The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-01-17
GYMHAsTICs IN MID-AIR.

Prof. DonaldsSn's Startling Perfor.
Falling from . Trspexe
Bar at Three Miles Eievatfon-He
| Proposes 10 Cross the Ocean in .
| Balloon-FIying Machines.
Professor Donaldson, the aronaut, is
completing his plans to cross the ocean
during the coming summer in An air
ship. buoyed by two mammoth balloons.
1t is his purpose to leave New York
from Union square, cross the Atlantic
arriving somewhere on the continent in
two days and a half.
Donaldson was born in Philadelphia,
and was originally magician. He is
. short, thick.set man, about thirty.two
years of age, dark complexion, dark
eyes. black hair, with gaudy NOUS
tache, waxed and twisted in most Ma
poleonic manner. A year ago he con-
ceived the idea of becoming balloonist.
His first ascension was made in Reading
last August. That was the first and
only time he ever used basket. he
has made, since then, some twenty.eight
ascensions, and every time has used
nothing but the gas chamber OF the
balloon and simple trapeze bar. His
operations have been principally
throughout the South and West. He
has during the year encountered all
sorts Of dangers, and the story OF his
hair-breadth escapes is thrilling and
wonderful. In recent interview with
. reporter of New York paper, he
said:
HANGING By THE TOES IN THE CLOUDS.
"This balloening is not as dangerous
as some imagine. BY the use OF bas.
ket people are inclined to look upon an
ascension with much interest and
amusement. ! ascertained that the
time was at hand when some improve-
ment ought to be made in aronauting
to attract the peoples attention. l
ascended fret in basket, and after as
certaining few points threw aside
that part, and since then have never
used it. | next ascended dressed as an
acrobat. and used nothing but trapeze
bar. The people became frightened,
and q new interest was awakened in
ballooning. At the hight Of half a
mile | ALWAYS went through various
performances, such as skinnlng the cat,
whirling around, hanging by my toes,
and other evolutions generally done by
circus performers on the bar. At Chi
cago, when three. quarters Of a mile
high, l hung blythe back OF my head
from the bar. People call me reckless
and crazy, but they forget that | value
my life as much as they do, and that |
know exactly what | am about. | feel
Just as contented and safe on the bar
trapeze bar suspended from the balloon
three miles high as | do sitting here. /
see no danger, and therefore there is
no danger to me- ! would like 10 make
an ascension
STANDING ON TOP OF BALLOON.
al think can do it. People demand
sensational spectacles. Their tastes
must be gratifed, and to do this l shall
do q few tricks for them be-
fore / cross the ocean by BAL
loon next spring. am arranging a
trick something like this" Here the
Professor picked up an ingeniously
contrived bar composed Of two sections,
which can be separated at pleasure by
= spring" When ! am up in the air,
say a athousand feet, and while sitting on
the bar waving my hand to the people,
when they think least of accident,
shall touch the spring, the bar will
suddenly rsp in two, and away | shall
tumble headlong toward the earth. A
rope will catch me when down some ten
feet, with which l can get up to the
balloon again, adjust the bar, and again |
take my place. This aud many other
tricks l shall put in practice to
AMUsE THE PEOPLE.
~ feel better when about a mile
high, and have often performed for my
own satisfaction when out OF sight |
beyond the clouds. / have been lost,
given up as dead, found again, bruised,
scratched, landed in the Atlantic, and
baptized in Lake Michigan, but am
here to-day with not bone broken
nor a mark visible. have lost two
balloons, have had one burst for me
when two miles high and have damaged |
three. So much for sensational bal
looming. l like il, but would rather
make voyages through the ar in aid Of
science and the development Of acrid |
subjects.
"Peopl. hoot at the idea OF flying |
machines. The day is very nigh at
hand when this subject will command
the respect OF people for such things
will assuredly be q success. To con-
struct
AFLYIyG MACHINE
to navigate the air from one point to
another, it is not necessary to initiate
the vings OF an insect. Nature has
given this as principle for US to work |
on, showing us practically that travels
ing tb rough the air can be accomplish.
ed. If we consider over the wonderful
i'm provements that have been made in |
other branches OF science, it becomes a
subject OF wonderment why il is, with |
all our arts and sciences, that we are
beaten and outdone by the common
crow. When Fulton built his first
steamboat to travel the waters, be did
not initiate the movements OF fish
the first locomotive did not move on
legs, nor did Morse 90 TO the heavens
for electricity. Now, il We desire to
nsvigate the air, We must not comply |
too closely with the movements OF
birds, for there is 9 fair chance for much |
Improvement. We are-arisl locomo-