The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-21
A RIVAL FOR
THE HUMAN FLY
The Automatic Balloon Man
Gives an Exhibition.
SAILS MAJBSTICALLY IN SPACE.
Treasury officials Not Greatly I'M
pressed, However, After His
Rubber Suit Bursts and
Drops Him to the Floor.

The Lffe-Saving Service of the Treas
ury Department has TO contend with some
of the most persevering and annoying
-cranks that ever walked in shoe leather,
commented the Superintendent of the
Life-Saving Service this morning
One day last week a man attired in
peculiar suit Of rubber material slowly
asecnded the steps Of the Treasury Build
ing. he carried under bis arm a piece
OF mechanism closely resembling small
cooking stove, and enquired from the cap
tain of the Treasury watch Tor the Of
fee of the Superintendent of the Life-Sav-
ing Service. After having received the
desired information the visitor became 10
quacious and in lofty language explained
to the captain that he (the visitoT) could
Guido the Human Fly" in every particu-
lar. and that that Individual was moth
ing but an impostcr and chariatan, and
did his business IN 2 spectacular and py-
rotcchnicaI manner. and not at all in
business-iike manner
: servant of All Mankind,
My mission on this earth said the
visitor. lis to benefit mankind by saving
human lives It is not my ambition sim
ply 10 climb up nagstafis and deprive the
Secretary Of War of his time ball and
hang it I'D en- the Postmaster Generals
flagstaff That's nothing. And who cares
whether it is u O'Clock or not I know
I don't Ny mission IS TO save human
lives. ard this is the way I do it
Initiating HIS Rubber suit
{ ~
ject the visitor had lighted match and
set firs 10 the wick of his little stove
like mechanism. Over the light blue
fame he put a small kettle which almost
/ Immediately began 10 show signs OF in
ward activity by emitting malodOTous
! yellow colorcd steam
The visitor then drew from his pocket
| a small rubber tube one end of which he
attached 10 the spout OF the steaming
kettle. and the other to similar open
ing IN his rubber suit. Gradually this
/ garment became inflated with the geneT-
I ated gas and the mysterious visitor as
/ sumed rotund proportions, presenting a
most funny aspect He stood in the area
! way Of the Treasury Building main stair
way and was surrounded by clerks and
{ visitors who stared at aim il astonish-
ment and wonder
Floating Through Space
/ After having sufficiently charged his
| suit with that yellow steam as he call
ed It. he shouted at the top Of his voice:
/ Vow, Everybody watch OUT" And SO
saving. he released his mold of the banis-
! ter and slowly and majestie2lIy sailed to-
ward the higher regions of the Treas
ury building
When ne arrived in his upward journey
at the third floor ne caught hold or the
banister and brought his flight 10 : sud
den termination Re discharged the gas
III his rubber suit with Kissing noise
( and then proudly sta1ked into the Office OF
the Superintendent Of the Llfe-Se wing
Service To this gentleman the "=sitoT
explained his ambition TO outdy ne HUI
( man Fly who. he said, couldn't fly at
all but simply climb
ITfe-sayius Ambitions
t The foater explained to General kim
bah that il was his sole ambition to ben
eft mankind by saving human lives Gen
eraI KimbaH patiently listened 10 the
man for about ten minutes. when be ex-
cused himself on account of important
business. But the visitor had aIready
I lighted his generating stove and WIS as
suming rotundity OF form He triumph
! antIv smiled aud invited the SupeTiutend-
ent TO come out IL the corridor aud
watch him Here the inventor" in
duIged IN a number OF fancy gyrations and
flights descents, ascents and beauteous
/ curves.
He was engaged near the ceiling when
suddenly a report like pistol shot rang
out II was not a pistol however, that
made the noise: the suit had burst and the
human balloon had come down on the
mercfIess stone tagging with dull thud