The Anaconda standard., 1895-11-24

He has been in the business nine years
and as the average life of an aeronaut
is said to be but two years, his unusual
good fortune Is manifest.
His father and mother are dead. and
ne has no brother or sister living; so
there are no dear ones at home 10
grleve on that fatal day that comes
at last to every aeronaut. There will
cnly be friends to mourn him-and the
distant girl whose heart he carries
with him in his daring mid-air jour
neys.
His balloon is 60 feet high. 12O feet
in circumference and weighs 1S0
pounds. He is at present using hot
air for imitation, ii being impossible TO
obtain gas in the smaller western
towns. The parachute QS feet in diam
eter when spread), the trapese and
rigging, add SO pounds. This. with his
own weight Q20 pounds) gives IL a to-
tai weight of $50 pounds. AS the lift
ing force when the balloon is well filled
Is $50 pounds. there remains an ascen-
sional power of 300 pounds,-quite suf-
ficient for exhibition purposes.
For initiating the balloon, a long
trench is dug and the top covered over
At one end of II the fire is pat in; over
the other is suspended the empty linen
monster, the lower edges being held
tightly to the ground to prevent the
heat from escaping. One man stays
inside to guard the slowly filling bag
from sparks.
Until the balloon Is well filled Mr..
Eckhart uses hard wood barrel slaves
to fire the trench; but just before he is
ready to make the ascension, cup after
cup of gasoline Is thrown in upon the
Goals. This explodes and produces the
intense and quick heat desired for lift
ing power. 1t Is the fear of insufficient
lifting power that makes an aeronaut
he hot fnn he
lifted quickly enough to clear the dan
gerous high buildings and church stee-
pies Ii Is not thought of soaring above
the clouds that causes apprehension.
which do you prefer" / asked. hot
air or gas bslloons?'
"Gas. They are safer. because they
don't collapse. Sometimes a strong air
current will strike a hot air balloon
with sufficient force TO drive out some
of the contents and one may be COM
PEELED to cut loose at a dangeous time
But with a gas balloon, by use of sand
ballast, one can rise or fall at will
Then there Is so much to fear in the
treacherous upper currents. About the
only danger with gas balloons, aside
from starting and landing. which is al
ways accompanied with more or less
danger. Is from bursting.
such cases are rare. however. For
IL a gas balloon doesn't burst when the
upon II, 1t seldom does so after the
ascent"
''Is not the moment you cut loose
from a hot air balloon an agonizing
oneT' asked.
"No. not II you have a well-rigged
parachute OF proper size for your
weight A six-foot diameter is sup
posed to carry 30 pounds. The one ]
am now using Is only IS feet in diam
eter. Ny weight being 120. n Is carry
ing 80 pounds more than II should. IL
Is one that I used In sending down a
dog while with a circus. or course u
descends faster than parachutes usual
ly do: but by using the hoop employ.
make IL open out more quickly, CIV
ing me a shorter shoot. and conse-
quently a less severe jerk"
How high do you like TO go before
cutting loose?" said T.
"As high as 81 will rise-usuafly from
900 to 1000 feet-unless 1 encounter an
undesirable upper current In that
case I cut the rope Immediately. II Is
the unreliable upper currents that raise
me mischief with parachutes. II they
catch you 50 as TO turn the machine
over. nothing can right IL. II is all up
with a man then; he had just as well
say his prayers. But an experienced
aeronaut can do much to avert such a
catastrophe by carefully drawing down
on the ropes running to the highest