Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-05
BATTLEDOOR AND sHUTTLECOCK.
THE "sAFErW PARACHUTE.
A Successful Experiment. with Nov
Kind of Balloon Device.

N GuCCpSbauA AAARoAAAVns wAssA ~'-"
Kind Of Balloon Device.
A very interesting and successful expert
ment has been made here by NJ. Capazza,
the well known aeronaut, with safety
parachute, which he has invented. The
apparatus ia placed above the balloon, and
to 1t are attached number OF very long
ropes. II the balloon bursts, the gas swells
out the parachute and SO helps to diminish
the rapidity of the descent. At the top Of
IL is small funnel, through which the gas
passes slowly, and by this arrangement
the parachute is kept steady.
This is the principle of M. Capazza's in
vention. The parachute used In the ex-
pertinent is Of rather voluminous dimen"
sions, and the car is fixed at the longest
possible distance from the balloon In order
chat 1t may not be entangled In the debris.
In rather squally weather M Capazxa
made his ascent from the gasworks ct La
Villette, his wife being among the specta-
tors. The lady, however, did not seem af
all nervous. II married CapaSza," she
said, because I was sure of his courage. !
am not bit afraid"
The couple were only welded q few
weeks ago. It was amid loud cheers from
the assembled spectators that the order
"Lachez toutp' was given, and then the
balloon, drifting in a northeasterly direc-
tion, rose in about five minutes to the alti.
tude Of 1900 meters, which the aeronaut
desired to attain. M. Capaxza then burst
the balloon by means of knife placed al
the top, and to which cord had been at
tached.
Most of the spectators were Mortified at
the sight of the aerostat, now reduced to
shapeless mass, as 1t fell slowly on the car,
but not interfering in any way with the
development Of the parachute, which, fill.
ing out until it looked like large saucer
turned upside down, hardly swerved In its
motion, but came steadily down at the rate
of six feet per second. M. Capazza finally
alighted in a corn field at Drancy, in the
neighborhood of Pantin, the descent hav.
ing occupied little more than ten min.
utes.
The experiment is regarded as satisfac
tory in every way, and there Is only one
opinion as to the success OF the invention
and the pluck displayed by the enterpris
ing aeronaut. Connoisseurs were much
impressed with the manner In which the
safety parachute" behaved from the mo
ment when the balloon was burst, and also
with the practical character Of the precau
tions taken to prevent the aerostat from
encumbering its movements.
The steady balance for which M. Capaz
"a had provided was maintained from ths
first, and the ladies, many of whom wert
so panic stricken at the moment when thu
balloon was ripped up that they nearly
tainted away, were reassured long before
the hold aeronaut reached terra firma, Al
for his wife, her confidence never forsool
her, for her faith In M. Capazza's skill and
presence Of mind is unbounded.
1t is believed that an immense advanc'
has been made through this invention tx
the ballooning art, and that, thanks to 1t
all chance Of accidents occurring is nov
reduced to the ninimum.-Paris Cor. Lon
don Telegraph.