Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1897-09-02
E L OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.
Perilous Ride of an Aeronaut In His Bal
loon With q Madman-Unpleasant Ex-
perienee of q Maine WoDdsman, Who
Was Chained to.a Mad Bear, Etc.

loon With q NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Ell
perienee of q Maine wood&man, Whd
Was Chained to.a Mad Bear, Etc
Monsieur GODDARD, noted Frencls
aeronaut, now visiting New York, wal
recently relating TO a party Of friends
among them a writer for the Washing |
ton Star, some Of his experiences Will.
up IN a balloon. !.
The most exciting and IN many re
epects most perllous ascension / eyes.
made said VI. GODDARD, occurred
about five years ago from a point neaN
Paris. On the occasion TO which / re
fer ! "a accompanied by a single fell
low traveller, who had paid me 1000
francs for the privilege of a place b,
lay side. The weather was fine AMI
the balloon had risen 10 a considerable
height when turned TO my com
panion, who I noticed was very quiet
and inquired: What effect has tn.
journey had 50 far upon you, nor
%sieur:'
"'None whatever was the curt re-
ply.
Then said I, 4 must compli-
ment You. You are the first amateur
! have ever known TO reach this alti-
tude without experiencing some I'M
usual condition.
Il wish you'd 60 higher, said the
amateur %coollv.
In response 70 this request l threw
ont some ballast and the balloon shot
up some sixty yards higher.
Now, how DO You feel?' I asked.
"'Just the same, replied my com
panlon, III "a rather petulant tone.
By Jove' | exclaimed, after glanc-
ing with surprise at the stolid, indiffer-
ent expression Of my guests face, you
are "a wonder. a born aeronaut, mon
sleur.'
well, the balloon kept on rising.
and when Il few hundred yards highe,
/ again turned to my phlegmatic frient
and questioned him as to his emo
tions.
""Emotions, Not a trace of emo
tons, replied lie, with the air Of
manwho feels that he has been great,
imposed upon.
Well, so much the worse said I
1 fear | shall not be able to alarm
YOU; We have risen high enough, an(
We shall now descend.
'Descendn repeated the man
glaring at me with aNstrange, wild
glare in his eyes, which / had not no
tlced before.
Yes, certainly; it would be dan
gerous to 90 any higher
- don't care about the danger
and | don't choose to descend de
clared the nan I'm going up high
er, | am. I've paid a thousand francs
IN order to experience some emotions,
and emotions I'll have before going
down to the earth again
Il burst out laughing; 1 thought
the man vas joking.
*Are you going up higher, or not?
asked my companion, at the same time
grasplng me with an iron grip by the
throat and shaking me violently. =
intend to have my emotions
1t was only now continued NJ
GODDARD, that | realized that l was il
the society Of a mailman. The dilatet
eyes, the furious grasp, the very tone
OF the man voice left no doubt in m,
mind about that. But what was to b.
0one? We We're some 1000 feet higl
among the clouds; a struggle was on
OF the question, as one violent motion
OF the mailman would be enough tt
upset the car. All these thought:
flashed through my mind III less thar
a second. My adversary was a power
fully built man, and, without losln.
his grasp, he called out: All, my TN,
fellow, you have been playing the foo
with lne You have made me pa
1000 francs and not given me a singh
emotion.
But what would YOU have III,
do: | asked. as calmly and soothingl,
as could under the circumstances
II g4lng to throw Won over,
sail the nladman, with a wild laugh
But first an idea strikes me: Ill e
up I" the top Of the balloon. and suit
lhg the action 10 the word, he iumpe,
INTO the rigging Of the ear.
. But, my dear friend. said I, 'yo,
Will surely tall and lose Your life. 4
{ least letAle put 4 rope around YOU
waist u prevent ~Uth an accident.
Well, he Il 50, said the mailman
: who seemed t. see the necessitv {
some pretantion; AMI the rope havini
been attached he commenced climbin
the Rigging Of the balloon with III
agility q q squirrel. aud in a minut
or = vas seated on the apex clappin
L. I