The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-12

but he hoped 20 return 10 the Iel0 1hSIOout
half an hour When he gave the signal to
the attendants to 'Let CO." the machine
gradually rose, and appeared to go 1nthe
direction of Norwood. Upon reaching an
altitude OF something like 900 feet, the
parachute became detached from the net al
the balloon, which was evidensiy proceed
ing upward at a great rate, as the psEachute
was fully expanded, although inverted. 1t
was now evident that something was
wrong with the apparatus, and, amid
breathless excitement, the parachute
dropped fromtthe balloon and fell into
garden in East Croydon. The balloon zap
idly disappeared in the clouds. When
darkness set in and no news had been
received of the parachutaSt much anxiety
was eyinced as to his fate. Shortly after
o'clock, however, all fear was disPeiled by
the receipt of telegram, stating that Hlg
gins had landed safely near TUnsOr1dge
Higgins and his balloon arrived at East
Croydon by the $50 train.
In an interview with correspondent
Higgins stated that he had experienced the
most wonderful of all his aerial voyages
When he had reached the height of 1900
feet he began to get into strong current
and the balloon twisted right round. The
current then caught his parachute, causing
the wooden ring of it to catch hin very
tightly under the arms. The test cord
which held the parachute then br8a1c
Directly that happened he saw that fSle
parachute was hanging below him fully in
hated, and the pressure on him was SO great
that it was impossible for him to descend
into the middle of the town with any
thing like safety. He therefore opened his
nd c-,r tho
chute away. This caused the balloon to
shoot up 5000 feet higher, and on reaching
that altitude he met another current, which
brought him back, and he saw nothing
until he passed through some slest 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 this
snow storm for at least ten minutes, and
when he had passed through it the sUnwas
shining beautifully. Below him he could
see what appeared to be snowy mountains
rising up and down for miles. He could
see distance 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
w Gl&Ss 11e lOluu ZIG dII SCbIlIlsS tOAJ oAIA
and keen; icicles were hanging from his
mustache, and he had no sooner rubbed
them off than others formed. For a few
minutes he was quite deaf. He now seemed
to be descending on the mountains of snow,
and he thought hewas getting near Hast
ings or Brighton. He could smell the sea.
Thinking he was coming down, he took
hold Of four of his guy ropes, and pulled
the balloon partly over on one side to allow
the gas to escape at the mouth.
The balloon then turned round three
times, and he felt he was descending. He
did nothing more to the balloon, merely
sitting on his trapeze watching for terra
firma, which he did not see for some time.
At length he saw plowed fields, and close
by there was what he took to be a large
park, with white roads across it. He then
Travelled about five or six miles at a very
rapid pace, and saw more plowed fields,
which he thought would be asuitable place
to land on. When he was about 1900 feet
from the earth he prepared to descend by
hanging by one arm to his trapeze rope as
if he were using his parachute. When his
feet touched the ground the balloon, which
was in front of him, dragged him for ten
yards, and then rebounded some sixty feet
in the air, between two trees. Two labor
ers ran from opposite directions, and, in
response to his signals, they arrived just as
he came down a second time, and held the
balloon until he let out the gas. He found
that he had landed on farm in the occu-
patton of Mr.. Nash, Of Ponhurst, about
thirty miles from Croydon. In reply to
questions, he said that at one time he must
have been five miles above the earth, the
highest he had ever been. He added that
the balloon had no escape valve.-London
Standard.