The times., 1898-07-10
ALL SORTS OF ,scAPEs.
The Periis of "A nafioenist by Air,
Water, Earth ard Trees.

Prof Leo Stevens the athletic little
balloonist who makes thiSiast daring as
cension and parachute drop at Glen Echo
today. at the age of ffhwenty-three knows
more about the ups and downs of life
than the average mau-does at three score
and ten. and his tales OF narrow 'scapes
by field, flood and sky wsud fill a book
Indeed they do fill Iarge-slzed scrap
book. for his adventures have been CO.
piously chronicled by the press through
out the United States ana Canada where
he has been public performer for the
past half dozen years.
In the Summer of 1892 he began his ca
reer as an aeronaut. which has carried
him all over the country, principally by
AIRLINE. Last Wednesday evening. after
making one OF the best ascents of the
week at the Glen, he came down into the
river just above the Little Falls. and next
day landed on a fence on the Miles es-
tate and scraped his arm. But he counts
these nishaps as mere tri1es compared
with the serious accidents he has suffer
ed or more often narrowly escaped On
July T. 1894. while making an ascent from
Portland, Me, he was carried out to sea
far away from the craft assigned to res
cue him in case of such an accident. He
was in the water five hours before he
was picked up, and as his balloon sank
soon after being saturated with water,
he owed his life to a life preserver which
he fortunately had with him. Since then.
if there Is only pond in the neighborhood
Stevens always carries a life preserver
with him. This same year he made his
famous trip from Bridgeport. Conn, 10
New York City, landing on the roof of
tall tenement house ana to further prove
his ability to navigate the air. he after
wards performed the remarkable feat of
sailing from New York 10 Cincinnati.
This feat won a page In the Scientific
American. while the press of foreign
| countries commented upon 1t freely.
/ One of the most thrilling of his adven-
| lures was at Niagara Falls. where he
| took part in the celebration of the open
| ing Of the new steel arch bridge over
! the chasm. His first days ascent was so
successful that he became over-ambi-
/ tious. and, in order to so still higher, he
! filed his balloon TO its utmost capacity.
/ When he reached the upper strata, where
the atmospheric pressure is considerably
less, the balloon burst and began 10
descend rapidly. For a minute or so II
| looked as if his end was certain, and
people only speculated on whether he
would lose his life in the whlripools ol
Niagara or be dashed to pieces on the
rocks. But, with rare presence of mind
Stevens managed to unfasten his para
chute from the wrecked balloon, and, al
though the leap was made closer to eartl
than he would choose again for comfort
he managed to get down to terra firm;
safe and uninjured. But perhaps tn
most trying experience of his career wa
the time he, with his brother. Frank
and Charles LeStrange. his partner, nov
with him at Glen Echo, were carried ou
to sea and reported lost. "A pilot boat OF
Sandy Hook saw an immense balloon fal
into the ocean. but could discover n
aeronauts 1t developed that the Steven
brothers and their partner had been try
ing new airship, and. as they did no
return. it was supposed that they ha
been lost The New York papers wer
filled with pictures of the balloon an
, sketches of the lostt areonauts but in tn
course of week they bpbbed UP serenel
at Norfolk. When they found their air
ship failing them they had taken to thei
. new-style parachute, with basket attach
ed and dropped into the water. wher
they were picked UP by an ice schoone
bound south, and landed at Norfoll
Stevens is a hard-headed business MAI
, as we'll as a daring balloonist. and
at the head of company which mani
features airships and supplies aeronaut
for all occasions. He has on file in tn
War Department bids TO supply the sis
nal corps with war balloons for use
| Cuba.