The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-02
UP in A BALLOON.
Sensations Described by n Man Who
Does the Parachute Act.
Buffalo Courier.

Does the Parachute Act.
Buffalo Courier.
THE sensation of going up in balloon,
said Edward Baltz, lis rather peculiar, and
different from what most people ina CINE
it to be- for instead of experiencing the SEN
sation of being dragged through space, you
feel that you stationary and that the
earth itself is falling away from you. The
earth appears to be floating, the atmos-
phere becomes lighter and more exhilarat-
ing, the trees and other objects rapidly be-
come mere specks; but about that time 1
haven't got much time to take close OBJ
ServatiOnS of what the inhabitants of the
earth are doing. or what they look like at
long range. My sole thoughts then are
upon my balloon, parachute, and how to
get back upon the earth without getting
injured or killed. For the first five hundred
thousand feet up / imagine the as
cent must be at a velocity equal to mile
or two minute. My first parachute drop
was in Kentucky, in 1885, within a few
weeks after Baldwin tried it successfully.
1 was then travelling with circus. When
l a mere lad, attending old public
school No. Is, Oak street, near Genesee
street. when Messrs Mead and Willis were
in charge there. / used to practice aero
battles on a horizontal bar, and 1 was also
a member of the Buffalo Turn Veren.
Il am thoroughly at home on the trapeze,
and for a time L performing partner
with Tom Jewell, of Springfield. ILL.,, and
we were known as the Jewell brothers
You know Baldwin attaches his parachute
to the top side of his balloon, a very
complicated hazardous and uncertain
thing to do, but Tom Jewell devised the
method 1 use, of attaching the parachute
-, ~, h.l
loon. BY simply releasing a rope / sever
my connection with the balloon and avoid
all danger of the parachute becoming en-
tangled in the balloon ropes.
II have made over eight hundred, yes
more than nine hundred balloon ascen-
sions and parachute descents. -Four years
ago / performed at the Parade House and
it was at Eldorado, on Niagara river; a
lance. without much injury ''''
"One of the liveliest adventures / ever
had at Carolina Beach about fifteen
ago. There a good breeze blowing up
above and after ! was up about a mile
my balloon drifted out over the ocean. l
fell into the ocean with my parachute,
about a mile off the shore. near the fish
ing banks Fortunately am a good swim
mer, and as the sea was calm | managed
to swim ashore. Some men came to my
rescue in boat. and l sent them after my
balloon and parachute, which were drift
ing out to AS a reward for my act
not down on the programme-the manag-
ers at the Beach gave me a gold watch.
medal. In 1885, at the Piedmont exposition
when Governor Hill spoke to the Southern
dark. for Pain, of New York. carrying fire
works up into the sky and setting them
off away above the earth. i guess ! was
the first one to attempt that sort of
display. The fireworks were attached to
the trapeze and | ignited them with g.
lighted cigar. which carr ,eC.
oh don't know that it requires much
nerve to drop with parachute he said.
smiling, but it does require cool head
81 n n l.0r of "a rail-
ties have occurred which in my judgment
were due to carelessness and lack of judg
ment. Two years ago at Franklnville.
when a woman dropped mile from
her parachute. imagine that she suffered
known to acrobats She held on to her
trapeze too long. and when she got mus
cular cramp. why her hands simply opened
and she fell to the earth. 1t was terrible
thing. a dead drop of about a mile but in
my opinion she was unconscious before she
struck. from the fact that her body turned
around several times. Some parachutists
take drink of whisky or wine to steady
their nerves just before they go up. but
J never do, nor do | take any stimulants
of any kind for several hours before max
ing trip; ] attribute a number of acct
fore going up. ] have trained a number
of parachutists. and a few weeks ago AT
lake, sent man up for the first time.
but / never send any one up without a
safety line, although 1 haven't used one
myself Tor a long time, as L can do any
trapeZe work so we'll with it, While i was
at Celoron | had little mishap which
came near ending my career. j was up
over the lake and my parachute came
down over the water. not great distance
from the shore. About ten feet above the
water ] left my seat the trapeZe bar
! on the descending parachute. and jumped
into the lake. The water was not much
over my head. but / stuck in the mud at
the bottom of the lake, and had desper-
| ate struggle for my life. / nearly
| gone before help reached me, in trying
| to extricate myself from the mud / swat
| lowed a great deal of water, and was pref
| ty well exhausted. L thought my time had
| surely come.
| How does it feel to drop through space
! a mile above terra firma? Well. ask any
| man who has fallen from a height Gf
| seventy-five $50 feet and escaped and
/ he can tell you little about Ii, although
| his chances of escaping injury or dea, h
are much less than mine. because when /
| deliberately drop from the security of the
/ balloon. there is dead fall of from sew
| enty-ftVe to $50 feet more--it is hard to
estimate it accura tely-but / have not the
! terror of person falling from a steepe
/ or precipice. because l have confidence in
| firmly seated on the trapeZe bar and my
arms are stretched out. my hands firmly
grasping the ring above. Then ! release
I the cord. and away ! go towards the earth
| at a frightful pace. but 1t gradually but
quickly lesGcns TIL the parachute is wide
| spread, and then the downward speed is
/ rapid but regular, and the sensation OF
] falling is lost. parachute like mine,
| which is about fifteen feet in diameter.
reaches the earth al speed equal to that
| of jump of three feet For instance.
! stand table and jump TO the floor.
! and then you'll know the rate of speed
acquire in getting back To land. In land
ing. | can best liken II 10 the feat Of
jumping from a car going ~ moderate
rate OF speed. You've got 70 be lively on
your feet. or you'll go rolling over and