Unfortunately, however, the inexperienced aronaut pulled too violently at the valve-rope, tore it completely off its hinges, and brought it down into the car! When this occurred he was more than a mile high, and he immediately and with fearful rapidity descended, or rather fell to the earth! When the valve-door came off, the gas of course escaped rapidly; but the balloon caught sufficient air to form a parachute, by which the fall was moderated; and we are happy to say that the voyager reached the earth, about five miles from York, entirely uninjured! He says that as soon as the valve-door came down upon him, he knew that something had "broke loose;" and just then remembering that Mr. Wise had told him to be sure when he descended to throw out his grappling-iron, he was preparing to get at it among the numerous things in his basket, "when the earth bounced up against the bottom of the car."

When first seen from York, the balloon was about thirteen miles off, nearly due west. It ap. peared to be approaching directly towards our town, until the valve was pulled and it had fallen considerably. As it fell, it seemed to find a current that bore it rapidly towards the north. The spot at which it landed is about northwest of our borough.

The escape of the gas was distinctly seen from York; and as the balloon neared the earth it had lost its rotundity, and appeared to the gazers here to come down heavily, like a wet sheet. York Gazette.

Adams county contains several small but pleasant and flourishing villages, among which are Petersburg, Berlin, Abbotstown, Littlestown, Millerstown, Oxford, Hunterstown, Mummasburg, and others. Petersburg, 13 miles south of Carlisle on the turnpike leading thence to Baltimore, and about 13 miles northeast of Gettysburg, contains thirty or forty dwellings, an academy, and a church. This place was laid out about the year 1800, and took its name from one Peter Fleck, who kept a small liquor store in a log cabin there. Peter was bought out by Mr. Isaac Sadler, a hatter. Mr. Jacob Garner was also one of the early settlers.

About one and a half miles from Petersburg are the York Sulphur Springs, which were discovered about the year 1790 on the plantation of

Mr. Jacob Fickes. The waters were analyzed by Mr. Heterick and Dr. James Hall, who visited the spring at that time for the purpose. Their medicinal properties have been highly extolled, particularly for their efficacy in cases of debilitated constitutions.

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ing hills are highly picturesque. More fashionable resorts at the north. have withdrawn some of the patronage formerly bestowed upon this place, yet it is still a favorite resort of the wealthy citizens of Baltimore. Daily stages run to York and Baltimore.

During the old French war of 1755-58, the barrier of the South Mountain shielded the early settlers of Adams county from the savage incursions that desolated the Cumberland valley. Yet occasionally a party more daring than the rest would push across the mountain, and murder or carry captive defenceless families. An affecting instance of this kind is described in the following narrative, abridged from one much more in detail by Mr. Archibald Bard, of Franklin county.

