Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-08-25
A SOAR IN CLOUDLAND.
HOW 1T FEELS TO BE SUSPENDED
5000 CUBITS HIGH.

Hazel Reyes Makes n Splendid As
cent From the Fair Grounds, and
Descends by Parachute Into the
Hay Near the Crosby MIN, Tum-
water.
The balloon ascension at the Fair
Grounds Sunday was evidently
means Of supreme delight to all who
witnessed it, if one may Judge from
the open mouths and protruding
eyes during the few minutes the
lady consumed i'll making her flight
and descent. The affair was
glorious success in everything except
iinances-the gate receipts falling
about $2J short OF the amount guar
anteed for the ascent. About onc-half
OF those present paid for admission to
the grounds, the other half taking adj
vantage of the conditions which did
not make the payment matter Of
complu>ion.
1t was about 80 when the fire was
lighted to initiate the balloon. \
furnace had been made by digging &
trench about 3 feet square in the
ground, which led TO ilue ui some
what less capacity about % feet off.
This tiue rose to the height of about
six feet and over it the balloon was
spread, the top being held by ropes
passing over two posts about 80 feet
high, to sustain it during the process
of initiation. At the time named
match was applied to the dry wood in
the furnace, which soon became a
roaring pit of fire under the stimulus
of gasoline that was constantly thrown
on the flames by the fair Irouant,
who took quite as active part in the
preparations as any Of her assistants
Soon the canvass began tC rise, and it
slowly filled and expanded until it &C.
cupied space of about 20 feet in
height and about so at its greater d.
ameter. A number OF men were sta
toned inside and outside the balloon
to control the rise of the canvass and
hold the balloon down when filled till
all arrangements should be completed
This operation consumed about Is
minutes, and it was therefore about
40, when Miss Reyes took her seat
on the trapeze and gave the command
Let Go" Instantly the immense
bag OF hot air shot upwards. like an
immense rocket, with Miss Reyes and
the monkey suspended in the para
chutes directly underneath. forming a
line that very fairly represented the
blaze and glare of the illustration
used. The ascent was fearfully rapid,
and seemed to be equal to the speed of
the famous Limited Express" trains
on the leading Eastern railroads
nearly mile minute.
1t was arranged that Miss Keyes
should be controlled by the upper air
currents in determining the height of
the ascension. Accordingly after
reaching an attitude of three quarters
of a mile, she found the balloon was
rapidly drifting to the westward, and
had to descend in time to enable her to
fall in the bay at Tumwater. Had
she gone 100 feet further she would
have encountered a stratum of air
that would have carried her back d.
rectly over the place of ascent, as was
shown by the fall of the balloon, which
entered that current before it be-
gan to fall. The monkey, in his three
foot parachute was first cast off, and
presented tiny object scarcely larger
than a pinhead when it began its de-
scent. 1t was about four minutes in
descending and fell into the bay. I'm.
mediately afterwards Miss Keyes cut
the rope which held the 90 foot para
chute with which she was TO descend
1t fell apparently few feet, but in real
ity quite q distance, before opening,
and in the interim people held their
breath and gave sigh of relief when
the broad umbrella-shaped sheet
opened out and checked the rapid de-
scent of the human being holding to
the ring at the end OF the many cords
attached to its circumference. The
descent was smooth. gradual and
graceful, occupying apparently about
four minutes. Miss Keyes 80 guided
the parachute that she fell within ten
feet of the shore near Crosby's Mill, at
Tumwater. Her descent was rapid
enough however, for her to sink sew
eral feet beneath the surface, and a
bystander who happened to be near
! ran to the bank and greeted her with
"Well, thought you would never
come up" as she swan laughingly to
the shore.
Miss Reyes, or more properly Mrs.
Romig, the wife OF her assistant, is ma
tive of California, 80 years of age, pos
sessing an excellent education, a viva
cious temperament and splendid con-
versational powers. She has followed
the profession of 9ronaut the past five
years, her first ascent having been
made in Portland in 1888. 1t was a
complete success, and she seems to
wear a charmed life, for although she
has made several hundred ascensions,
she has never met with greater acct
dent than a sprained ankle. Her
husband, James J. Roming, is her
agent and manager. He is likewise
an aronaut, and began that profession
u years ago in Wisconsin, in which
and neighboring States he made many
sscensions, with both gas and hot air
balloons. When he came west, how
ever, and married Miss Reyes, she
womanlike, insisted upon occupying
and equally high plane of action, and
on wearing the-tights. and the con-
sequence was that it is she who almost
exclusively occupies the trapeze, while
Mr.. r. must content himself with
other and less conspicuous details
She is an enthusiast in the business,
and anticipates no danger from her
perilous vocation, although she has a
little golden cross, studded with pre-
cious stones given her by priest, that
she has always worn at her neck, as a
charm against ill-luck.
"How does it feel to be adrift in
mid air?" she asked in answer to a
query" why it is simply delightful.
When the balloon, is liberated you
feel just as if the Earth is dropping
from you. There is no indications of
any other motion except it may be
the swaying of the ropes from side to
side, and from the rush of wind by
your ears. After you have attained
an elevation of from 1000 to 5000
foak fbo viou IL Grand hovont tho