The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-11-17
KING OF THE AIR.
Gives q Thrilling Description Of MI
racuIous Escapes from Death
Caught In . Squall-Seventy Miles m
Aour-A Wonderful Leap from the
GfouDd-In Close Company with
Thunder and Lixhtniag.
[corxsreHr. 1921


am not so enthusiasts over M
sailing as to consider it an unalloyed
pleasure, but have been somewhat
astonished upon taking Retrospective
view OF my own doinGs in that line to
find that marvellous escapes from
moving accidents of food and fire.
which at the time were looked upon
simply IS exceptional cases, when
grouped together form very startling
picture of fortuitous events where fate
might often have turned tho tables.
l do not mean to say that balloon
voyagfng depends entirely upon chance
for its safety, but rather that, while
skill is constant requirement. good
luck is frequent necessity.
Captive ascensions, in which tho
balloon is held by q rope. are considered
much safer than free ones, but had
ono OF my narrowest escapes during
one OF these short excursions over the
city OF Boston. The day was quiet and
windy by turns, tho still times being
made available for trips Of Thousand
feet with from six to eight passengers
in the car. During tho last ascension
made that day tho balloon was caught
in one of the squalls, and all the power
that could be applied would not take
the rope in a Single inch. Tight a .
bow string it was drawn, while it was
borne of at an angle Of forty-f1ve de.
grees. The wind how1ed through tho
rigging and the powerful balloon shook
IA furious manner. Every face was
blanehed with dread OF impending
danger. I sat In hoop above tho
passengers, literally holding their lives
in my hand. Tho wind was blowing
ssaward at . rate that would have car.
ricd as into it In double quick time,
yet / had my keen-edged knife clese to
tho ropes and ready to cut at tho first
snap OF any cord; for there was . tre-
mendous strain upon tho netting, which
might give way at any point, and once
started would not stop-unless instant
" relieved Of the strain-until tho
balloon wen% through it. Fortunately it
held intact until the squall was ever. and
In the following calm was drawn safe
" down. No more ascensions were to be
made that day, nor until the netting
had been carefully examined. and tho
balloon was moved for the tirne being
to its heavy platform. Imagine my feel
ings when little later. ss stood safe
" upon the ground watching its rest
Less motions under another heavy blow,
and saw tho overstrainod netting part
with q heavy 'rE-u-u-up' that let the
unhampered gieee 60 free. Had this
occurred in the air instead Of on tho
ground. we should all have been In
the next moment.
We rarely tra~ol ut the rate Of seven
" mics an hour, but when such q
speed is reached tho country slips away
overland a. fast as vvater down q cat
aract. It makes no difference up
there, but look out for breakers when
trying to land.
In an ascension from Boston Com
mon, blowing moro than a mile min
ute, the balloon went to Ipswich, dis
tance of thirty-two miles, in twenty
five minutes- Beyond Ipswich was q
stretch of salt marsh Of two miles in
extent and beyond that the ocean. A
landing within half an hour was Of
course imperative. was On tho look
out for chances, but the fields were all
too small; fences, trees and houses few
by in q most confusing manner, and al
though had q coilapsing cord in the
it appeared an utter impossi-
bility to effect a landing without a ca
tastrophe. Residents of Ipswich were
the balloon, and fired can
non as soon as it came in sight, bat
were unab bic to load and fire again, be-
fore it bad passed them. When the
salt marsh came in sight, with its tall,
soft grass, and not fence in the way,I
knew the critica moment was at hand.
As soon as the car had descended with
in reaching distance. the anchor was
thrown on the sloping bank bordering
tho marsh, and in an instant had taken