Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-06-24
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DROPPED 1000 FEET.
IT WAS HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH
A PARACHUTE.

~nce IN Inc skilled Aeronaut-How
Things Appear to Ono Who Is Above
the Clouds and Looking Down.
| The great balloon which was to bear me
F., GA my first Journey IN into the azure
Heights and from which was to make my
| maiden leap with parachute was Juggling
| at Its moorings upon the broad lawn.
confess that it was with some nervousness
l took my seat IN the little car beside Jo-
seph Norcross, a skilled aeronaut, who had
from dizzy heights made many and many
u light earthward through the air.
| Norcross sinilingly welcomed me, and as
he gave the order TO cast loose the line and
| the men on the ground released the great
aerial traveller 1 felt myself afloat in lit
tie boat upon an ether sea. There was no
sudden jolt or jar about il, so cleverly was
| the release effected Putting my head over
| tie side OF the car, I looked below and was
surprised, for apparently we were not as
cending, but the great world, with all her
| glory of green and gold, was dropping
| from us away down into space.
| Then 1 gazed upward at tho great bird
like balloon soaring triumphantly on
| Again l looked down, and the houses and
barns seemed to crouch closer to the ground
and the villages to cluster together
Streams and lakes at last looked like mere
| threads or blots of silver. We were far
from the world. Suddenly we were in a
| cold, drizZly rain, and the earth was shut
| from view. l inquiringly looked at Nor
| cross.
| "We have entered the clouds" was his
smiling explanation, land we arc not yet
a mile high )"
In five minutes we emerged into beautiful
sunshine. Beneath us lay heavy bank
of fog FURNISHED by the ardent afternoon
sunlight, but the earth for time was not
within sight. Suddenly, through a rift in
the clouds caught glimpse of it far, far
below. So distant was it that only hero
and there could an object on its surface be
.discerned. Truly we were getting well up
in the world. The thought at once attract
ed my serious attention to the balloon.
Suppose it should spring leak or collapse
what would be the fate of the daring sky
travellers, or, on the other hand, if tho
valve line failed to operate, would we go
on upward forever? The thought disturbed
me not little. The aeronaut surmised
what was passing in my mind, smiled gen
tally and said:
Il have made a thousand ascensions I'M
harmed. From what height would you
like to leap?'
make it about 1000 feet" replied
deterlnincdly.
"All right" Norcross responded as ho
scanned the aerometer and promptly pull
ed open the valve preparatory to descend
ing.
Placing my hand out over the side OF
the car, the rush of cold air against my
downturned palm indicated that we wcro
again swiftly journeying carthward. Soon
we were cnveloped in the fog of the cloud
bank for minute or two, and then cmerg-
co with the distant earth in view Tho
glance at it from my perch there away up
near the clouds only increased my merry
BUSINESS.
"Look up! Look up" exclaimed the
aeronaut, ''or you'll lose your nerve"
A glance downward when descending
with the parachute might, l knew, turn
my hair white or bring on u stroke of par
alysis, as it had done in the case of some
other men.
"Twcnty-five hundred feet from here to
the ground" exclaimed the smiling Nor
cross. "Gct ready
He then bound round my body under
the arms y stout rope, the other end of
my hand, which bar in turn was attached to
the parachute that hung at the bottom OF
the car.
Leap as far out into the air as posi-
BILE, and the tightening of the trapeze line
will release the parachute, which will open
its - foot spread in Il second or two"
he said. "Thon all you've got to do is to
look up and hang on"
brnJroI foot eb Nov
cross. I frightened my grasp on the ira
pezc bar, looked stcadfastly upward and
awaited the order to leap. 1t was the most
trying time of my life, bat was deter
mined to make the jump.
GO" suddenly exclaimed the aeronaut
Closing my eyes, l made great leap out
into space and could feel myself rapidly
shooting downward. Then the trapezc
line tautoned with u slight jerk that indi-
Gated the release of tho closed parachute,
and l looked up just in time to catch a
fleeing glimpse of Norcross' smiling face
pecring over the side Of the car far above
me. But the parachute did not open. The
seconds passed into a minute, and then
into three, four, five minutes. Would tho
parachute never open? Must I be dashed
to death on the ground 900 feet below?
Suddenly there came sharp click from
above, and my speed perceptibly slackcned.
All. the parachute had opened! Ny life
was saved With an intense feeling Of sat
isfaction l felt myself deliberately descend
ing and, looking about, though not direct
ly beneath me, took in the scenic beauties
of my journey on every hand. But there
came over me grave fear. Suppose in
my descent l should strike the top Of a
church stecple or one of the many Chin
neys with which that section of the coun-
try aboundcd. Common sense, however,
came to my rescue.
Finally 1 mustered courage and looked
directly below. The earth was approach
ing rapidly. The fences trees, houses and
barns became more and more clearly out
lined, and roofs seemed to rise directly out !
of the ground. Horses, cattle and men
rose rapidly from pygmy proportions to
their normal size. 1 saw that l would
land in broad pasture field about half a
mile from where we had assembled, and
there was not a chimney, roof or tree
within 100 yards There was nothing to
fear.
l saw crowd Of men and boys hasten I
ing toward the field to welcome me. Then,
f1, Il, -,-l. lnli