The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-24

FIVE MILES HIGH on a TRApEzg.
Adventures OF q Parachute Man Whose
Parachute Got Away from Him.

y nOec
Parachute Got Away from Him.
Great excitement was caused at Croydon
in connection with the ascent from the old
fair field of Professor Higgins, the para
chutist, and for several hours doubts were
entertained as to his safety. The balloon,
which had been named "The Dukes
Motto" and was Of the capacity OF
1900 cubic feet, was fully charged By 5
O'Clock. Higgins said thedirection Of the
wind, which was northeast, would neces-
sitate'his travelling considerable height,
but ne hoped TO return to thefte in about
half an-hour. When be gave The signal TO
the attendants TO Let 60" the machine
gradually rose, and appeared to go 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 evidently proceed
ing upwardat great rate, as the parachute
was fully expanded, although inverted Il
was now evident that something was
wrong with the apparatus, and, amid
breathless excitement, the parachute
dropped from the balloon and fell into q
garden in East Croydon The balloon rap
idly disappeared in the clouds. When
darkness set in and no news had been
received of the parachutist much anxiety
was evinced as to his fate. Shortly after 8
o'clock, however, air fear was dispelled by
the receipt of a telegram, stating that Hig-
gins had landed safely near Tunbridge.
Higgins and his balloon arrived st East
Croydon by the $40 train.
In an interview with q correspondent
Higgins stated that he had experienced the
most wonderful of ali his aerial voyages.
When he had reached the height Of 1900
fest he began 70 get into a strong current,
and the balloon twisted .rigkt.round. The
current then caught his parachute, causing
the 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 in
faped, and the pressure On him was 50 great
that 1t was impossible for him 70 descend
into the middle of the town with any
thing like safety He Therefore opened his
penknife with his teeth aud cut the para
chute away. This caused the balloon 10
shoot up 5000 feet higher, and on reaching
that altitude hemet 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 presunae&. by the snow and
the thick atmosphere. He was in this
snow storm for at least ten minutes. and
when he bad 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. Itwas evident TO
him that he was going toward Tunbridge
Wells. He fonnd the air getting very sharp
and keen; icicles were hanging from his
Tnustache, and he had no sooner rubbed
them off than Others formed. For few
minutes he was quite deaf. He nowseemed
to be descending on the mountains ofsnow,
and he thought he was getting near Hast
ings or Brighton. He could smell the sea.
Thinking he was coming down, be 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 sector some time.
At length he saw plowed fields, and close
by there was what he took 60 be a large
park, with white roads across it. He then
travelled about five or six miles at very
rapid pace, and saw more piowed fields,
which he thought would beasuitable 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 Penhurst, about
thirty miles from Croydon. In reply to
questions, he said that at one time he must
hasve been five miles above the earth, the
highest he had ever been. He added that
the balloon had no escape valve.-London
Standard