The Great Balloon Hoax
U's liaril to believe that 75 years ago
newspaper readers aecepted every
word of this yarn as fact.
North Carolina was the scene of
man's first flight — and the story of
that quite real event was treated as a
hoax.
North Carolina also was the scene
of another flight — strictly a hoax.
And that fictitious event was treated
as a fact.
The second “flight" caused a sensa¬
tion in the state and stirred news¬
paper readers elsewhere. The perpe¬
trators of the fraud apparently never
thought their fantastic yarn would get
so far. but before they could slop it,
the story had spread all over the
country.
Here's the way the story was pub¬
lished by the News A Observer. At the
end of this account is an explanation
of the hoax, written by C. D. Ben-
bow in 1935. At the time Benbow
was living in Little Switzerland. Fol¬
lowing is from the N A
О
of Raleigh,
dated June 29, 1883:
*
A THRILLING AND
HARROWING EPISODE
A Little Child at Sea Tied
to a Balloon
(Correspondence Doily Patriot)
Morchcad City, June 27. — At the
still hour of midnight had the trumpet
of Gabriel summoned us all to a final
worldly reckoning, more excitement,
consternation and weeping could not
have come over the ntany good people
who were present and witnessed the
most wonderful and miraculous escape
that ever happened in this or any other
country, and I fervently pray that I
may never live long enough to witness
the like again.
Mrs. Robert Elliott, of Texas, has
been here for the past ten days or
more, to restore the health of her
little child — Birdie — a bright and
sweet little cherub less than three years
old, who is much emaciated from a
spell of Texas fever.
Little Birdie, by her general spright-
lincss, has endeared herself to every
guest of the house — she is a pet
and favorite with everyone, and no
one passes her without a kind word,
which she readily recognizes. This
morning about 10 o'clock a strolling
Italian (and cursed be his memory )
made his appearance in front of the
hotel with a large cluster of those red
bladders like toy balloons. Maj. Haw¬
kins, of Alabama, to amuse little
Birdie who he, at that time, had in
his arms, 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 out
his hands for her return. "Great God!
she is gone," cried the Major, as he
saw her rapidly going up. up. up until
she had passed the house tops. Float¬
ing in the clouds with outstretched
hands the little angel could be heard
calling "Mamma! mamma! mamma!"
until her voice became drowned by
the whistling of the winds.
"All to your boats!" shouted old
Capt. Dixon, "and never a son of a
man turn back until that child is
brought to its mammy!"
"I, I, I. I, I. I," responded six of as
brave and daring boatmen as ever
reefed a sail, and all with boats sea¬
worthy for any waters.
Minutes appeared as hours and the
babe was flying southeast like a kite,
and would be out over the great At¬
lantic Ocean in less than no time.
Away went twenty or more well
manned boats amidst the shouts of
men and screams of women and chil¬
dren. These boats w’crc joined by a
like number from Beaufort, all of
which kept as near under the little
angel in the cloud as possible. By an
act of Divine Providence, Mr. Chas. J.
Voorhccs, of the Southern Express
Company, with a party of gentlemen,
were out taking a sail. Mr. Voorhccs
is one of the most expert riflemen in
the country, and as God had ordained
it, he had on board his Smith and
Wesson rifle. He at once took in the
situation, remarking, "Six miles out at
THE STATE. September 2. 19S1
9