The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-09-24
L RATTLE WITH DEATH IN The
AIR.
The Frighifui Experience OF German
A.rouaut in "A Recent Trip.

The German aerOuhul WIN To- 'H'y
had a most terrible experience during
a trip in a balloon from the grounds OF
the Cologne Exhibition of the Art of
War In company with Peter Schmitz
and manufacturer named Dependence
he started in the balloon Stollwerk at
/ o'clock on cloudy afternoon. The
balloon flew one mile almost straight
inward into the thick of storm.
Wolf fearful of the strong winds and
hail around him, decided TO make
landing as soon as possible.
There was nothing but woods and
woods under u.s." he said, subse-
ouentlv. "The balloon descended with
violent rapidity. l finally discovered
a little clearing on steep mountain
side and prepared TO anchor: The
balloon descended more slowly, and
the people who had observed us hur-
ried together underneath TO help rs
land. i drew the ventilator a little
further open and motioned to Schmitz
to get out. Depenheuer alighted, and
all was well, when suddenly whirl-
wind struck us. A terrible jerk sends
me on nv back in the car. l Jump mp
to lind all things swimming down,
down below me, and two men cllnglng
helplessly to the edge Of the car l.
catch the nearest one, peasant who
tried to assist in the landing. Too
late His strength Is gone; he lets
90. and / hear with horrible distinct
ness the mufiled thud of his body on
the ground.
"My heart sickens, but / rally 10
save my friend SchmitZ. who still
sticks to the cars side. Already the
clouds are sinking beneath us. We
are at least two miles above the earth.
/ try TO raise SchmitZ into the car,
but he has sunk so far down from the
edge that / can hardly grasp his
wrists, and he is too weak 10 make an
effort for himself. Both of us groan
our despair, for all seems over.
Slowly and painfully l raise him a
little, set my teeth in the back of his
coat, and endeavor to bind him fast
with the storm line A few moments
drag by in hope and despair. and [
finally succeed in fastening the rope
under his arms and in tying him so TO
the car. There is no safety in the
device however, for were SchmitZ TO
lose consciousness for an instant his
away. l call to him, spread out your
arms Spread out your arms l hear
his body move in response TO my adj
monition. but his voice is lost to me-
All this has occupied twenty-five
minutes. and we have in the meantime
been slipping upward. Everything
now depends upon our making quick
landing. / draw open the valve, and
we begin falling We plunge into
great storm. The balloon spins around
in circles, and sways about like a
drunken man. Rain, hail, thunder. and
lightning sweep over us. The balloon
reels so that / must lie on my face TO
remain in the car
'Peterl Peter" I call to my friend.
Hold fast Only hold fastp
NO response, for he cannot hear me.
The agitation of the balloon has loos-
ened the rope and he has sagged back
again, down the side of the car, so L
can only see his fnger-tips on the edge.
/ creep to the side of the car, seize his
right with my left hand and with my
right hand and teeth 1 tug at the
valve.
L cannot hold out longer, comes in
ping away
One minute, only minute more
/ cry back, and we will be there.
The nearer we come to the ground,
however, the more violent becomes the
oscillation Of the balloon. Finally We
slip over a house, a barn, and drop like
a shot to the ground.
Let GO shout to Schmitz, and
jump away from the anchor
He obeys, and the balloon. 1876
pounds lighter. scars upward / pull
at the valve with all my strength till
the anchor catches a small tree But
the tree gives way, and with the re-
bound the car springs up to the bal
loon, and TO. moment / hang on al
most by my teeth. The anchor catches
again in a tree. Again jerk crack,
a rebound, and / am tossed about like
ball. Once more the anchor catches.
] find myself just above the top Of
dense old cedar. Head first / dive
into the branches and fall from bough
to bough till l reach the ground. The
anchor rattles near me. Another tree
breaks, and the balloon sails off TO the
northeast.
Il had landed near Give. In an
hour had the whole neighborhood out
looking for Schmitz. He was not TO
be found. Dead, L thought, as L
hmped painfully along between two
peasants in the direction of the Over
ath railway station. Presently a
group of men and women hurry toward
us from a side street Three of them
were half carrying a man. l fastened
to them as rapidly as l could, and had
Schmitz in my arms
To-day my head is dense and
weighty. Every bone in my body
aches aud pulsates. / cannot sleep,
and | have no peace, since l can get
no news of the poor peasant who fell
sacrifice to his willingness to help me-"
His Head Was Level