The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-11-14
EXPERT AERONAUT.
IVY BALDWIN JOINS THE UNITED
STATES ARMY AS SERGEANT.
The Aeronaut Who is known to So
Many Thousands of People the
World Over VIII Put His knOyvl-
edge of BaiiooninS to Practical
Use in the Interests of Uncle Sam.

will hereafter act under authority of
a paymaster as the general public, but
is in a position to confer honors of
more value in the estimation of an am
lbFtious American citizen than whole
barrels of yellow lucre can buy.
IT is to Captain w. A. Glassford that
Sergeant Baldwin owes his present po-
lslt.on and title. The vigilant eye of the
chief of the signal corps observed in
baldwin most promising aeronaut
and several weeks ago Captain Glass
ford invited Baldwin to consider seri-
ously a proposition to cast his fortunes
with the signal corps. Captain Glass
ford represented to General Greeley,
chief signal officer of the army, and
! General McCook the value Of a trained
aeronaut to the signal corps. The cap
| tain felt that such a man would insure
the success of this branch of the SerV-
ice, with the balloon park at Fort To-
,, gan. Correspondence was opened be-
tween Denver and Washington, and it
finally eliminated Saturday in d tele-
gram from the secretary of war, ad-
mFdtlng Baldwin to the service of the
army.
Baldwin will have charge of the tal-
loon equipment at Fort Logan, under
general direction of Captain Glassford.
He will construct a hydrogen gas plant
for the imitation of United States army
balloons and as soon as the plant is
completed and in operation captive bal
loon ascents will be made regularly.
ANOTHER LUCKY BALDWIN.
Sergeant Baldwin is a bright young
man, % years old, an athlete, and a
perfect example of physical manhood.
Colonel Huntington, medical director of
the department, pronounces Baldwin
one of the most perfectly developed
men me ever examined. Sergeant Bald
win has had thirteen years experience
in navigating the air. He has made
balloon ascenIts in India, China, Japan,
Mexico and all the principal states of
the Union. In his ascents, he mas never
met with a serious accident
Under the practical instruction of
Sergeant Baldwin it is expected that
the sergeantS of the signal corps from
all parts of the country viii gain thor
ough knowledge of bal1ooning At the
same time they will be instructed in
long distance signalling. 1t is also pro-
posed to familiarize the army with
practical ballooning by sending the
balloons and steel storage tubes con-
tanning compressed hydrogen gas to
the different army posts. The plan for
conveying the balloon to the posts is
an idea of Major-General McCook, who
has always taken a great interest in
advanced work in the army. Sergeant
Baldwin has already laid plans for
the construction of a new balloon as
a comparison to the General Myer,"
which will shortly be exhibited at Fort
Logan.
When Sergeant Baldwin is in story
telling mood he can relate. some hair
raising yarns concerning some adven-
lures in midair While making long
voyages through the atmosphere, Bald
win has a habit of climbing down the
anchor rope and sitting astride the
anchor to enjoy a quiet smoke all by
himself. Smoking is never permitted
in the basket of the balloon, as it
might explode the gas. At one time,
during a trip across the state of Hi |
nois. Baldwin edited his travelling COM !
panions by hanging overheard by his
toes, head downward, outside the bas-
ket. In repeating this caper Baldwin
lost his hat. The headgear travelled
three miles before it touched the
ground.
NARROW ESCAPES.
One of the narrowest escapes from
death that Baldwin ever passed
through was while upon tour in Can
ada a few years ago. He owes his life
to his remarkable agility and presence
of mind. The fire used in initiating the
balloon scorched the lining, and at the
height of $50 or 200 feet the air ship |
suddenly cracked and began to col |
lapse. Baldwin was amusing himself !
at the time by hanging by his toes from |
the trapeze. Swinging to the ring over
head he loosened the parachute by a |
skillful movement of the hand and !
iown the parachute darted toward the |
for the parachute to break the fall !
but Baldwin alighted on
his feet, snatched a baby from car
riage, the horses attached to which
were starting to run, and then fell in
a dead faint on the ground
a fall of $50 feet, whether into water
5r net, usually means death to the in
1ividual making the trip. Baldwin has
aiken many a tumble from dizzy
heights, but a kind providence has APP
oarently in every instance protected !
him from death. Thousands of Denver
'eople have SEN BALDWIN take his tower
live. 1t is an aston .shing feat. The
OPP of the tower seems to swing back
md forth as the Spectators look at it,
md many persons present felt pre-
nonitions that something dreadful was
about to happen. Baldwin always ap-
bears the least concerned person in the
tSSemblage. Climbing to the top of the
over, he crawls out on the horizontal
adder, hooks his legs over the last rung
md hangs head downward Grasping a
'ope he slowly lets himself down until
lis toes catch. a shudder passes
through the crowd and many people
urn their eyes from the sight. Baldwin
waves his hand. a small boy shouts and
Town goes a human form, gradually
Lssuming a horizontal position as it ap-
Jroaches the ground. Baldwin strikes
n the net squarely on his back and the
leXt instant swings himself to the
ground.
Most of my tower dives have been
made in foreign Countries" slid he the
tther day, in speaking of his expert
noes. People Of foreign countries run
more to the tower dive than the balloon
scension. Once, however, L was denied
ne privilege of making the drop. l was
'iving exhibitions at the time in the (
'ity of Mexico. The authorities con- ]
idered 1t a suicidal affair and would
lot listen to one word of my expIana-
ions. What is the sensation? o. very
indeed. It seems only an in A,
tant, although L have had the drop :
lined and it requires three or four .
econds to make the trip. [ guide my
elf entirely with my head. On leaving
he bar 1 hold my body perfectly rigid (
nd as | descend L allow my legs to fall
acl just a little. 1t is a gradual turn
II the way. | generally manage to
trike the net squarely on my back.
ave rever been badly nurt in making
ne drop
WOman's Foresight
'Houser asked me to take not Incl,