The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1901-04-20

w Lille 0sUUUE uOIElHSu spectators SaZeu
helplessly on, Professor 3. Z. Stafford
and Mrs. Stafford, aeronauts, were
placed in imminent peril three thou
sand feet above the earth and were
only saved from a fearful death by
an accidental chance little short of
miraculous. The incident occurred on
the second day Of the Nashua fair. No
New England fair would be complete
without a balloon ascension, and Pro-
fessor and Mrs. Stafford had been
hired to give the rural visitors an en-
tertainment consisting of ascending
and parachute jumping calculated to
produce a surfeit of thrills. There is
no doubt that all who witnessed the
scene got their moneys worth, al
though the program was not carried
out as originally arranged by the aero
nauts. ,r -:
On the first day of the fair Mr.. and
Mrs. Stafford were prevented from
making the ascension by an accident
to the balloon, but on the second day
everything was found to be all right.
A great crowd had assembled to wit.
ness the ascension. Probably 5000
people. crowded around the balloon
and watched the preparations. When
the big balloon was inflated and the
parachutes attached the aerial 'voyag-
ers took their places and in an instant
were soaring through the air high
: over the heads of their audience.
IN ir "a
nauts prepared to cut loose in order to
make the parachute leap. Mrs. Staf-
ford started first, but just as she did.
so strong gust Of wind caught the
parachute, and threw it. with terrific
force straight at Professor Stafford.
The shock of the contact caused him
to lose his hold and he fell from the
balloon straight toward the ground
with frightful velocity.
The first thing the spectators knew
of the fearful drama being enacted
above the clouds was when they saw
Stafford shooting through the air to-
ward centain death and turning SOM
ersault after somersault in his fall. A
cry Of horror arose, women screamed
and tainted, and rush was made to
get out Of the way. Apparently moth
4 ing could save Stafford from being
dashed to pieces either on the ground
Z or on the roof Of some Of the buildings
and, frozen with horror, the crowd
waited to see the bloody finish of this
mid-air tragedy.
Suddenly, however, by what seemed
to be a miracle, Mrs. Stafford's para
chute, which had not yet filed out and
which was falling rapidly, came di-
rectly into the path of the descending
Stafford. He landed almost exactly on
the top of it. Bounding off from the
force of the fall, he clutched at the
ropes with the strength of desperation
- and the frail parachute had to bear
the weight of two bodies instead of
D. one. ..: = 3. q ~~T''S s,%'
For an instant it looked as if both
husband and wife were doomed, for
burdened with this new weight, the
parachute shot straight to the ground
like lump of lead. When within 1000
feet of the ground it. opened bravely
out, the force Of the descent was ar
rested and the aeronauts landed safely
in a lofty tree about two feet outside
of the park. Barring a few slight
scratches, neither was injured.
For the next hour the fair grounds
were practically deserted, the crowd
poured out of the gates and hurried to
the spot where Stafford and his wife
had landed. When they found them
safe and sound cheer after cheer rent
the air. An impromptu reception was
. held, and the plucky aeronauts shook
hands with several hundred people.
They were then carried in triumph. to
their hotel, and during all the remain
der OF their stay were kept busy ack
noWledging congratulations on their
miraculous escape. - .a.-
Your representative was among the
number who witnessed the miraculous
descent Of these aerial explorers and
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