. It eonld not be considered a great freak in natnre if at aome time it shonld be blown over. On the west side, abont half way np, is ao excavated shelf, I extending along, forming a splendid ve-1 randa. From this a large number of M names have beeo carved in the smooth j to rock by visitors and exonreionista—some j» from Greencastle. Thus many have j thoughtlessly enrolled their names on the tide of the “Devil.” A quarter of a mile further down brings you to Sugar Creek, where the day's ramble may be terminated with a boat ride. The gran-deur and magnificence of these knobs is ' Tt doe more to their perpendicular and rug- i N ged aspect than to tbeir great height.!A BALLOON ASCENSION.A Thrilling anti Perilous Fourth j ™ of July Adventure.[Communicated.]“ The Shatles of Death.'Whcu life becomes a burden by the warm sultry air of summer; when the brick walls of the city conspire with the straight-down beams of the sun io heating tho atmosphere, nothing is more wholesome to the mental, as well as the physical man, than a day’s retreat to the grove or the mountain valley. And we venture the statement that, for refresh iog ones self in mid summer, no spot as jiear Greencastle can be found superior to what is called the “Shades of Death, or “ The DtviVt Backbone.Having just returned with a small party from a visit to these lonely shades and craggy heights, we propose to give a short sketch of them, hoping that a few, at least, of the curious may be indueed to improve the first opportunity of visiting them. They are situated on the banks of Sugar Creek, twenty-six miles north of Greencastle, and foor miles north of Waveland. On approaebing you enter Indian Creek about one mile above and proceed downward along its narrow sod rocky bed. As you wind your way, often turning at short angles, or countermarching, the ridgea rise into bluffs, heights, and finally into lofty jutting cliffs. The whole drive down this narrow gorge ie attended with one continued scene of grandeur. Your attention ie called by the rippling and leaping of the clear, sparkling water; the storm beaten pinea on a high peak, that is seen in the distance through an opening, exeitee yonr admiration ; you gase with feelinga of wonder and delight upon the “Devil’s Hand,” as it stretehes out in awful dimensions on the moasy cliff; the “Frog’s 8tool’’ ie a matter of aome interest to yon, while you eoatem plate the emotions that mast pervade that melancholy and eurious bead sitting in aach high dale and eompoaare; while you look with feelings of sublimity upon the tall, bold, old rooky forr ,l * j:‘ plays the “Eagle’s Nest. need fear a challenge from the old bird; aa we learned from reliable parties that the little eaglets are fall lodged and gone. A stroll down this delle is to drive away every fasting of sad-or stupidity. Then ie a smile en the vine that elimbe the steep; there is a smile on the lower that overlooks the brink and dares yon to plnek it; the rill comas laughing down its deep ent the gronnd squirrel gayly ehirps to its den; and tbs aeag of freedom isoaroled in the trees.«no lowers of summer are (alreat than, And freshest the bmath et summer air.” When entirely rngaled yon merge eg from' the Shaded to the ridges'and peaks and feast year vision on (he love-Host and meet gdrgeous of aatnm’e oooae-ry. TWn.ligi. see sewered with-pUne,sedate, oaks, and a variety et under-gitwth. They an served into knobs of ovary shape hy deep, aarew ravines, and thane yen wood not ho surprisedOn Saturday evening last the fair ' cc grounds in this city were the scene of Pi one of the most fearfnl and thrilling I speetacles ever witnessed in this commit-! nity. Messrs Kedmond and Yard had | advertised extensively that on that day ' do one of them would make an ascension | in tbeir mammoth balloon from the am-: ” phitbeatre of the fair grounds, and some | six or seven hundred persons inside, and perhaps twiee as many on the outside, had assembled to witness the as- ] cent. To understand the catastrophe that ensued, it ia necessary to state, that . T Messrs. Redmond and Yard inflated their balloon by means of heated air, instead ) of gas, as is more usual in aueh eaaea.! To aecomplish this they had constructed | M a furnace, the heat of which was con-jj^ ducted into the balloon by aeana of a | barrel, which served as a chimney to . ui the furnace, and over which the open end of the balloon was placed. It was so , 8° arranged that when the balloon should j be fully inflated, a board top waa to be ' plaeed over the barrel to shut off the u heat. At 4 o’clock P. M. tho balloon mi was fully inflated, and Mr. Yard stepped 001 into the ear or basket, suspended by ** means of ropes from tbe balloon, and eit gave the order to shut off the beat, and cut the rope by which the balloon was Ui held down. Unfortunately, Mr. Red- _ maud gave the order, almost at tbe same instant, to fire up, and a quart or more ofcoaloil was thrown into the furnace, which blew off the top of the barrel, and the flame burned ficrcly out through the ; _ barrel, and coming in contact with tbe i ^ balloon it was ignited on one side on % the lower end, and the balloon shot up- i ward with a speed of a kite. J‘Some of the audience perceived' the | -» fire and gave the alarm iostantly, but\ the balloon had attained an altitude of JJj a hundred yards before Mr. Yard became fully aware of his perilous condi- j Ev lion. At this time the intense excite- j meat, commotion, and horror of the su-: dienee beggars description. Women j v and children screamed in an agony of “ fear for thp safety of Mr. Yard, and men looked on in speeebless helplessness, io momentary expectation of seeing - I him burled to certain death and dea-1 J,™ tructioo. Mr. Yard seems to have pre- W( served his presence of mind in a remark- ( able degree. He supposes that be at-taioed ao altitude of near three fourths of a mile before tbe balloon began to de- I scend. To test the rapidity of bis de ^ scent, be threw out first his pocket handkerchief, and afterward his hat, by i ™ which be found that his descent was ] quite gradual and he began to hope that I mM if tbe air did not so far escape, as to col-j 1 lapse tbe balloon he might effect a safe rct landing. Aa he feared, however, the; balloon partially collapsed and fell over,! M but by swaying tbe basket and pulling j Up, his ropes, be managed to right her upiwo again, but be found he was now descend-! JJJJ iog with fearful rapidity. Fortunately j ~ he landed in a thicket of small oaks, , east of M. Y. Dunean's and bis basketj lodged on the yielding branches of those little trees, and thus bis life was saved, and that too without tbe slightest injury to his person. We ean imagine but ( faintly tbe grateful emotions of Mr. Yard at ao happy a deliverance from so great a a peril.The Fatal Cattle Disease-Letter from an Illinois Farmer.VxuniLLIOK, Co., Ills.,)- 18. JAugust 1,1868. Editor Journal Thinking perhaps it would be beneficial to aome #f the readers of your paper to know whit an intense exoitement has been epuaed in this oounty by the appearance of a fatal disease among the oattle, I hive concluded to send yon a few lines Nf-eerning the same. r*The first I saw or heard of the disease is last Monday morning wbeR-j herdman easae in and informed sjyj some forty eattle eat of a herd oPlt; hundred and sixty head, were siefc that some had already died. . writing there ie not a well steer whole Aerd. I was owl to-day a ied two, and yestardsy pre pet eve]be diseaseTSjvS»er iA ther ■■W*This disease is called the Spanish t«t, and is supposed to have been brought hero by the Texas eattle (bis,PyrLm they take it seme « die very suddenly iThere hr luridly a sow left neighborhood.Out of sixty bead of now expect to save ope. I con'Ii
Newspaper Details
Greencastle Weekly Indiana Press
Greencastle, Indiana, US
Wed, Aug 12, 1868
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Robert W.
IN, USA 22 Jan 2025
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