The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-31
JUMPING FROM THE SKIES
Parachute Leaping Not as Danger
Gus as 1t Appears to Be.
An AerOnauts Description of His
Sensations when He Made His In
itial PIunge-OriRin of the Thrill
ing Drop From the Clouds.

ifial PtunEe-OrtRfn OF the THRILL
ing Drop From the Clouds.
Riding the bag is boys play nova
days" said the retired aeronaut, as he
tossed aside batch of circulars explain
ing how easy and safe parachute jumping
| is in this age of mechanical achievement
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
almost reach the cloud line; then he let
| loose and came down in fun 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
junct to the ballooning business. The
records are silent as to the identity of
| its inventor, but it is not more than
| fourteen or fifteen years since it was
first attempted. Hundreds and even
| thousands OF dollars were paid in those
days for a single ride.
out at Quincy, ILL.,, along in 1855, lived
| dint of long practice in the gymnasium
they became experts on the bar and
trapeze Both were daring athletes and
| they turned their training and nerve to
good account. They were among the first
| to take up the new idea and gave exhi-
billions of dropping from the clouds in va
| rious parts of the world, including Con-
stantinople. Berlin, Vienna. and Calcutta.
They came home In 1890 with $1,000 clear
money. Today they are among the sub
stantial citizens of their home town, own
ers of the baseball park and proprietors
of hig factory which turns out every
thing 1eedful for an aeronaut.
Another of the pioneers was Prof Van
Tasel. He taught his wife the business
| and the pair of them made big money be-
| fore competition cut prices to pieces. Van
Tasel, by the way, is dead now. About
| four years ago ne went to the Hawaiian
Islands and made the first ascension ever
witnessed in Honolulu. Unfortunately 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.
Il took my first lesson in riding the bag
from Van Tasel. 1t came about in a Curl
| Gus way. About eight years ago the
Union Pacific Railroad began its attempt
to make the Great Salt Lake in Utah
popular inland seaside resort. All sorts
of attractions were offered Among them
were various sorts of outdoor perform
ances of the kind made familiar by the
circus.
MY partner and I were doing a trapeze
turn at the beach. One day we sat at
lunch in a downtown restaurant my eye
| fell upon a big three-sheet poster an
nouncing 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 impossibility Of do
| ing what was set forth on the poster.
AT the next table sat man who SEEM
ed nightly interested in our CONVERSE
| ton The bills set forth some immense
sum that was to be paid the famous tray
eler of the air and l remarked that 1
would be perfectly willing to make the
| trip for 500. The next day We were
walking on the beach the man we had
seen in the restaurant approached and
began talking balloon. He asked If /
was prepared to make good the offer Of
the day before. l 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 In
San Francisco. Tine engagement had been
made by telegraph and in the hurry OF
hacking his canvass the balloon used
| by his wife had been substituted for his
| own. -.
You know that parachutes are of diff
| ferent dimensions. graded according to the
| weight of the performer His wife weigh
| ed 1856: he weighed 40, and to use her out
| fit was out of the question. He SAID ne
| was to get l,200 for eight ascensions ana
| if he could not get substitute he would
| have TO throw up the contract. He of
| fered me $500 If l would go up the nrst
| his balloon would arrive.
| 1T is a point of honor with show peo-
| pie to make good their little BUNS, ana
| while | was hesitating he Kept showing
| at me column after column of newspaper
| clippings intended to prove that there
was nothing dangerous about the leap
| The upshot of 1t was that took him up,
| and that afternoon | decked mySelt IN
| my prettiest pair OF tights determined
| to die beautifully. If not bravely.
Il must have shown something or my
| inward misgiving in my eye. as the pro pro-
| lessor gave me a last opportunity to pack
| out / was game. however, and let them
| tie the lifeline to me and grasped the
| bar in both hands. 49,.
| '''The bag looked like live monster as
| IL tucged and Ieaped at its leash. II was
| a ninety-footer of the kind then made to
| rise with startling rapidity. so that the
| hummer could get the most there was out
/! of the spectacular part of it. My nerve
| almost failed me as the moments passed,
| and If they had not given the signal to
| let go when they did | would have iSnomi-
| niously backed down. As ii was, l was on
| tn. point of turning round to speak TO
| Van Easel when the jerk came.
| Il guppose il was mere matter or IN
stinct. but | followed the instructions 10
run q few steps and leap with the pal
| loon in order to lessen the shock or the
| sudden separation from the earth. My
| Iocs were through rope loops, and the line
| would have held me had unconsciouss.@G;
| come. but with the first wave of fright
past | actually began to enjoy myself.
| Il looked down and could see wonder
full panorama rapidly unfolding UNDER me.
| have seen the same thing many times
| since. but more novel sight never struck
my vision. Mountains seemed to be slow
ly leveled and the waters of the lake
| gradually to spread over the earth, then
| rapidly to recede. | looked up and was
shocked to find the balloon gone. Appar-
emily | was suspended from nothing but
| a hundred feet of taut rope. In fact, the
bag had simply gone into a cloud and was
out of sight.
sThe next instant l heard the signal
| shot from tne professor revolver. My
| hand went out in search of the cutoff
rope | clutched it, then let it go again
| nv heart was in my throat. Just one
null sad my brain. Again my hand
| went out. Again / hesitated. Only a
| little tug and then, what? Well, if / had
! style chute to open | would never have
| Dlucked up courage enough to pull that
cord NV heart was beating tattoo in
nv breast and il was about all that
| could do to hold on. ] cautiously tried
the rope 1t seemed 20 be working. Then
! cut loose.
l.. -s..-f V.ar 81