The Portland daily press., 1899-05-25
MYSTERY OF A BALLOON.
Fate ola Man who Went Up ON the
Toss ofa Coin.

| IN. Y. SUM-
The balloon scene In play running In
this city prompted man who witnessed
1t to tell the following experience:
81 came very near being thrown out OF
balloon once myself. Did you ever
hear of Wash Donaldsons He was the
balloonist for the Barnum and Bailey
snow more than twenty years ago.
Donaldson was an athlete. He was Of
perfect physique and had . face which
made women crazy. He was q man of
travel and a captivating talker. He was
the hero Of more than hundred trips to
the skies The ascensions took place
just before the afternoon performance.
He opened the season In the summer OF
rs on the lake front In Chicago. l was
invited to go up with him. There were
three others. The basket party consisted
of four persons. Donaldson took his place
on the bar between the basket and the
| neck Of the balloon. The day was hot.
Donaldson was In his shirt sleeves. Part
of the time he was bareheaded. The day
was perfect. As we took our flight and
sailed out over the lake, reaching an alti-
tude Of nearly mile. the intrepid pilot.
looking down upon his passengers, chat
tod about his travels and experiences
while the airship above turned slowly and
at times seemed to stand still.
"This, my first ascension, was acciden-
tai. The arrangement for my trip was
for the second day. But two other per-
sons, also invited to go up on the second
dav annaarad m the first day and asked
| to make the ascension then. This occas-
,oned a narlev II WAS settled by the toss
:, .,,,, a., .h,s mon Tba two who
Oh coin. ny shis WON NO wv "Ao
Il st then threw Tor the ascension next
day. for Donaldson had said that sitter
tho arst ascension he would take only one
'ne Aie' "'0'A' ''o
person.
"This first ascension was without inci-
dent save for the novelty OF 1t to those
go - h.,ouo no., nm In tba air
who hau nov', DoAoAe W -.
The sh IT ianueo arou' "here 'he Auoi-
| torium Hotel now stands. After we had
,of, ,ha baslst 7 vent with Donaldsop 70
,ei' Va. - -. H.. ,n
MS hotei anu oiueu WIN NM. ~ woman
at the table. Que OF the profession, was
DonaId son,s affianced bride. She had be-
,nta,,a,.d With nonaldson and
com U ihia'uo'ou "ion Do"i'o' '-N
became . circus woman. iney were u
lave been married at the close of that
| ,...or n. had nrow,sad her tn make no
e0"e'A'
more "scensiohs "i0er '"eir
81 asked him what he would do II, In
an asce nsion with only one person 1t be-
came necessary in order to escape In safety
| to unload the basket. He said, In mat
ter OF act way, that the iaw ,S 2, ss' It.
| was on earth.
Would you throw man out oil tine
| basket OF your balloon| asked the woman
to whom the possibility OF such thing
had occurred, apparently, for the FIRST
| time. Donaldson rsplied that ne would
be justified in such an act, where MIS- own
life was involved. and he told me after
ward that he had consulted well-known
| criminal lawyer In New YORK on tnal
very question, and that the information
was in accordance with what he had SAID
| in reply to the woman.
"The next day l " emit to the grounds
| to see Donaldson make his second ascen-
sion of that engagement. The SKY was
threatening. The lake was sea OF white
caps. storm came up out of the south
west. The two men who had tossed with
me the day before were at the SIDE OF tne
basket. The younger, who had won the
toss for the second ascension, was mere
lad from an interior town OF iilhols.
His name was Grlmwood. The other was
Scotchman. He wanted the younger
man to toss over again, but the young
man replied by quoting the old adage
about bird in the hand. donaldson
said to me, In an aside:
81 hate to take that boy today, for
this balloon. which is not the one we had
yesterday, is patched and not as safe as
the other. How would you like to take
his placer
81 do not know what my answer might
have been. There was no occasion to re-
ply, for the young man, evidently afraid
| he might lose his place. had jumped into
the basket before could speak. Know
| ing Donaldson as l did, with faith in his
| courage and admiring his intrepidity,
| think should have gone with him In his
second flight
donaldson followed Grimwood and