The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-10-21

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UP IN A BALLOON.
y
A New York sus ,Rspsetaes 40.
coupe off 4f,l He Aade. :
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The writer made two ascensioos with
Donaidsoa-the las bsing Doualdn.n,s
one hundred and eighth. in the bal
loon that sailed out over Lake Michi
gan . few weeks later vith DUnaLlsoo
and Grimw VOID in the baskel-and the
writer would rather trust hi lie 10
Dnalslso0is ''Fecklenueo" than tn
tn 1aution Of any other man he ever
knew. There seemed to be no cOs-
slant NJ incidental peril that the
eronaut had not in mind and was not
prepared for ~ far as there could he
any preparation. That Dunald."u
used To hang by one fr't from . bar
slung under ballon mile from the
earth does not prove that he Vas rerk-
less. 1t proves his confidence in him
self. A tall Of q hundred feet would
have been as surely fatal as . fall 1t n
mile. His p,sition vas not lers safe
than that Of man Who walks . roPe
. hundred feet from the ground. Il
was xl,nust n safe % that "f the
schoolb,y who hangs BY his fot from
the horizontal bar in the scl,ool yard.
The bar to which he hung vas ste.dier
than If il Rad been held between piers
Of masonry with foundations deep in
the earth. There WAS not even the
slight disturbance of q draft 1T air.
such rs Is drawn through the open
windows ola gymnasium. Let him
shut mis- eyes. and the sensation would
have been that IT absolute fixedness.
Donaldson's last acts before giving
the word To let go the ropes were Ia
thoroughly examine every part ii the
l,allwn. He tested every knOl in the
ropes that held the haskell and the
globe Ia the ring. lie knketl care
fully to the netting. He saw that the
valve rope was free and within reach !:
that the drag rope was properly
fastened Ia the iron ring: that the
anchor ro.se was c.,ilel beneath the
haskell. and the coil caught up with
cOr,i that drip at the anchor tr"n
the basket would break aud L.: the
heavy rope fall free. While making
these examinations he saw n"ihiny -Is~
aud heard no questions. Then. Nth u
glance up the airy incline where the
balI.~n was about To rise. he gave the
wor,l. ''Lel her go!" The falling 1t
the earth l,eueaih him and the many
strange -ensaiions incident to u rapid
ascent through the air did not claim
any psrt Of his attention Like u point
in q difficult channel. he was lDking
To his ship anil where it was s"i"s-
When he was out in the open atm's
pheric ses. with nothing but air with
in mile Of his craft. he stretched
himself on.the little hur.i ane deck ri
woven wire. laughed Rayly. AMI s"r
the 6rst time since quitting the earth.
spike except To command. 80 long
AS the ship Anated high abnve all
shoals. the pilot was j..lly aud aPrar
emily careless. except that he Kept an
eye ON the barometer. lest he should
rise To q height where the strain an
the globe would become dangerous:
but when the shadow Of the balloon
came close under the bs.ket. indicat
ing that the air ship Was falling, he
Wa all caution, al anxiety again.
Our drag rope was 500 ieet long.
and We were running near the earth
not more than 275 feet ab'se it.
A ruilroad fright train came along
running nearly at right angles I" our
course. A handful Of sand Was drip
ped To- cause the drag rope Ia clear
the train. Ii Was not enough: the
rope traile,l along the sides Of the ears.
The men "n the train dill not ses the
bali.Wn. nor hear the shouts from the
air. Il ann afraid ome poor fellow
will he brushed off," said Donaltlson.
The rope swung between two cars.
The slack was caught up, aud the
lower end IL the rope began 20 muve
with the trsin. 1t was drawn taut.
and the balloon struggled ~ it was
hauled out Of its course. towed by the
locomotive. Half q mile ahead was
an archei bridge 81 masonry over the
railroad. The train hands had not
seen the balloon. "Cut the drag rope!"
cried the men in the basket. Donald
sou was silent and motionless an his
wire deck ahove. Half the dist lnce
TO the chcd bridge Was passed. and
the train was rushing an. The bal
loon struggled; the ripe slipped per-
from its fastening between
the cars; there Wa a'rther
struggle and the ED of The ripe came
loose. with q snap like that Of a whip
lash. The balloon righted aud sailed
on it, old course.
We glanced mp at D1nald-on. He
~ss kneeline on his wire DICK. erxsr-
ing the handles Of stout shears. the
Jaws Of which were shut on the Ding
rope. lie had not spoken. We a-kesl
hin. why he had not cut the rope. ut
weighs more than three Of Us can lift.
he quietly replied. land Il that
weight had been suddenly dropped
We would have sailed up past the H.
tie stars until she hurst. for the valve |
wouldn't have let out the gas fast
enough"
"What would you have dune II the |
rope hadn't got loose from the train ?"
Gut il at the last moment and pull |
ed tn, rip cord. We would then have
had Q ride of three hundred feet in q |
parachute made Of bursted gss Ing"
"Why we're you afraid 10 let her
@ up: other balloons have risen to
great heights?"
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