The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-20

This is the time of year when the
spangled balloon flyer and parachute
Jumper is up in the air. At least if he
is not up in the air he is down in the
woods dangling among the trees, or ly-
ing In a watery grave at the bottom OF
some lake. He is a daring and spectacu-
lar fellow. Some persons would call him
foolhardy. But he has his living to
make and this is his harvest time. It
is the time when he goes up and down
the country in more senses than one,
giving exhibitions of wonderful intrepid
fly in midair, for the special dedication
Of pleasure seeking crowds at country
fairs summer assemblies, mass meetings,
faternaI picnics and popular gatherings
Of various kinds. If he goes through
the season and escapes with his life, he
may consider himself lucky, says the
Chicago Times Herald.
Often the parachute Jumper is billed
as marvellous and thrilling free feature
In the lire of stellar attractions to draw
curious people and their dimes to the
noisy little circuses and tent shows that
go stroHfng through the rural regions
or meapdering about the outskirts of big
cities on circuit of one-day stands.
Having seen him pictured on the hand
bills hanging or floating in midair with
his balloon and parachute, people flock
10 see his aerial gymnastics, fearing
that he may be killed, and that they will
be so unfortunate as to miss the grew
some sight.
He is in the same class with the slack
wire performer in tights, who walks to
the top of the center-pole, outside the
tent, before the performance begins in
side. He is greater drawing card than
the free street parade, with the funny
crown in the pony cart and the musical
caIliope at the end Of the procession.
His brilliancy entirely eclipses that of
the strong man, described either as a
Sampson or a Sandow, who rides in a
gided chariot all by himself, with barred
arms and chest, to show off his enor-
nous muscles and Atias-like proper
tons. His salary is guaSed accordingly.
He takes great risks and demands big
pay Sometimes he receives $l00 or more
for single performance or aerial flight.
1t IS a perilous business he follows. me
times the parachute jumper is engaged
for an entire season by the big excursion
steamers plying on the great lakes. His
spectacular feats go to swell the pa
tronage derived from that class of pleas
ure seekers who are aquatic in their
predictions. He makes his ascents
from the upper deck, amid salvos of
applause, and is watched with the keen
est interest and excitement until he
comes down kerplunk in the water. It
Is perhaps more agreeable to drop into
the water than to fall on a housetop
or get tangled up in a tree, but even in
the aquatic work there is a great danger
for If the performer is not an expert
swimmer, drowning is almost csrta NJ to
be his fate before his engagement ends.
1t is the rule to send a crew of rescuers
in a boat to follow his aerial fight as
closely as possible and pick him up as
soon as he can be reached.
ONE AERONAUT BROWNS.
The other day, at Cory, Pa, Frank
Reynolds, an amateur aeronaut and para
chute Jumper, whose ambition it was to
win money and fame in this perilous
business, lost his life because he could
not SWIM He had never dropped from
dizzy heights with a parachute, but his
opportunity for thrilling exhibition
came when he was engaged as an at
traction for a summer assembly at
FindIay's lake, fifteen miles from Cor
ry,
On the afternoon of July 81, in the
presence of a large crowd, the young
man made his ascension. He soaked
skyward to the height of 5000 feet. He
struck a current of air which carried
his balloon out over the lake. In the
great crowd which watched Reynolds
as he swung loose from the trapeze
bar of the balloon and opened his
parachute to drop, was his young wife,
who realized the peril to which he was
at that moment exposed, and who sud
denly startled everybody by crying out
in q frenzy Of terror: He can't swim
and he will drownF' Down, down came
the young husband, unconscious, proba-
bly,, Of the danger which threatened him
from below. Boats ware quickly manned
and put out in response to the alarm,
but Reynolds struck the water where
there is a depth of ninety feet, threw
up his hands and sunk like a st3na, while
the nearest rescuing crew was 200 feet