Thosewhomthehurricanehadjustthrownonthiscoastwereneitheraeronautsbyprofessionnoramateurs. Theywereprisonersofwarwhoseboldnesshadinducedthemtoescapeinthisextraordinarymanner. 

           Ahundredtimestheyhadalmostperished! Ahundredtimeshadtheyalmostfallenfromtheirtornballoonintothedepthsoftheocean. ButHeavenhadreservedthemforastrangedestiny, andafterhaving,onthe20thofMarch,escapedfromRichmond,besiegedbythetroopsofGeneralUlyssesGrant,theyfoundthemselvesseventhousandmilesfromthecapitalofVirginia,whichwastheprincipalstrongholdoftheSouth,duringtheterribleWarofSecession. Theiraerialvoyagehadlastedfivedays. 

           Thecuriouscircumstanceswhichledtotheescapeoftheprisonerswereasfollows: 

           Thatsameyear,inthemonthofFebruary,1865,inoneofthecoupsdemainbywhichGeneralGrantattempted,thoughinvain,topossesshimselfofRichmond,severalofhisofficersfellintothepoweroftheenemyandweredetainedinthetown. OneofthemostdistinguishedwasCaptainCyrusHarding. HewasanativeofMassachusetts,afirst-classengineer,towhomthegovernmenthadconfided,duringthewar,thedirectionoftherailways,whichweresoimportantatthattime. AtrueNortherner,thin,bony,lean,aboutforty-fiveyearsofage;hisclose-cuthairandhisbeard,ofwhichheonlykeptathickmustache,werealreadygettinggray. Hehadone-ofthosefinely-developedheadswhichappearmadetobestruckonamedal,piercingeyes,aseriousmouth,thephysiognomyofaclevermanofthemilitaryschool. Hewasoneofthoseengineerswhobeganbyhandlingthehammerandpickaxe,likegeneralswhofirstactascommonsoldiers.