Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-06-28
DROPPED 1000 FEET,
1T WAS HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE With
a PARACHUTE.

heights and from which was to make my
maiden leap with parachute was Juggling
at its mornings upon the broad lawn.
confess that it was with some nervousness
l took my seat in the little Cur beside Jo-
soph Norcross, n skilled aeronaut, who had
from dizzy heights made many and many
a flight earthward through the air.
Norcross smilingly 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 ahoat in lit
tie boat upon an ether sea. There was no
sudden jolt or jar about it, so cloverly was
the release effected. Putting my head over
the side of the car, looked below and was
surprised, for apparently we were not as
ccnding, but the great world, with all her
glory of green and gold was dropping
from us away down into space.
Then gazed upward at the 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 q
cold, drizzly rain, and the earth was shut
from view. l inquiringly looked at Nor
cross.
eve have entered the Clouds" was his
smiling explanation, land we are not yet
q milo high.
In 1lvc 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 l caught a glimpse of it far, far
below. So distant was it that only hero
and there could an object on its surface be
disccrncd 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 a leak or collapse,
what would be the fate of the daring sky
travellers, or, on the other hand if the
valve line failed to operate, would we go
on upward forever The thought disturbed
me not little. The acronaut surmisCd
what was passing in my mind, smiled gen
tally and said:
Il have made thousand asccnsiOns I'M
harmed From what height would you
like to leapY"
"Mako it about 1000 feet" replied
dctermncdly
"All right" Norcross responded as he
scanned the aorometcr 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
downturncd palm indicated that we were
again swiftly journcying carthward. Soon
we were cnvalopcd in the fog of the cloud
bank for a minute or two, and then emerg-
ed with the distant earth in view. The
:
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, knew turn
my hair white or bring on a stroke of par
alysis, as it had done in the case of some
other men.
"Twenty-fve hundred feet from here to
the ground" exclaimed the smiling Nor
cross. "Get ready"
He then bound round my body under
the arms stout rope, the other end of
which was secured to the trapczc bar in
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 10 foot spread in q second or two"
he said. "Then all you've got to do is to
look up ami hang on"
"Twelve hundred feet!" shouted Nor
cross. l frightened my grasp on the ira
peze bar, looked steadfastly upward and
awaited the order to leap. 1t was the most
trying time of my life, but 1 was deter
mined to make the jump.
"Gor' suddenly exclaimed the aeronaut.
Closing my eyes, made great leap out
into space and could feel myself rapidly
shooting downward. Then the trapeze
line tauteDed with a slight jerk that indi-
Gated the release of the closed parachute,
and l looked up just in time to catch a
fleeing glimpse of Norcross' smiling face
peering 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 the
parachute never open? Must 1 be dashed
to death on the ground ZOO feet belowP
Suddenly there came a sharp click from
above, and my speed perceptibly slackened.
All, the parachute had opened! My life
was saved With an intense feeling of sat
isfaction 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 a grave fear. Suppose in
my descent l should strike the top of q
church steeple or one of the many Chin
neys with which that section of the coun-
try abounded. Common sense, however,
came to my rescue.
Finally l 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 tc rise directly out
of the ground. Horses cattle and men
rose rapidly from pygmy proportions to
their normal size. 1 saw that 1 would
land in broad pasture field about half
mile from where we had assembled and
there was not chimney, roof or tree
within 100 yards. There was nothing to
fear.
saw q crowd of men and boys hasten
ing toward the field to welcome me. Then
n few seconds afterward, to my delight
my feet struck the ground, and the most
thrilling journey Of my life was ended.
Calmly folded the parachute and then
looked up for the balloon. l saw it grace
fully sinking to the earth in an adjoining