Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-03
A MARROW ESCAPE.
Perflous Ride Of an Aeronaut Alone
with b Madfnah.

Perilous Ride Of an Aeronaut Alone
With h MadmaA.
Monsieur GODDARD, a noted French aero
naut, now visiting New York. was recently
relating to party Of friends. among them
writer for The Star, SOME Of his expe-
riences while up in balloon.
1.-THE most exciting and In many respects
most perilcus ascension ever made" said
NJ. GODDARD. occurred about five years ago
from a point near Paris. On the occasion
to which I refer I was accompanied by a
single fellow traveller, who had paid me
loo francs for the privilege of a place by
my Side. Tie weather was fine and the
balloon had risen to a considerable height
when l turf ed to my companion, who l
noticed was very quiet, and inquired: What
effect has the journey had so far upon you,
h.onsieur?
g" None whatever was the curt reply.
Then said /, I must compliment you.
You are the first amateur l have ever
known to reach this altitude without ex-
periencng some unusual emotion
wish you'd go higher said the anna
teur cooiy.
I'm response to this request 1 threw out
some ballast and the balloon shot up some
sixty yards higher.
Now, how do you feel?' asked.
Just the same replied my companion.
in rather petulant tone.
oy JONe! exclaimed, after ElanC1nR
with surprise at the stolid, Indifferent ex-
preston OF my guests face, you are a
wonder, born aeronaut, monsieur
We'll, the balloon kept on rising, and
when a few hundred yards higher l again
turned to my phlegmatic friend and ques-
toned him as to his emotions.
Emotions! Not trace of emotions re-
Piled he, with the air of q man who feels
that he has been greatly imposed upon.
Well, so much the worse said 1. I
fear l shall not be able to alarm you; we
nave risen high enough, and we shall now
descend.
Descend: repeated the man, glaring at
me with a strange, wild glare in his eyes,
which l had not noticed before.
Yes. certainly it would be dangerous
to go any higher
i don't care about the danger, and
don't choose to descend declared the man.
l m going up higher, l am. I've paid q
thousand francs in order to experience
some emotions, and emotions I'll have be-
fore going down TO the earth again
Il burst out laughing; thought the man
was joking.
Are you going up higher, or notr asked
my companion. at the same time grasping
me with an iron grip by the throat and
shaking me violently. I intend to have
my emotions
1t was only now continued NJ GODDARD,
that l realized that l was in the society
or mailman. The dilated eyes, the fur
lous grasp, the very tone OF the mans
voice left no doubt In my mind about that.
But what was to be done? We were some
,'"Jo ieet nigh among the clouds; struggle
was out OF the question. as one violent mo-
ton OF the mailman would be enough to
upset the car. All these thoughts flashed
through my mind in less than a second
My advel sary was a powerfully built man,
anu, without losing his grasp, he called
out: All. my fine fellow, you have been
playing the fool with me. You have made
me pay 1000 francs and not given me a
single emotion
=" But what would you have me dor I
asked. as calmly and soothingly as 1 could
urder the circumstances.
m going to throw you over said the
mailman, with wild laugh. But first an
idea strikes me: IN go up to the top Of the
balloon and suiting the action to the
word, he jumped into the rigging of the
car.
But my dear friend said I. you will
surely fall and lose your life. At least let
me put rope around your waist to pre-
vent such an accident
Well be it so,' said the mailman, who
seemed to see the necessity of some pre-
caution; and the rope having been attached
he commenced climbing the rigging of the
balloon with the agility of squirrel. and
In minute or so was seated on the apex
clapping Lis hands and shouting with JOY.
Suddenly ne seemed to be seized with a
mischievous desire, for, taking out of his
pocket huge clasp knife, he brandished
it above his head and yelled out: Now. you
rascal! You wanted to descend, did you?
% you small, III ana D61Ore i
could utter word two out of the six ropes
attaching the car to the balloon were cut,
and the car began to swing about ominous-
ly. The madman's knife was touching
another rope when / called out to him:
Stop, one word
No, no: down you CO. st5
But let me tell you something, my
friend: we are now nearly 1000 feet high,
and the loss Of the car, or even a single
pound of ballast it contains. would result
in certain death to You. II you have
secret grudge against me don't sacrifice
your own life by cutting the car loose or
casting me out. Let us rather return to
the earth alive and we can soon settle any
differences We may have with brace Of
pistols
Agreed! said the mailman throwing
his knife away, and coming rapidly down
The rigging from his dangerous perch, he
again took his seat quietly beside me in
the car. Needless TO say / soon pulled the
valve. allowing the gas to slowly escape,
and the balloon gradually descended to
the earth, where. after the mailman had
gone in search of pistols, l said a solemn
prayer and vowed never to make another
ascension with man possessed Of cray-
Ing to experience the sensations Of bal
looming in high attitudes"
m