The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-04-11
A PARACHUTE JUMP.
The Sensations Described by Man Who
Made the Descent.

| heights, and from which | was to make
my maiden leap with parachute. was
Juggling like thing of life at its moor
ings upon the broad lawn. | confess
that it was with some nervousness |
took my seat in the little car beside
Joseph Norcross, a skilled aeronaut,
who had from dizzy heights made many
and many a fight earthward through
the air. With this same balloon he
had during the past year safely made
siXty-seven ascensions to the realms
| beyond the clouds, and had each time
successfully descended with the para
chute. So why should fear?
Norcross smilingly welcomed me,
and as he gave the order to cast loose
the line and the men on the ground re-
leased the great aerial traveller, felt
myself afoat in little boat upon an
ether sea. There was no sudden Jolt
or jar about it, SO cleverly was the re-
lease effected. Putting my head over
the side of the ear, | looked below and
was surprised, for, apparently, we
were not ascending, but the great old
world, with all her glory of green and
gold, was dropping from us away down
into space looked in pleased amaze
ment upon the wonderful panorama
presented as the earth kept receding.
Norcross smiled.
Then | gazed upward at the great
bird-like balloon soaring triumphantly
on. and yet completely under the con-
troll of the brave aeronaut sitting calm
ly there with the valve-line in his
hand. Again | 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. Away in the north the
range of mountains looked like an en-
erald wall, while that dark blur of the
earth below was the thriving and pop
ulous county seat. We were far from
the world.
Suddenly we were in a cold. drizzlv
rain and the earth was shut from view.
| looked inquiringly at Norcross.
I'VE have entered the Clouds" was
his smiling explanation, land we are
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 a 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 here and
there could an object on its surface be
discerned Truly, we were getting
well up in the world.
The thought at once attracted my
serious attention to the balloon. Sup
pose it should spring 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 a little. The aero
naut surmised what was passing in my
mind, smiled genially and said:
Il have made a thousand ascensions
unframed"
From what height would you like
to leap?" calmly inquired Norcross.
Make it about one Thousand feet"
| replied, determinedly.
''All right" Norcross responded, as
he scanned the aerometer and prompt
ly pulled open the valve, preparatory
to descending.
Placing my hand out over the side of
the car the rush of cold air against my
down-turned palm indicated that we
were again swiftly journeying earth
ward. Soon we were enveloped in the
fog of the cloud bank for minute or
two, and then emerged with the dis
tant earth in view. The glance at it
from my perch there away up near the
clouds only increased my nervousness.
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
stroke Of paralysis, as it had done in
| the case of some other men.
"Twenty-tve hundred feet from here
to the ground, exclaimed the smiling
| Norcross Get ready
He then bound round my body under
the arms a stout rope, the other end of
which was secured to the trapeze bar
in my hand and which in turn was at
tached to the parachute that hung at
the bottom of the car.
1t was now rapidly approaching the
time when | should make the leap of
my life, and grasping the guy ropes of
the car, l stood upon the seat in readi-
ness, while Norcross gave me his final
instructions.
Leap as far out into the air as pos
sible and the tightening of the trapeze
line will release the parachute, which
will open its ffteen-foot spread in
second or two," he said; then all
you've got to do is to look up and hang
on"
Twelve hundred feet shouted
Norcross. frightened my grasp on the
trapeze bar, looked steadily upward
and awaited the word to leap. 1t was
the most trying time of my life, but |
was determined to make the jump.
Coz suddenly exclaimed the aero
naut. Closing my eyes l made great
leap out into space, and could feel my
self rapidly shooting downward Then
the trapeze line tautened with a slight
jerk that indicated the release of the
closed parachute, and l looked up just
in time to catch feeting glimpse of