My father, Richard Bard, owned, and resided near, the mill now called Marshall's Mill, on the Carroll tract, in Adams co. On the morning of 13th April, 1758, his house was invested by a party of nineteen Delaware Indians. Hannah McBride, a little girl, on seeing them, screamed, and ran into the house, where were my father, mother, a child six months old, a bound boy, and my cousin, Lieut. Potter, (brother of Gen. Potter.) The Indians rushed in-one of them made a blow, with a large cutlass, at Potter, who wrested it from him. My father snapped a pistol at one of the Indians; the sight of the pistol alarmed them, and they ran out of the house. The Indians outside, however, were very numerous, and my father's party having no ammunition, and fearing that the Indians would burn the house, surrendered. The Indians also made prisoners, in a field, of Samuel Hunter, Daniel McManimy, and William White, a lad coming to mill. Having secured the prisoners, they plundered the house and set fire to the mill. Not far from the house, contrary to all their promises, they killed Thomas Potter; and having proceeded on the mountain three or four miles, an Indian “sunk the spear of his tomahawk into the breast of the small child, and after repeated blows, scalped it." The prisoners were taken over the mountain past McCord's fort, into the Path Valley. Alarmed, and hurried by a party of whites in pursuit, on reaching the top of Tuscarora Mountain, they sat down to rest, "when an Indian, with out any previous warning, sunk a tomahawk into the head of Samuel Hunter, who was seated by my father, and by repeated blows killed him. Passing over Sideling Hill, and the Allegheny Mountains, by Blair's Gap, they encamped beyond Stony Creek. The half of my father's head had been painted red, denoting that a council had been held, and an equal number were for putting him to death, and for keeping him alive, and that another council would determine the question. My parents being engaged together in plucking a turkey, my father told her of his design to escape. Some of the Indians had laid down, and one of them was amusing the others by dressing himself with a gown of my mother's. My father was sent for water to the spring, and contrived to escape while my mother kept the Indians amused with the gown. After an unsuccessful search, they proceeded down the stream to Fort Duquesne, (now Fort Pitt,) and thence about 20 miles down the Ohio, to an Indian town, and afterwards to "Cususkey," [Kuskusky, in what is now Butler co.] "On arriving at this place, Daniel McManimy was detained outside, but my mother, with the two boys and girls, were taken into the town, at the same time having their hair pulled and faces scratched, and being beaten in an unmerciful manner. Here I shall extract from my father's papers the circumstance of McManimy's death. This account appears to have been obtained from my mother, who obtained it from eye witnesses. Indians formed themselves into a circle round the prisoner, and commenced beating him, some with sticks, and some with tomahawks. He was then tied to a post near a large fire, and after being tortured some time with burning coals, they scalped him, and put the scalp on a pole to bleed before his face. A gun-barrel was then heated red hot, and passed over his body, and with a red hot bayonet they pierced his body, with many repetitions. In this manner they continued torturing him, singing and shouting until he expired." Leaving the two boys and girl, whom she never saw again until they were liberated, my mother was taken to another place. Dis. tressed beyond measure-going she knew not where, without a comforter or companion, and expecting every day the fate of McManimy, she chanced to meet another captive woman, who told her that the belt of wampuin about her (my mother's) neck, was a certain sign that she was intended for an adopted relative.

The

Soon after, in a council, two squaws entered, and struck my mother on the side of the head. The warriors were displeased, such conduct in council being contrary to the usage. A chief took my mother by the hand, and delivered her to two Indian men, to be in the place of a deceased sister. She was put in charge of a squaw to be cleanly clothed. After remaining here near a month with her'adopted friends, they took her a journey of two or three hundred miles, to the head waters of the Susquehanna. Much of this journey she was obliged to perform on foot over mountains and swamps, with extreme suffering. Her fatigues brought on sickness, which lasted near two months.-"In this doleful situation, with none to comfort or sympathize with her, a

blanket was her only covering, and her bed the cold earth in a miserable cabin; boiled corn was her only food. Recovering from her sickness, she met with a woman who had been in captivity several years, and had an Indian husband, by whom she had one child. My mother reproved her for this, but received for answer, that before she had consented they had tied her to a stake in order to burn her. She added, that as soon as their captive women could speak the Indian tongue, they were obliged to marry some one of them or be put to death." My mother resolved not to learn the language. She remained in captivity two years and five months. She was treated during this time by her adopted relations with much kindness, even more than she had reason to expect.

My father suffered extreme hardships in effecting his escape and return to his home, travelling over mountains thick with laurel and briers, and covered with snow, with swollen feet-his clothes often wet and frozen-exhausted, and often ready to lie down and perish for want of food, and living, during a journey of nine days, upon a few buds and four snakes! He at length reached Fort Littleton, (in Bedford co.) After this, he did little else but wander from place to place in quest of information respecting my mother. He performed several perilous journeys to Pittsburg, in which he narrowly escaped several times losing his life by the Indians. He at length found where she was, and redeemed her, at Shamokin, (Sunbury,) on the Susquehanna. Before my father and mother left Shamokin, he requested an Indian who had been an adopted brother of my mother, if ever he came down amongst the white people to call and see him. Accordingly, some time afterwards the Indian paid him a visit, he living then about ten miles from Chambersburg. The Indian having continued for some time with him, went to a tavern, known by the name of M'Cormack's, and there became somewhat intoxicated, when a certain Newgen, (since executed in Carlisle for stealing horses,) having a large knife in his hand, struck it into the Indian's neck, edge foremost, designing thereby to thrust it in between the bone and throat, and by drawing it forward to cut his throat, but he partly missed his aim, and only cut the forepart of the wind-pipe. On this Newgen had to escape from justice; otherwise the law would have been put in force against him. And it has been remarked, that ever after he continued to progress in vice until his death. A physician was brought to attend the Indian; the wound was sewed up, and he continued at my father's until he had recovered, when he returned to his own people, who put him to death, on the pretext of his having, as they said, joined the white people.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY was taken from Westmoreland and Washington, by the Act of 24th Sept. 1788, and in 1789 a small addition was made to it from Washington. It then comprised all the territory north and west of the Ohio and Allegheny, from which was formed, in 1800, the counties of Beaver, Butler, Mercer, &c. The present limits comprise the small but very populous country around the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers with the Ohio, and of the Youghiogheny with the Monongahela. Besides the large navigable rivers, there are, tributary to them, Chartiers creek, Peters creek, Montours creek, Turtle creek, Poketas creek, Pine creek, and a number of less important streams. The county forms an irregular figure about 26 miles in diameter, and containing an area of 754 sq. miles. The population in 1790, was 10,309; in 1800, 15,087; in 1810, 25,317; in 1820, 34,921; in 1830, 50,552; in 1840, 81,235.

