The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-31


thing needful for an aeronaut-
Another of the pioneers was Profess
scr 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 deac
now. About four years ago he went TO
the Hawaiian Islands and made the
first ascension ever witnessed in Homo
lulu 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.
81 took my first lesson in riding the
bag from Van Easel It came about in
a curious way. About eight years ago
the Union Pacific railroad began dts at
tempt to make the Great salt lake ia
Utah a. popular inland seaside reso u.
All sorts of attractions were offered.
Among them we're various sorts OF
outdoor performances of the kind made
familiar by the circus.
My partner and I were doing a ira
peze turn at the beach. One day as
we sat at lunch in q downtown reStau-
rant my eye fell upon big three-sheet
poster announcing the first balloon as
ceusion by the great Van Tasel at Gar
field Beach on the following day Para
chute jumping was little known IN
those days, and we made merry over
the impossibility of doing what was
set forth on the poster.
| L
seemed nightly interested in our con-
versation. The bills set forth some
| immense sum that was TO be PAID the
| famous traveller Of the air, ana re-
| marked that | would be per1ectiy Will
/ ing to make the trip for 800. The next
day as we We're 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
/ al
TO stammer a reply
..'Fhen he explained that he was Van
| TaSeI and that he and his wife lived
| in San Francisco. The engagement had
! been made by telegraph, and in the
/ hurry of packing his canvas the pal
loon used by his wife had been sub
stituted 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 10; and
! 10 use her outfit was out of the queS-
| ton. He said he was TO get Sl,ZOO Tor
! eight ascensions and If he could not
| get a substitute he would have to
I throw up the contract. He offered me
1 $500 if l would go up the first two days,
! by which time he expected his balloon
| would arrive.
1T is a point of honor TO show peo-
pie to make good the little bluffs, and
/ while 1 was hesitating he kept showing
at me column after column OF news
paper 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
| myself in my prettiest pair of tights,
determined to die beautifully, If not
/ bravely-.
Il must have shown something of
my inward misgiving in my eye, as
! the professor gave me a last oppor-
tunity to back out. 1 was game. how
! ever, and let them tie the lifeline 10
me and grasped the bar in both
| hands,
THE bag looked like a live monster
! as it tugged and leaped at it's leash.
! 1t was a ninety-footer of the kind then
made to rise with startling rapidity so
| that the jumper could get the most
there was ont of the spectacular part
| of il. Ny nerve almost failed me as
| the moments passed. and if they had
not given the signal TO let go when
! they did L would have ignominiously
/ backed down. AS il was, 1 was on the
/ point of turning round to speak TO Van
Tasel when the jerk came.
! 81 suppose il was a mere matter of
! instinct, but I 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 NV legs were through rope
IlooDs and the line would have held me
| had Inconsistencies come, but with
! the first wave of fright passed 1 actual
| IL began to enjoy myself.
L looked down and could see Won
derful panorama rapidly unfolding I'M
! der me. l have seen the same thing
many times since, but 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. 1 looked up and was shocked
| to find the balloon gone Apparently L
! was suspended from nothing but hum
dred feet of taut rope. In fact, the bag
had simply gone into cloud and was
out Of sight.
The next instant I heard the sig
nal shot from the professors revolver.
My hand went out in search of the cut
off rope. I clutched it, then 1 let it go
again. My heart was II my throat.
Just one pull said my brain Again
my nand went out. Again / hesitated.
Only little tug and then, what? We'll,
if / had had any idea of how long it
took the old style chute to open L
would never have plucked up courage
enough to pull that cord Ny heart
was beating a tattoo in my breast and
il was about all that l could do to
| hold on. l cautiously tried the rope.
1t seemed to be working. Then I cut
| loose.
1T was a clear drop of several hun
bred feet before there was any stay
ing of the downward momentum A
sickness 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, ter
rible black shape crouching just above
me. I did not even think to look at
the Chute. Hsimply held on and fell,
fell.
Then just before Inconsistencies
came, just as had made up my mind
that the thud was coming the next mo-
ment, L seemed to awake from a dream
to find myself sailing slowly. oh, so
slowly. it seemed, down to earth again,
although really at the rate of 100 feet
a second. The change came so swiftly
that it did not seem real.
But there before me was the pref
test and most welcome sight I had
ever seen-the lake, the mountains. the
! tiny human Specks on the beach. Off to
one side 1 saw the big balloon Just
| topping over for it's drop. - minute
later / struck the beach with a sudden
ness that Jared me almost uncon-
sciOus.
The next moment a half score of
boatmen were pulling in my direction.
A special prize of S25 had been offered
the man who picked me up if l landed
in the lake. and the nearest man was
| hurriedly shouting TO me to jump in so
he could get me, promising to divide. I
thought TOO much Of iol+