The Leavenworth weekly times., 1875-08-05
TIE LOST AEhOTAUT.

TIE LOST AEhOEAUT.
Sketch Of the Life aad Career of Washing
tom H. Do1aldsor-A Brave Mans Un-
timely End.
Mr.. Donaldson was born in Philadel-
phia. April z, 1910. His family were
Quakers, and bis father was one Of the
earliest photographers in his native city.
Donaldson learned this business, and soon
became expert in it. In 1860 he was EN-
ployed in a Photographic studio in this
city. He began 10 learn line engraving on
Stone but a. his health seemed TO suffer
from the confinement he took athletic ex-
ercises, and finally became a teacher Of
gymnastics From this he went into the
sieight-of-hand business, and thence into the
8 show business generally. He became an
I excellent performer on the trapeze, and was
also a skillful tight-roPe and wire walker.
HE FIRsT ATTEMTT AT EALIOOSING.
HIS introduction 10 ;eronautics came
about in a singular way. lie had made
the ACQUAINTANCE OF a certain lady at 4
small town in Pennsylvania and many ten
der passages occurred between them. He
had some sort OF an engagement at another
town near at hand, and subsequently, TO his
performances the Landlord OF the hotel said:
There is balloon here in my custody. 1t
! was left behind by an unlucky s.ronaut
I who could not pay his board bill. 1t Is
/ Just the thing for you 10 start upon. Why
don't you buy it? 81 don't know anything
about ballooning," said he, "but how much
+ do you want for it," The landlord said
three hundred dollars. As DOnaldson's
ventures had not been very successful about
that time, he did mol possess third OF the
sum, but a. il came out that the landlord
was a relative OF the lady before mention
ed, Donaldson wrote 10 her on the sub Jet,
and by her interest he procured the balloon.
at very great reduction upon the original
price. Donaldson was one OF the most per
fectly fearless men that ever lived, but he
admitted that he had no sooner got possession
of the balloon than the most gloom forebod-
ings filled his mind. However, he deter
mined TO make an aeensiOn. Accordingly,
he went to Reading, and, having made all
the necessary preparations, he assembled on
the 3lst OF August, ISL. Ii was a trapeze
balloon, that Is, il had no car, but the aer-
onaut sat upon a small bar Of wood suspen-
ded from the concentrating ring. He told
the writer that before going aloft he was
haunted with premonitions OF DEATH but no
sooner had he reached the upper regions
than a complete revolution took place in
his thoughts. The astounding beauty of
the spectacle OF the earth a. seen from a
balloon, the exhilaratiOn OF spirits which
follows an ascent, and the wonderful and
unexpected serenity oil atmospheric travel
for under ordinary circumstances one j.
scarcely conscious Of motion in a balloon
! all this impressed him 20 powerfully that
his dependency gave way 10 enthusiasm,
and from that hour aerOnautics became 10
him passion.
HIS SUCCESS.
At the time of his death he had probably
made obout 800 ascensions, which, consid-
ering the brief space in which they were
made, u more, proportionately TO time,
than those Of any other aeronaut that ever
{ lived. But in all these voyages lac never
motel n single scientific fact nor made an
observation Of the slightest value. lie had
no taste for scientific inquiries, and indeed
his education was too detective TO permit
him TO appreciate the value OF scientific in
formation. As an aeronant, however, he
probably has no superior in the world. Be-
ginning the business but a few years ago, in
total ignorance OF the apparatus and the
methods OF aerostation and the management
OF balloons, he rapidly acquired fund Of
Information and experience which made
him master OF every operation and equal 10
every emergency in his profession. He
knew everything that related 10 the making
of balloons he had all the fOrmula for
/ cutting the cores at his fingers ends ne
k..a /. = IL. I Al
ing Of the net, the relative thickness OF the
cord and size Of meshes proporiioned to bal
looms Of different capacities. lie made some
new and very ingenious notifications in
the valve gear which were of considerable
value. He could estimate without the
slightest hesitation the relative weight of
car, anchor, ropes, and gear. lie had by
heart all the tables for estimating the guam
titles OF gas that balloons OF different sizes
would hold. And, finally, if you gave him
the elements of 4 balloon he would at once
tell you how much ballast she ought TO
carry, how many passengers, and how long
she would probably float. And he was al
ways right.
HIS DARING.
1t is unnecessary 10 enter upon the rec
ord of all his atrial flights. lie has been
before the public for years, and his numer-
Gus and daring adventures have been re-
ported all over the country. The most ex-
traordinary Of his feats was undoubtedly
his performance on the trapeze in mid-air.
He had a particular liking for trapeze As
tensions, and the GOODNESS and daring with
which he maneuvered on his frail support
while the balloon was sailing through the
air, the temerity of his experiments, and
his wonderful luck in avoiding accidents,
we're very remarkable, and afforded delight
ed excitement 10 thousands Of persons all
over the United States Nor did he merely
study gain in these exhibitions. 1t was his
passion TO be an aeronaut and display his
skill to the world.
The most important event of his life, and
one which brought him most prominently |
before the public was his connection with |
the Graphic balloon, in 1873, the details of
which are well known.
In the early part of 1874 Donaldson en-
ieered into an engagement with the mana |
tgen Of Barnum's Hippodrome to make as
|censicns i'm connection with that establish |
'ment during the Summer. This engage |
nent he most faithfully carried out, to the |
satisfaction of his EMPLOYERS. He was al |
ways ready to make ascensions, and always |
managed them with consummate skill. |
Among other ascensions, that in which the |
press representatives of New York took |
part will always be remembered by those
gentlemen with the liveliest pleasure. 1t |
was an
ALL NIGHT VOYAGE,
the balloon never touching earth between
the hours Of in the evening and a quar-
tier past next morning, and the various
|scenes beheld-the jersey Hills, West
Point the Hudson by moonlight, Newburg.
OF the most magnificent charac.
Der. During the winter OF that wear Don
aldson's mind was greatly occupied with
two prolects-the invention of variety en-
in monologue, in which he him
self was to sustain all the characters, and
the issue of an aeronautic magazine of
Light and entertaining character. In re-
gard to the first enterprise he communica-
ted to the writer the plot and sketches of
some OF the principal characters, and if he
had persevered in his design there cannot
be the slightest doubt that he ' vould have
produced quaint and most laughable en-
tertainment. He had the perseverance.
however, TO produce one number of his pa
per, the 1eridi, published in April last,
md therein he ventilated his ideas on aer-
bstation. He had firm belief that bal
looms. at no very distant future, would be
utllized Tor purposes of travel, transporta-