The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-15

A Remarkable Georgia Story or IN In
willing Ascension by Balloon.

Prom the Atlanta constitutions
ROME Ca, Nov. 7.-Wil Whitfield. a brick
layer, Is q record breaker when 1t comes to
amateur ballooninR. He has made one of the
most thrilling and perilous triLs skyward ever
made by mortal man. Il was a bright and
cloudless afternoon when Prof. McSheen's
ball,o on ascension and parachute leap were to
come of. and the affair had been SO extensive
ly advertised that a vast crowd had assembled
In Birmingham to witness the great event.
Young Whitfield. rather awkwa-d and boyi-h,
was among the siRhtseerr. and helped to ad lust
and steady the ropes that confined the airship
to the earth. He lie about % We RS OF aye. and
is over six feet high. tall and gaunt. with u
far share of wit in his makeup.
When the ball on was sufficiently inflated
and tho gearing of the parachute properly ar
ranged. the order came to let go. and as 1t shot
upward a wild cry of horror vent out from the
spectators. Strong men Ct oaned and women
tainted. Dangling by a three-eighths-inch
rope attached to the balloon was the dimln-
ishing form of WnItheld. whirling around rs
the balloon swayed. head downward. hanging
by one foot between the balloon and the up
pended parachute.
II must have been standing with my right
foot in a moose in the end of the rope" said
Whitfield. IN speaking of the experience. AT
any rate, as the balloon shot up the loop
caught around nv ankle. and so quickly was
1t done that ! was jerked clear Of the ground
tripped. The balloon must have shot d.
rectly upward; as We were carried safely he
r p"iss w ies W'r renchinr them hsaHorN OF telegraph
~ must have been Il thousand feet from the
earth when. ! recovered consciousness. You
see. the sudden ierS took ny breath away. and
the ascent was so rapid that | was high in the
air before realNH d what had happened.
Fap N XCa ND il took mt some fImp IN lpcafa
the speaker. From my position | could catch
glimpses Of the houses and fields nv ay down
below me. and IL made me deathly sick ms /
took In tha situation. My body was twtrlinv
around and around. and the air rushed past
ankle was agnnizing. AT last l observed the
parachute about ten feet below me and recog-
nized the voice as that OF Prof. McSheen. in
"Graduaiiy overcame the confused feeling
sufficiently TO conn rehend what be was say
ing to me. He molionrd TO a rop" that hung
down from the balloon within nv reach. and
at last reached out my hnnu and grasped IL.
He told me 70 climb up anu get IN the nest OF
and to fix myself FIRMLY there. where | would
be perfectly safe.
my life. Prof. McSheen kent telling me over
and over, without hetraying the least excite
ment In voice or E"s yed ,na now sI 70 I,ian nag An, and
fully | pulled myself up. straining with al my
III .ght To get my head above my heels, and after
ceeded. Then. with the small er ass cord cut
ting nto the flesh Of my han Is. and feeling
ike IL was a red hot rod OF iron. began to pull
myself up little by LITTLE. as | had no 'purchase'
until / reached the point where the ropes
sit required all my strength to get my feet
astraddle of the crossed ropes. and was
ready 10 faint with cxhau:tion when l re-
Taxed my hold on the rope aud rested my weight
IN the network just under the car. did not
know how high we were at ne time. but Prof.
NJ Sheen told me AFTER ward that No were at
least q, 900 feet above the earth.
About the time got myself firmly fixed In
my seal / heard him calling mo ags.n. He
was telling me that he WAS sOinL To cut loose
the parachute, and i|r me not To grow alarmed
utes the balloon suddenly shot upward at a
fearful rate, and looking down. | saw the para
chute sailing off and descending like a big
bird. | clulched the ropes ,Still more firmly,
and soon realized that the balloon was drawing
""prof. McSheen had found that our com
bined weight was too much for the balloon.
and that we were In danger of being dragged
10 death. 81 he had parted company with me
and reached the ground in safety. Lower
and 10 Her the balloon drifted. until il reached
The outskirts II. tie town, when the trailing
ropes were caught by the people below. and IL
was brought TO a sthndstul.
You never heard such "A cheer in all your
life as those people set up as touched the
and huI ged me as though ! had heen their near
est and dearest relative. lhey helped me I'M
angle myself. and 'arried me up town on their
shoulders. / was n'ver made so much OF in
but lived about y hundred years on that
trip, and ali the money in the world would not
tempt me 10 repeat IL. l hardly 70 now,
when I = ink about II, how ever managed 10
done. or had ever intended 10 do while | was
hanging head downward hy that little rope
that was burning into my flesh, and which has
left mark which l shall carry 70 my grave"