Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-11-07

Wind was his name.
Hiram Wind. but he told The sun
reporter that they called him III for
short.
For long time. " said be-, with a
half knavish smile. II didn't like tho
abhrcviation. but when I was 20 and
took 10 ballooninR ~ business u kind
81 sortor seemed ~ II Providence meant
that l should have had that name and
no other Professor HI Wind. " he add.
cd with pride, 'is n name that IL bound
to soar through the Hottest realms u
space.
Did you mover have an accidontp"
inquired tho reporter.
Several. but they have never becu
tho fault IT the Wind. A"
Tho professor began TO show signs u
surrounding TO the pump.
'Of COURSE he admitted hcsitat.
ingly. "a man can't walk the earth ey.
cry day wiihouf humping up against
something out Of the ordinary occasion.
ally and the mir j. no exception. I've
had experiences that you might call
narrow cscapCs--that j. you might. and
then again you miRhin't IL would de-.
pond on how you looked at things. Some
call 'om narrow and some don't /
don't myself
II wa. plain that the professor under.
stood that a good thing was - good
thing when no saw H.
Suppose you nnrato ono for my
sake, " suggested tho reporter. "and let
me ndd my testimony 20 that Of your
other admirers
Thanks don't care " do, " said
tho professor. and there was that Ia the
tone which recalled the reporter to
mans highest duty to his fellow man.
After which, sitting nj small table,
the professor continues ~ was out In
Indiana about four years ago. Indiana
Il great state In the season, and had
made an ascent for the benefit Of a Sun.
day school picnic 10 kind of offset going
~ on the Sunday before for lager beer
suciablo function Mighty particular
pious thc-o Sunday school people are.
aud everything was lovely. My balloon
was Rns balloon, and she fairly kicked
up her heels while had her tothcrcd.
aud when sho got away she seemed like
she was heading right for innnity aud
was going tho limit or bust ham.
string.
Il guess fho must have gone up u
milo and half or two miles when I
felt something give way, and In min.
uto on two sho began to go back tho
other way-not fast, you understand,
but slow and suTr. and In n way TO
mako you fcul mighty uncomfortable. I
couldn't toll what tho matter was. and
after letting her drop 20 within about
half u mile Of bottom | tossed out a III.
tie OF my ballast was short ON para.
chutcs that day. too. as mine was ous
otwhack. Aud being careless, l thought
ia take my chances. About this time l
began 20 wish hadn't, but didn't say
. word for obvious reasons. when lot
the ballast out, the balloon responded
only little. and the way sho did II
convinced mo that something serious
was tho matter. by this timo had TO
throw out some more ballast. and IL
wasn't minute till there wasn't any.
thing left In tho basket besides myself
and about 1000 feet Of rope with
grapplo On tho end Of It. "
Tho balloon had begun 10 sink
again. and rapidly. And you may guess
that this was time for a man 20 do
some pretty active thinking II he *.
pcctod any good results from H. aud
you may DO assured was calculating.
Every instant now tho balloon was
gathering velocity, tho last movement
downward having begun ut point
about a quarter Of milo from the
ground. and | know that In "a few SEQ.
onds was going to b. shapolcss mass
that couldn't even DO photographed for
u newspaper unless something hap.
pcnod. There was only ono thing 10 do,
and that was 20 relieve the balloon Of
its weight and send II back up again.
Tho topo and wore heavy enough to
lessen tho weight considerably II we
should get out, and proposed to do
great net Getting good hold ON my
clasp knife, | waited for tho now whi11.
ing earthward balloon to got within
about 1000 feet Of the ground. Then,
with tho rope tied around my waist and
tho other end fast to tho balloon, |
jumped out feet foremost straight for
the earth. knew that II the balloon
remained stationary would just about
reach tho ground Mt the end OF the rope,
but figured on good deal Of roac.
tion. In fact, lcaloulated tho rise Of tho
balloon would about meet the fall of
myself at such point as 10 make my
fall comparatively light, and thon, when
she began TO sink again, would be 10
near tho earth that before she got TO
going at bruaknock speed would b.
close enough 20 cut loose and let myself
down easy As 10 turned out, might
have had - leg broken or been shaken
up pretty badly, but luck was with me-
when / cut loose, | dropped about 20
ieot and Tic square on top Of big straw
stack where sumo mru were thrashlng
A. for tho balloon, she was ~ nearly
exhausted and was coming down 20 fast
that tho loss, Of my weight only gave
her strength enough 70 10 o couple Of
hundred yards across the field aud drop
into q pond So you see, " concluded
Professor Wind, that little presence
OF mind Is valuable even 10 take up ~
balloon with a man, for II had not
had it and had not used II AT the end Of
that piece Of rope would not now bo
hero telling this story toyou. OF course
u was not ~ serious a mishap as have