The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-06-18
DROPPED 1000 FEET.
IT WAS HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH
A PARACHUTE.

Nervous, OF Course, bat He Had Conn.,
dencc In the Skilled Aersnaut-How
Tiings Appear to One Who IL Above
tho Clouds and looking Down.
The great balloon which was to bear mo
on my first journey up into the azure
heights and from which was to make my
maiden leap with a parachute was tugging
at Its moorings upon the broad lawn.
confess that IL was with some nervousness
took my seat In the little car beside Jo-
seph Norcross, a skilled aeronaut, who had
from dizzy heights made many and many
q flight earthward through tho air.
Norcross smilingly welcomed me, and as
no gave the order to cast loose the line and
the men on the ground released the great
aerial traveller felt myself afoat in a 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
the 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 gcld, 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 a
cold, q zzly rain, and the earth was shut
from view. / inqulringly looked at Nor
cross.
"We have entered the clouds" was his
smiling explanation, "and we are not yet
u mile high"
In five minutes we emerged into beautiful
sunshine. Beneath us lay n 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 1 caught glimpse Of IL far, far
below. So distant was IL that only here
and there could an object on It's surface be
discerned. Truly we were getting well up
in the world Die thought at once attract
ed my serious attention to tho balloon.
Suppose it should spring leak or collapse,
what would bo the fate of the daring sky
travellers, or, on the other hand If the
valve line failed TO operate, would we go
on upward foreyer9 The thought disturbed
me not little. The aeronaut surmised
what was passing in my mind, smiled gen
tally and said:
~ have made n thousand ascensions un-
harmed. From what height would you
like to leapf'
Make 1t about 1000 feet" replied
determincdly.
"All right" Norcross responded as he
scanned the aerometer and promptly pull
cd open che valve, preparatory to descend
ing
Placing my hand out over the side of
the car, the rush of cold air against my
-de~HtiHhea palm Indicated Hiatt We were
again swiftly journeying earthward. Soon
we were envcloped in the fog Of the cloud
bank for "A minute or two, and then emerg-
cd with the distant earth in view. The
glance at il from my perch there away up
near the clouds only increased my nerv-
business.
Look upl Look up" exclaimed the
aoronaut, "or you'll lose your nerve"
A glance downward when descending
with the parachute might, I knew, turn
my hair white or bring on n stroke Of par