The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-12
A FALL FROM THE CLOUDS.
SENSATION OF A BALLOONIST's
FIRST PARACHUTE JUMP.

Riding the Bag Boys Play, He Says.
BnIIOonists Who Made "A Fortune
by the Trick-The AerOnaut Whom
Sharks Ate-HOw IL Feels to Go
Up in a Balloon and Then jump.
From the New York Sun.
riding the bag is boys play now
adays," said the retired aeronaut, as he
tossed aside a batch of circulars explain
ing how easy and safe parachute jump
ing is in this age of mechanical achieve
ment and incidentally calling attention
to the extraordinarily low prices for
which aerial outfits were offered. 1T
wasn't so ten years ago.
Then a man made an ascent that was
an ascent. He didn't begin working the
lever the minute he got above the tree
tops and could just about make out where
to land. Instead he let the machine al
most reach the cloud line; then he let
loose and came down in full view of the
people for miles around. Such an ascen-
sion was worth while seeing and it was
well worth making.
parachute jumping is modern adj
iunct to the bollooning business. The re-
cords are silent as to the identity Of its
inventor, but it is not more than fourteen
or fifteen years since il was first attempt
ed. Hundreds and even thousands OF
dollars were paid in those days for a
single ride.
'sOut at Quincy, ILL.,, along in 1885 lived
two young fellows named Baldwin. BY
dint of long practice in the gymnasium
they became experts on the bar and
trapese. Both were daring athletes and
they turned their training and nerve 20
good account. They were among the hrst
to take up the new idea and gave ex-
hibitions of dropping from the clouds in
various parts of the world, including
Constantinople, Berlin, Vienna and Cal
cutta. They came home in 1890 with $780,
600 clear money To-day they are among
che substantial citizens of their home
town, owners of the baseball park and
proprietors Of big factory which turns
out everything needful for an aeronaut.
"Another of the pioneers was Prof. Van
TaseI. He taught his wife the business
and the pair Of them made big money
before competition cut prices to pieces
Van Tasel, by the way, Is dead now
About four years ago he went 10 the
Hawaiian lSldDus anu uldON lilt iii'N
cension ever witnessed in Honolulu. Un-
fortunately for him he dropped into the
Pacific Ocean and was eaten by sharks
before the eyes OF his wife, who had
come out In a tug boat for the purpose
OF picking him up.
II took my first lesson In riding the bag
from Van Tasel Il came about in a curl
Gus way. About eight years ago the I'm
ion Pacific Railroad began its attempt to
make the Great Salt Lake in Utah a
popular inland seaside resort. All sorts
Of attractions were offered Among them
were various sorts of outdoor perform
ances Of che kind made familiar by the
circus.
my partner and were doing trapeze
turn at the beach. One day as we sat at
lunch in a downtown restaurant my eye
fell upon a big three-sheet poster an
nouucing the first balloon ascension by
the great Van Tasel at Garfield Beach on
the following day. Parachute jumping
was little known in those days, and we
made merry over the impossibilty OF do
ing what was set forth on the poster
AT the next table sat man who SEEM
Cd nightly interested In our CONVERSE
ton. The bills set forth some immense
sum that was 90 be paid the famous
traveller OF the air and / remarked that
I would be perfectly willing to make the
trip for 800 The next day as we were
walking on the beach the man we had
seen in the restaurant approached and
began talking balloon. He asked II i
was prepared TO make good the offer Of
the day before. ! was decidedly taken
aback and began TO stammer a reply.
Then he explained that he was Van
Tasel and that he and his wife lived ~
San Francisco. The engagement had been
made BY telegraph and IN the hurry or
hacking HIS canvass the balloon used by
his wife had been substituted for his own.
you know that parachutea are Of dh-
ferent dimensions, graded according 10
the weight Of the performer. His wife
weighed l25. he weighed 10. and TO use
Ter outfit was out q the question. lie
eaid he was % get E.1fO for eight ss-
tensions ard 10 be could not get q gubsn.
tute be would have 20 throw up the con-
tract Be offered me $40 N ! would 50 Up
she Arst two days, by which time he 81.
peofed bis balloon would arrive
~ h = point o. honor With show DeO-
ole 10 make good their nffie blufg. ana
while I Wsa henitaflDa be kept showing at
me column after column ~ newapspef
ciiDpinea INTENDED ~ pfoye that there was
fof hinF aanFefoun ebggf 49, leap THe
Dbfiot ~ u gaa f1sf ! fooh him 20. ara
ftaf affefno0n 3 afeand myself in MI
preffieFf rag ~ Nghtr, 1ffcfmiuf1 ~ o.
lfauNfHIy, n n9f ifagey
- n 49, hsto F1DHp consisting ~ my
iUNarl niaFlFirR in py eyel - fIe orc.
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