Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-04-18

De.A GNU lAipeHe. f5OIn were daring
athletes. and they turned their train,
Ing and nerve to good account. The,
We're among the first to take up the
new ldea, and gave exhibitions of drop.
ping IRON the clouds in various part.
or the world, including Constantinople
Berlin, Vienna and Calcutta. The,
came home in 1890 with 100000 cleal
money Today they are among the
substantial citizens of their home town
owners OF the baseball park and pro.
prietors of a big factory which turns
out everything needful for an aeronaut
Another of the pioneers was Profess
sor Van Tasel He taught his wife the
business, and the pair of them made
big money before competition cut
prices to pieces. Van Easel, by the way
is DEAD ROW. About four years ago he
went 70 the Hawaiian islands and made
lhe IrSt ascension ever witnessed In
Honolulu. Unfortunately for him he
cropped into the Pacific ocean and was
eaten by sharks before the eyes of his
VINE, VINO had come out in a tugboat
for tho purpose of picking him up.
TOOK my first lesson in riding the
Dag from Van Tasel 1t came about in
a curious way. About eight years ago
the Union Pacific railroad began lie
attempt to make the Great Salt lakeein
Clah popular inland seaside resort
AN sorts of attractions We're Offered
among them We're various sorts of ont
uoor performances of the kind made
familiar by the circus.
MY partner and 1 We're doing n
.rapeze turn at the beach. One day as
we SAT at lunch In a downtown res
. .auraht my eye fell upon big three
sheet poster announcing the first ha !
loon ascension by the great Van Tasal
at Garfield beach on the following dny
parachute jumping was little known in
those days, and we made merry owe,
the lmposstbfltty of doing what was set
forth on the poster.
AT the next table sat a man who
seemed nightly interested in our con
Versation. The bills set forth some inn
mense sum that was to be paid the fa-
NOUS traveller of the air and re-
marked mat ! would be perfectly Will
ing to make the trip for $1OO. The next
day as we We're walking on the beach
the man we had seen in the restaurants
approached and began talking balloon
tie asked Ii | was prepared to make
good the offer of the day before. / was
decidedly taken aback and began ia
stammer a reply.
Then he explained that he was Van
Iasel, and that he and his wife lived
IN San Francisco. The engagement had
been made by telegraph and in fine
loon used by his wife had been substi-
tuted for his own.
You know that parachutes are OF
different dimensions, graded according
to the weight of the performer. His
Wife weighed 1856; he weighed ITO; and
to use her outfit was out of the cues
ton. He said he was to get 81, 200 for
eight ascensions and If he could lot
get substitute he would have 10
mn 1&n tn
$500 If would go up the first two DAYS.
by which time he expected his balloon
would arrive.
1T is point of honor with show
people to make good their little bluffs.
and while l was hesitating he kept
showing at ma column after column of
newspaper clippings intended 20 prove
that there was nothing dangerous
about the leap. The upshot of 1t was
that took him up, and that afternoon
decked myself in my prettiest oair Of
tights, determined to die beautifully,
If not bravely.
II must have shown something Of my
inward misgiving in my eye, as the
professor gave me last opportunity
to back out. l was game, however, and
let them tie the lifeline 10 me and
grasped the bar with both hands.
THE bag looked like live monster
as it tugged and leaped at its leash. II
was ninetyfooter of the kind then
made to rise With startling rapidity
so that the jumper could get the ,nost
there was out of the Spectacular rart
of 1t. My nerve almost failed me as the
given the signal to let go when
they did l would have ANONYMOUSLY
backed down. AS it was, was on the
point of turning round to speak to van
Tasel when the Jerk came.
II suppose 1t was mere matter of
instinct. but followed the instruc-
tions to run a few steps and leap with
the balloon in order to lessen the
shock of the sudden separation from
the earth. My legs were through rope
loops and the line would have held
me had Inconsistencies come, but with
the first wave of fright passed l ac-
tually began to enjoy myself.
II looked down and could see a Won
derful panorama rapidly unfolding I'M
der me. l have seen the same thing
many times since, but a more novel
sight never struck my vision. Noun
tains seemed to be slowly leveled and
the waters of the lake gradually to
spread over the earth, then rapidly to
recede. l looked up and was shocked
to find the balloon gone. Apparently
l was suspended from nothing but a
hundred feet of taut rope. In fact,
the. bag had simply gone into cloud
and was out of sight.
The next instant l heard the signal
shot from the professors revolver. MY
hand went out in search Of the cut -off
rope. clutched it. then I let 1T go
again. My heart was in my throat.
Just one pull said my brain. Again
my hand went out. Again hesitated.
Only little tug and then what? Well,
If had had any idea of how long ii
took the old style chute to open |
enough to pull that cord. My heart
was beating tattoo in my breast and
1t was about all that could do to hold
on. I cautiously tried the rope. 1t
seemed to be working. Then 1 cut
loose.
1T was a clear drop of several hun
dred feet before there was any staying
ness that seemed mortal possessed me.
a drowning man. they say, sees his
life pass before him in review. I saw
nothing, l felt everything. My only
recollection is of a horror, a terrible
black shape crouching just above me-
did not even think to look at the
chute. 1 simply held on and fell, fell.
Then, just before Inconsistencies
came, just as I had made up my mind
that the thud was coming the next mo-
ment. I seemed to awake from a dream
to find myself sailing slowly, OH So
slowly, 1t seemed. down to earth again
although really at the rate of 100 feet
second. The change came SO swiftly
that 1T did not seem real.
But there before me was the prettiest
and most welcome sight I had ever seen
the lake. the mountains, the tiny hui