The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-21
Adventures of q Parachute Man
Whose Apparatus Got Away
From Him.
Five Niles High In Air, Sitting on
q Naked Trapeze
Bar.
Iclcles Grow ON His Whiskers and Hair
Anxiously Looking Out for Terra
Firma-Dinculty Of Landing.


one Saturday afternoon, says the London
Standard, in connection with the ascent
from the old fair field of Prof. Higgins. the
parachutist, and for several hours doubts
were entertained as to his safety. The bal
loon, which had that day been named "The
Dukes Motto" and was OF the capacity OF
1900 cubic feet. was fully charged BY hve
O'Clock. Higgins said the direction OF the
wind, which was northeast, would necessl-
tate his travelling considerable height,
but he hoped to return to the field in about
half an hour. When he gave the signal to
the attendants to 'Let 90" the machine
gradually rose, and appeared to 20 in the
direction of Norwood. Upon reaching
an altitude of something like 1000
feet, the parachute became detached
from the net Of the balloon, which was evil
IDENTITY proceeding upward at great rate, as
inverted. It was now evident that some
thing was wrong with the apparatus, and,
amid breathless excitement, the parachute
dropped from the balloon and fell into the
garden in East Croydon. The balloon
rapidly disappeared in the clouds. When
darkness set in and no news had been re-
oeived of the parachutist, much anxiety was
evinced as to his fate. Shortly after 8
o'clock, however, all fear was dispelled by
the receipt of telegram. stating that Hig-
gins and his balloon arrived at East Croy-
don by train.
In an interview with correspondent
Higgins stated that he had experienced the
most wonderful: of all his aerial voyages.
When he had reached height of LOCO feet
he began to get into strong current, and
the balloon twisted right around. The cur
wooden ring of it to catch him very tightly
under the arms. The test cord which
held the parachute then broke. Directly
that happened he saw that the parachute
was hanging below him fully inflated, and
the pressure;o3n him was 80 great that Il it
middle Of the town with anything like
safety. He, therefore, opened his penknife
with his teeth and cut the parachute away.
This caused the balloon to shoot up 5000
feet higher, and on reaching that altitude
he met another current, which brought him
through some sleet and snow. He could
hear, however, the sound of trains.
All of sudden he found himself in dark
ness, caused, he presumed. BY the snow and
the thick atmosphere. He was In the snow
storm for at least ten minutes, and when he
had passed through it the sun was shining
beautifully. Below him he could see what
ap,peared to be snowy mountains rising up
= nd down for miles. He could see dis
Jance of some forty clear miles, and was
able to discern the sun glistening on the
water at Brighton, 1t was evident to him
that he was going toward Tunbridge Wells
He found the air getting very sharp and
keen; icicles we're hanging from his nous
tache, and he had no sooner rubbed then
off than others formed. For few minutei
he was quite deaf. He now seemed to be
descending on the mountains of snow, ani
he thought he was getting near Hastings o.
Brighton. He could smell the sea. Think
ing he was coming down, he took hold O
four of his guy ropes, and pulled the bal
loon partly over on one side to allow thu
gas to escape at the mouth.
The balloon then turned round tire,
times, and he felt he was descending. H,
did nothing more to the balloon, merel,
sitting on his trapeze watching for teri,
frma, which he did not see for some time
by there was what he took to be a larg'
park, with white roads across it. He thel
travelled about five or six miles at a yer,
rapid pace, and saw more plouRhed fields
which he thought would be suitable plac
to land on. When he was about 1900 fee
from the earth he prepared to descend b,
hanging by one arm to his trapeze rope a
if he we're using his parachute. When hi
feet touched the ground, the balloon, which
yards, and then rebounded some sixty fee
in the air, between two trees Two labor
ers ran from opposite directions, and, il
response to his signals, they arrived just a
he came down q second time and held tn
balloon until he let out the gas. He foun,
that he had landed on farm in the occu
patton of Mr.. Nash of Penshurst, abou
thirty miles from Croydon. In reply t.
questions, he said that at one time he mus
have been five miles above the earth, tn
highest he had ever been. He added tina
the balloon had no ESCAPE valve