The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-12-10

lation Preserved the Life of Professor
Hi Wind But For This the Reporter
Couldn't Tell This Interesting Yarn.
Wind was his name.
Hiram Wind, but he told The Sun
reporter that they called him Hi for
short
"For a long time,' said he, with a
half knavish smile, ~ didn't like the
abbreviation. but when l was 20 and !
took to ballooning as business it kind |
of sorter seemed as if Providence meant
that l should have had that name and |
no other. Professor Hi Wind" he add |
ed with pride, sis a name that is bound |
to soar through the loftiest realms of
space.
Ibid you never have an accident?"
inquired the reporter.
Several, but they have never been
the fault of the Wind.
The professor began to show signs of
succumbing to the pump.
"Of course" he admitted hesitat-
ingly, "a man can't walk the earth ev-
cry day without humping up against
something out of the ordinary occasion
ally, and the air is no exception. I've
had experiences that you might call
narrow escapes-that is you might, and
then again you mightn't. 1t would de-
pend on how you looked at things. Some
call 'em narrow and some don't. l
don't myself"
1t was plain that the professor under
stood that a good thing was a good
thing when he saw it.
Suppose you narrate one for my
sake, )" suggested the reporter, land let
me add my testimony to that of your
other admirers.
Thanks don't care if do" said
the professor, and there was that in the
tone which recalled the reporter to
mans highest duty to his fellow man.
After which, sitting at small table,
1.-The professor continued: II was out in
Indiana about four years ago. Indiana
is great state in the season, and had
made an ascent for the benefit of Sun
day school picnic to kind Of offset going
up on the Sunday before for a lager beer
sociable function. Mighty particular
pious these Sunday school people are
and everything was lovely. Ny balloon
was gas balloon, and she fairly kicked
up her heels while had her tethered,
and when she got away she seemed like
she was heading right for infinity and
was going the limit or bust ham
string.
II guess she must have gone up q
mile and half or two miles when |
felt something give way, and in min
ute CT two she began to go back the
other ,way-not fast, you understand,
but slow and sure, and in way to
make you feel mighty uncomfortable, l
; couldn't tell what the matter was, and
, after letting her drop to within about
half mile OF bottom l tossed out "a lit
tie of my ballast | was short on para
chutes that day, too as mine WAS out
Of whack. And being careless, thought
I'd take my chances. About this time l
began to wish hadn't, but didn't say
+ word for obvious reasons. When | let
; the ballast cut, tho balloon responded
only little, and the way she did it
convinced ne that something serious
was the matter. Dy this time | had TO
throw cut some more ballast, and it
wasn't a minute till there wasn't any
thing left i'll the basket besides myself
I and about 1000 feet of rope with a
= grapple on the end of it, -
t ''The balloon had begun to sink
again, and rapidly. Ard you may quo SIS
that this was time for man to Go
some pretty active thinking if he eX-
pected any good results from it, and
you may be assured was calculating.
Every instant now the balloon was
gathering velocity, the last movement
= downward having begun at a point
a about a quarter of mile from the
9 ground, and l knew that in few sec.
onds l was going to be "a shapeless mass
that couldn't even lie photographed foI
= IA newspaper unless something hap
= pened. There was only one thing to do,
5. and that was to relieve the balloon Of
Il its weight and send it back up again.
e The rope and were heavy enough tC
lessen the weight considerably if We
should get out, and proposed to do {
great act Getting a good hold on my
t. clasp knife, l waited for the now whizz
, ing earthward balloon to get within
= about | 900 feet of the ground. Then
with the rope tied around my waist Rnt
the other end fast to the balloon,
jumped out feet foremost straight fol-
e the earth. l knew that if the balloon
e remained stationary would just abou
reach the ground at the end of the rope
Out | figured on a good deal of reac
ton In fact, calculated the rise of III,
> balloon would about meet the fall o
Ie myself at such point as to make n!
q fall comparatively light, and then, whel
she began TO sink again, | would be 81
near the earth that before she got 4
y going at breakncck speed would h
/ close enough TO cut loose and lct mysel
r down easy. AS it turned out NIGH
have had leg broken CT been shaGol
up pretty badly, but luck was with me