The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-14
GYMNASTICS IN MID-AlR.
pROFEssoR oRDONALDSON'S STARTLING
PERFORMANCES.

Failing from a Trapeze bhr VI
mre., IclevatIon-He Proposes TO Cross
the Ocean In Balloon-fiyins
Machines. ,.o
READING, Pa, January y.
Passing through this famous capital Oh
Berks County yesterday, was persuaded 10
remain over few hours 10 visit, In company
with scientific gentleman, the ROOMS OF tne
mronaut Donaldson, who is completing Dis
n,sps to cross the ocean during the coming
summer In an air ship, buoyed oy TWO mam-
moth balloons. 1t Is his purpose to leave Ne"
York from Union Square, cross the Atlantic,
orr,vinu somewhere on the Continent In TWO
davs and a half Your correspondent sent nls
card to the professors apartments, and was
, very kindly welcomed by this the most caring
oud reckless of all Bronauts. He remarked
as he pointed to seat, "NeXt summer snali
have something To notice. snail $40" lne
neonle that the ocean can be crossed oy oai'
| loon, and that can do II"
Dnnaldson il a short, thickset map, a9ouL
ir,r.two wears of age, dark complexion; dark
ewes. black hair, with gaudy moustache'
| waxed and twisted in most
NApoLEoNIC MANNER.
uo was horn Ip Philadelphia, and was orig,
,nalIv magician. A year ago ne conceived
tSs idea of becoming balloonist. His nrst
sac.nsion was made in Reading last August;
TnaI was the first and only time he ever used
a haskell. He has made, since then, some
| twenty-eight ascensions, and every tlne nas
used nothIng but the gas chamber OF the pal
Ioon and simple trapeze bar. His operations
haze been principally throughout the Soutn
and West. He has, during the year, encoun-
tered all sorts Of dangers, and the story oil MS
hairbreadth escapes Is thrilling ana WONDER
fail. The eronant Is quite coeerlul perso D.
age. and having made his Vlsllors comlort-
able and contented, be proceeoeo as loilo"s'
HANGING by THE TOES IN TEE CLOUDS.
| "This ballooning Is not as dangerous as
some imagine. By the use OF basket people
ara inclined 10 LOOK upon au osGensiou Wit9
much Interest and amusement. asceriained
| thar the time was at hand when some Improve
ment onpbt to be made in aronautlng 10 al
iract The people's attention. / ascended first
In basket. and after ascertaining few
noints threw aside that part, and since then
nave never used 1t. l next ascended dressed
/ 40 ar acrobat, and used nothing but q trapeZe
har The people became frightened, and a
| nav interest was awakened In ballooning. At
the height of half mile / always went
ihrouph various performances, such as skin
nino Inc cat, whrling around, hanging by my
toes' and other evolulions generally done by
circus performers on The bar. At Chicago,
when three-quarters OF mile high, hung by
the hack of my head from the bar. People
cali me reckless and crazy, but they forget
| that value my life as much as they do, and
| that know exactly what am abont. feel
| inst as coulented and safe on the bare trapeze
mar. suspended from the balloon three miles
high, as do sitting here. see no danger.
and therefore there Is no danger 10 me.
would like to make an ascension
STANDING ON TOP OF BALLOON.
"I think can DO 1t. People demand sen.
sslional spectacles. Their tastes must be
gratifed, and 10 do this shall do q lew tricks
| for them early next sprlEg before l cross the
ocean by balloon. I am arranging trick
somelhing like this" Here the Professor
nicked up an ingeniously cOntrived bar com.
1 nnsed of two sections, which can be separated
at pleasure by spring. "@ben | am up IN
the air. cav q thousand feet, and while slttiDg
on the oar waving my hand 10 the people,
when they think least OF accident, l Shall
touch the spring, the bar will suddenly snap
in two, and away shall tumole nesulong 10
wards the earth. A rope will catch me when
down some ten feet, with which can get up
To the ba loon again, adjust the bar, and
take nv place again. This and many other
tricks shall put iu practice TO.
AMUsE THE PEOPLE.
sI feel better when about a mile high, and
have often performed for my own satisfaction
| whom o,,e % .'sA. A-y""a tho ninnas hE ~"
been lost, given up as deud, louno agaln,
bruised, scratched, landed N tne Atlantlc, ano
bsn,Ized In Lake Michigan. but am here to.
day with not bone broken nor maIkIp,Isl
bic. I have lost two balloons have had one
burst for me when Two -PPnnhYes high, and have
damaged thres.. so much for sensational bal
| loonips. like 1t, but would rather make
TCeoyages through the air In aid oil science and
the development Of erlal subjects
"People hoot at the idea ol lying machines
The day is very night at hand when this sub
| iect will command the respect OF people; ioI
such things will assurediy be success. To
FLYING MACHINE
TO navigate the air from ore point to another
| IL Ia moi necessary to Initiate the wings OF an
insect. Nature has given this as principle
| tor US to work on, showing us practically tha'
| travelling through the air can be accom-
plIshed. If We consider over the wonderlp
| improvements that have been made IN Other
| branches of science 1t becomes subject o.
wonderment why 1t is, with all our arts ano
sciences, that we are beaten and outdone by
the common crow. When Fulton built hlt
| first steamboat 10 travel the waters he did not
| initiate the movements of the fish; the FIRST
| locomotive did not move on legs, nor dlo
Morse 20 to The heavens for electricity. NOW,
| IL we desire to navigate the air we must mol
| comply too closely with the movements OF
birds, for there Is q tair chance for much I'm.
provement. We see @rlal locomollon 10 lts
most primitive state wien we look at o bird
flying.
even az the locomotive passes the horse, OF
| electricity the locomotive. The most difhcult
part of erial navigation has been discovered,
and that Is to rise in the air and hang sus-
pended between heaven and earth without
The direct aid of propelllnS power. This is
, more than the bird can accomplish Wllnout
bringing into play the movements oil lib wings
to propel it through the air. The great trouble
| | balloonisle cannot persuade scientific lghts
/ to accompany them TO the clouds. II this
were not the case we should have @rial ships
navigating the air before this. am going
| across The ocean in July. I will start In the
neiphborhood OF Union Square, possibly Madl-
son Square, New York City. can travel east
at all lines, tor at a certain height, say Two
and half miles, there Is constant current OF
air blowing toward the east, / shall ascend
to the required altitude and undertake tne
journey, certain that shall.
SAFELY REACH TIE OTHER SIDE.
| Deductions from the same law that canses the
Constant blowing eastward make me think
| that returning curreut of air can be found.
| II such Is the case shall seek the proper ali-
tude and return to America by BALBOA"
Donaldson Is superb craftsman, and Is
| finishing sketches Of the three balloons he
will use for his ocean voyage. smaller bal
loon ls to be fastened between two larger
ones, and with boat, provisions. ballast. &c,
| he will undertake The voyage. He Is earnest
dangerous business. He has just had finished
/ O haIloon NJ thin brown naper. In which he