Morning journal and courier., 1885-10-02
AN ERoNAUT,s STORY.

'5
 A Talk With Professor Brooks,
 Sfxty-Eight Balloon AscensfOns Since
 1852.
 Professor A. s. Brooks of Burlington, who made balloon ascension from the Southing- ton fair grounds Wednesday aft ernoon, when balloon had reached the height of about half a mile was carried in southwesterly direc- tion until directly over the steep, rocky side of Mt. Carmel, when all of a sudden the wind left me and I hung right over this rocky ledge. not moving foot in any direc. tion for as much as eight or ten minutes. l did not know how long might stay there and was beginning to be alarmed for fear my gas might give out, when threw out some ballast and ascended about 1 1,500 feet think ing might get some air, but no, and was just going to give up and try and land on the rough edge of the mountain when felt a little blast of wind and began slowly moving towards the west. tried to land three times, but was unable to do so on ac- count of the woods, but nay anchor, which had thrown out shortly after I had left Mt Carmel, finally caught in the fence SuEIOuu01uS piece OI IduO WQ0r0 the trees had been cut down. The wind carried the balloon over the top of a large tree and there 1 stayed, unable to descend for fear might start the anchor or break the rope. It seem- ed to me as if it was a wilderness ss there was no house in sight, but after calling loud ly for assistance for nearly half an hour two barefooted farmers boys appeared coming across the lot, and they taking the anchor rope and going to the further end of the lot pulled me down so I was able to land. I then put the smallest boy in the basket and letting the balloon ascend about 150 feet so as to clear the tree, and the other boy took the rope and pulled the still floating balloon to farm house which proved to be that of a MT. A.. o. Brooks in Hamden, where, after had pleased small crowd who gath cred by giving them short ride in the air with their assistance packed the balloon and returned to Southington. It took me about two hours to make the trip and I would much rather have made it in ten minutes, as I could while going so fast have better se- lected place to land and known just what wind to depend on. You Connecticut peo- pie say there is no woods about here. Well, 1 thought there was enough to last 6 life time, as could not find an open place to land"
 ''Where do you get your outdtg" was asked
 ''Oh, I make the whole thing myself, bas- ket, balloon, cords and even my gas, and then know just what to depend on.'
 Els the gas better that you used yesterday than city gasp
 t'Well, should think so. The gasI make will lift three pounds to the cubic foot, while the same amount of city gas would only raise one pound. The only danger think in bal loon ascensions is that of landing and get ting over water, although I have been very fortunate in both these things, having out of my one hundred and sixty-eight as- tensions only had two narrow escapes, one of which was at one time when tried to land in an open lot. My anchor caught in 8 fence, and as there were woods near by held on to the rope rather tight, as was go- ing about one hundred miles an hour, so as to stop in the lot, but there was a strong wind blowing and suddenly the fence gave way, and before had time to throw out bal last to ascend, as was only about fifty feet high, the balloon darted away and struck about one hundred telegraph wires strung alongside of railroad track, the balloon go- ing above the wires and the basket under The balloon was going so fast that every rope holding the basket was cut and the bal loon shot away out of sight, while found myself at the foot of the railroad embark ment with the basket and pretty well shaken up, and the balloon I have never seen since. The landing in the water is another bad thing, but if there is a strong wind blowing and shore anywhere near, why all man has got to do is to get Into the water and hold on to the basket, and as the balloon floats it will be carried along by the wind as fast as a steamer, at the same time acting as life preserver. I made an ascension once when I thought might land in Lake Erie, so I offered $50 and a silk flag to the man who first picked me up, and nearly two hundred boats went out after me, but I landed on the deck of gentleman's yacht, which had been sailing way out beyond the other boats, and although he would not accept the $50 pre- sented him with the silk hag.n
 The professor, when asked if he ever took anyone up with him, said q have, but don't like to- as had rather take up sand for ballast than men, as can throw sand out and I can't the men, and besides, if any accident happens to the balloon, blame myself for taking them up. I have let peo- pie make ascensions with the balloon an chored but don't like to since the time the rope broke with two children in the balloon which went sailing away, but nearly 5000 people were looking for them and they were found in the top of tree, the girl asleep in the basket and the boy calling for help, about one hun dred miles from where they started.
 'sIt costs about $150 an ascension and I make living by it. can say that enjoy it, as nothing can be compared with the scenery view when you are two or three miles high in balloon, when the earth looks love ly and the woods like green pasture"