The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-11-17
WENT UP FEET FIRST.
Thrilling Experience Of John sanboxn.
Who Was Lassoed by . Ball
looms Tackle.

A thrill of horror was felt by every
body who had gathered to see balloon
ascension at Centreville, Mich, recent
ly. The air-ship had been inflated
and as it gently swayed in the wine
waiting for Prof. Bartholomew, the
aeronaut to give the word to cut the
ropes, the curious spectators laughed
and jested in careless manner without
thought of accident.
"Let her go!" shouted Bartholomew,
as he seated himself in his car and
waved his hand to the crowd.
The attendants released the balloon
and it started up like a bird escaping
from a cage. As it left the ground a
guy rope was snapped about as if it
were whip lash, coiling itself around
the leg of John Sanborn, an attendant,
aged so. In an instant he was in the
air, his head hanging downward. aud
the testers became dumb. Up, up, up
he went, and all momentarily expected
to see the old man dashed to death.
His arms were swinging wildly, and
he seemed to be trying to catch the
rope that held a parachute to the bal
loon. Soon he succeeded, and a sigh
of relief escaped the crowd.
"Can he keep his hold?" was the
question on the lips of his frightened
friends. The eyes of all were strained
at the air-ship which was sailing away
with it hapless victim. He seemed to
realize his awful position for every
move was made with extreme care.
Then he began to climb hand over
hand and finally succeeded in reaching
the parachute. where he was compara-
lively safe.
Gradually the balloon grew smaller
to the anxious people, aud it is esti-
mated that it went up three thousand
feet before its flight was checked. Fin
ally it came down aud Sanborn was
unharmed, but he was terribly fright
ened. When he realized that he was
safe the reaction set in aud he was
prostrated.
Mr. Sanborn says of his trip: Il was
one of number of men who were de-
tailed to hold the balloon after it was
inflated and cut loose ready to ascend.
The professor gave the word to let go
and / did so, at the same moment step
ping back to clear the ropes. In a
twinkling my legs were caught in the
rope which was attached to the para
chute and ! was carried upward very
rapidly. l heard voice from above
me say, Catch this rope, climb up to
me, and hang on With difficulty I
succeed in getting hold of the rope
which was thrown to me.
The motion of the balloon caused
my body to twist and turn in such a
manner that the rope was securely
wound about my legs. This aided me
somewhat, and by dexterous effort
by Bartholomew / was drawn to within
about two feet of the horizontal bar on
which he was sitting At this point
our strength began to fail lis, and felt
myself gradually sinking back to my
original position. Bartholomew kept
urging me to hold on. The scene be-
low me was vivid. Men and women
looked to me like clothes-pins and
horses like mice.
1.-The parachute was fastened to the
balloon by slender cord which is ex-
pected to break by the weight of the
aeronauts body when he jumps from
the balloon, ana why it held me is
a mystery. At last we realized that
the balloon was descending. and with
renewed courage / clung to my frail
support like drowning man to a
straw. Down, down we came. Each
moment seemed like an age. As we
neared the earth we could hear the
shouts of joy of my friends until / was
surrounded aud clasped in the arms of
those / never expected to see again.