The Dickinson press., 1888-06-23
THE PARACHUTE.

~ AS AoOs aS oo40S u AAy GLl
ing to do anything unless | can beat all pre-
vious records and fall further than any living
man. A few hundred feet less or a few hun
dred feet more will count nothing for me. /
must at least double the distance"
He repeated this talk when getting his
car ready, and ut 9:35 the balloon assembled.
ropes holding the chute broke.
To describe this particular 'chute'' it is
only necessary to imagine a white globe
twenty feet in diameter, cut through tho
center; in this way you hsve two parachutes,
the professor only having one. 1t contained
100 yards of stout cloth. 1t is not unlike a
mammoth umbrella without u stick, tho
braces being flexible cords running down
twenty-five feet, and fastening to all iron
ring two feet i'll diameter. The other cords
all run clear up to the seams of tho ''chute,'
so they cannot give way. This parachute
was fastened to the outside of the hot air bal.
loon in a perpendicular form by a cord.
When the balloon was at the proper height
the professor intended to take hold Of the
iron ring, swing clear from the balloon, de-
pend on the air to initiate the "chute," and
take his chances Of reaching terra frma in
safety. The balloon was inflated by GO, 900
feet Of hot air, balloon, parachute and ap-
paratus for initiating the balloon all being of
Mr.. Hogan's own manufacture. AS he
stepped i'll the car and gave orders for the
ropes holding the balloon to the ground to
be cast off, tho professor said to the CORE
.spondent, who took what the latter believed
to be- final leave of a daring and reckless
man:
"My balloon ought to take mo up two
miles at least. The parachute WON'T initiate
inside of 800 feet from the time l leave the
balloon. This distance will occupy three
seconds, after that | expect to come down all
right inside of one minute and thirty seconds.
Let her CO."
At the word the ropes We're cut and tho
went sailing upward.
9TH chute's guy has broken" cried Hogan
instantly. ON have to como down and
start over" AS soon US possible Hogan de-
scended. "In go up again in an hour" he
said.
THE SECOND TRIAL.
The second trial was a success. The bal
loon shot up almost straight to a distance of
fully 10000 feet. 1t then settled about 400
feet and hung like q ball in the heavens. The
anxious and excited crowdo of people OH the
ground watched the balloon with bated
breath. The reporters were provided with
powerful glasses, and saw Hogan mako ready
to jump.
Hell weaken said some one.
"No," cried another, she is getting out"
The chute was closed. Hogan drew it up
till he reached the ropes to which he dashed
himself. He did not expect the chute to open
for the first 200 or 800 feet, and he was afraid
he might be shaken off the bar by the rapidity
of the fall unless he took the precaution to
fasten himself. When he stepped on the edge
of the car to spring off into space some of the
daring man was going to certain death.
A shout of terror goes up. Hogan has
jumped. Down like a cannon ball he fell for
500 feet. The chute has not yet opened.
Down it came like agigantic elongated bird,
He was falling like a meteor, and the specta-
tors shut their eyes while still keeping their
glasses elevated. Suddenly a shout goes up.
The chute has caught the air. 1t opens like
the wings of a monster eagle. Hogan's flight
downward was almost stopped with u jerk.
Then the chute settles down to a steady
journey earthward with its passenger, and
in three minutes from the time the reckless
man left the balloon he landed safely in all
open field some little distance from where
the ascent was made.
Correspondent was almost the first to grasp
the hand of tho aeronaut.
II lost my breath" said be, "when 1 shot
down SO fast, but | caught it again after a
time. 1t was a great jump, wasn't "a"
Professor Hogan was smeared with smut.
He had never seen a man jump with a chute.
He was much disappointed at the slow time
made, expecting to come down in ninety Sec
onds. The chute was twenty feet in diameter.
Oscillation was guarded against by means of
a four inch hole in the apex. He was over
whelmed with congratulations, and was quite
tho hero of the hour.-Jackson tMich.) Cor.
Globe Democrat.