The surface is undulating, and near the great streams, hilly; and many of the hills are precipitous. The uplands are fertile, and make excellent farms: along the rivers there are wide and exceedingly rich bottom lands, generally elevated above the reach of floods, and occupied by extensive farms and comfortable mansions. The forest trees, which are of every variety, are large, healthy, and of luxuriant growth, indi

cating great fertility of soil. Fruit trees are abundant, and the vine and mulberry succeed well.

Bituminous coal of the finest quality abounds throughout the county. The Pittsburg seam, from 5 1-2 to 8 feet in thickness, is probably the most important and extensively accessible in the western coal measures, and furnishes exhaustless supplies for the manufacturers of Pittsburg, and for exportation down the river. Limestone and excellent sandstone for architectural purposes, are found above and below the coal. There is a chalybeate spring about four miles southwest from Pittsburg, issuing from the fissures of a rock in the side of a hill, on the estate of J. S. Scully, Esq.

The richest gifts of nature seem to have been bestowed by Providence upon this region; and the art of man has been most diligent in adorning the works of nature, and developing her latent sources of wealth. Magnificent bridges span the noble streams; innumerable steamboats are constantly plying to and fro; mines are opened in every hill-side; long shafts bring up salt water from the bowels of the earth; durable stone turnpikes run in every direction; the Monongahela is dammed at several points, and made capable of regular steamboat navigation; the great Pennsylvania canal passes along the right bank of the Allegheny, and crossing it at Pittsburg on a splendid aqueduct, passes, by a tunnel, directly through the hill back of the town, and connects its commerce with that of the Ohio. Magnificent public edifices, beautiful villas in the midst of fertile gardens and farms, extensive manufactories rolling out their black volumes of smoke, meet the eye of the observer in all parts of the county, but especially in the environs of Pittsburg. There are probably few regions where the respective departments of agriculture, commerce, and manufactures are so well balanced, and where each finds its own appropriate facilities to such an equal degree as in Allegheny county.

This county was originally settled principally by Scotch-Irish, many of whom emigrated from the Kittatinny valley, others directly from Ireland; and to this day, although many Germans have also come in, the Scotch and Irish blood, not to mention the brogue, prevails about Pittsburg.

PITTSBURG, the seat of justice of Allegheny county, but more distinguished as the great manufacturing city of the west, is situated on a triangular point at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela, in latitude north 40° 26′ 25′′, and longitude west from Greenwich 79° 59'. It is 300 miles west from Philadelphia, 120 south of Lake Erie, 1,100 by land, and 2,029 by water, above New Orleans. The Allegheny comes down with a strong current from the northeast, and sweeping suddenly round to the northwest, receives the more gentle current of the Monongahela from the south-their combined waters flowing on to the Mississippi under the name of the Ohio, or Beautiful River. The aborigines and the French considered the Allegheny and Ohio to be the same stream, and the Monongahela to be a tributary-Allegheny being a word in the Delaware language, and O-hee-o in the Seneca, both meaning fair water. Hence the French term Belle Rivière, was only a translation of the Indian

name.

The alluvial bottom on which the city is built is quite limited; for im