New-York tribune., 1900-04-22
BALLOONING AS A CALLING
1T Is WE'LL PAID. AND NOT so DAN
GEROUs As SOME PEOPLE THINK.

naut. and the sign on the outside Of the build
ing. which is decorated with the picture ~ a
balloon, indicates that the place is in some way
connected with the balloon business.
The proprietor OF the establishments is "A yo1n,
who does not look his thirty years. but he
fas been an aeronaut sixteen years and thinks
that frequent trips into the good air far above
the earth may have kept him young
This is dun season ne said. but before
long / shall have about thirty at work in
various parts of the country where exhibitions
are given to draw crowds. Is it "a dangerous
business? No. The crowds at the fair grounds
at the Fourth of July celebrations. the land sales
and the picnics all think that work going
up into the air couple of thousand feet and
then dropping back to the earth. is dreadfuHy
dangerous trick, but the who do it think
nothing Of it. of course. a man must have
nerve and must have confidence in his para
chute; and then if ne keeps his wits about him
and keeps sober. the rest is easy. We get $50
for an ascension, $1Oo day when give a
weeks performances, and when We have
NOR h's stand the price is much lower, but the
pay is always good and besides this and the ex-
citement we have the satisfaction of being erea.
heroes in the towns where We show"
In corner of the room stood a canvas covered
roll about large in diameter as a Hour barrel
and a little higher. There's balloon" said the
in the trunk are the ropes life belts and al the
fxings requisite for initiating excep, What We
get on the spot. When We reach the fair grounds
or any place where expect 10 give an eXhbi-
/ tion. We build trench about eighteen feet long
two feet vice and three feet deep. and in this a
fire is made Of dry hardwood. The favcr.t- ma
teriaI is old barre slaves. When the hre has been
built the excavation is covered over with sheet
iron and two inches of earth then layer ot
planks soaked with water is put on. and this
a fna! coating of earth. This is all done 10 keep
the metal from getting too hot and sags.Us with
the weight of the people who stand on It 20 hold
the balloon while the hot air is going through
portable cylinder and into the balloon
when the balloon is fun it is about - feet
| high and 10 feet in circumference. II is made
of ordinary sheeting and viii carry a man to
the height Of one mile if the wind is favorable
II will remain up until the air cools off. usually
about two hours. While the hot air is going
into the balloon there is man on the inside
who has a wet cloth tied over his mouth and
ncstrfls 70 protect him against the smoke. II IS
his business To keep an eye on th- operation
and quench any stray spark that may get into
the balloon. When the word is given Everybody
let go" he must get where the ropes can't
catch him when the balloon shoots into the air.
/ If he is caught and does not retain his nerve
and drops ne may land in the basket with the
two aeronauts, or he may cause the death Of AL
three The show usually consists Of going up
about 2Ou0 feet and then making the jump
with a parachute
The parachutes hang at either side OF the bal
loon and are not great umbrellas, as many peo-
DIE believe them To be. but resemble more close
Iy the upper part of balloon, with a lot OF
ropes terminating in trapeze bar IL Is all
cloth and rope and has no ribs when expanded
it is about nineteen feet in diameter.
In speaking of the jump, the aeronaut said:
| when the earth has disappeared and when
| the sound of the music has died out one man
PULLS the parachute on his side into the basket,
/ gets on the bar. and swings himself off into
space and there he hangs for few seconds in
or above the clouds. Then he pulls rope which
causes a knife TO cut a string by which the
parachute is held. and then ne drops He falls
about three hundred feet before the rush Of air
opens the parachute, and when that happens
the resistance is so great that he rebounds about
forty feet That's the time to hold on. and keep
your teeth set and your wits about YOU After
the rebound the parachute goes down slowly IN
a zigZag way, and lands the aerOnaut with about
the same velocity though he had Jumped
down a distance Of six feet When the first man
has Jumped the lightened balloon shoots up a
the second man makes his jump He has the
better end of il, for his parachute has more
time TO fill, but he usually lands further away