Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-10-03

Indians hired by committee to tow
| the balloon from the gas works. two
| miles distant, where it had been filed
| This was rather against the professor
judgment, for the Rideau river offered
an obstacle that could be overcome
only by the help of canoes and tow
| lines, and to paddle a big balloon
across a river. a fresh-filled, hard-tug-
sing balloon. is not thing to beunder-
taken lightly. In spite of their skill,
| these Indians found themselves pres
| emily lifted into the air. canoes and all
Ooh. they were badly frightened In
| diansD. not quite clear Of the water,
but high enough to make it doubtful if
| they could ever reach shore, and highly
| interesting to the crowd, which pressed
| down the river. even into the river. IN
| well-meant efforts to help, and dragged
| the balloon up the bank and along
| toward the platform with such eager
ness that they tore great rents in it
that let out the gas in volumes.
In an instant, as happens in crowds.
the balloon became the center of a
struggling people, who slowly pressed
in from all sIlas to see what the matter
was. When $500 people are all press
ing slowly toward one point, it is apt
to fare i'll with those at that point. and.
had not Carlotta acted as a fash OF n
spiration, there would have been dis
aster in that merciless crush. She
looked over the shouting, swaying.
multitude, and in a second saw the
danger-saw women held helpless and
fainting IN that Jam of bodies, saw one
way and only one, to save the situation,
and took that one. Stepping off the
platform, she ran lightly and swiftly
over heads and shoulders, packed solid,
and came to the balloon. Such was
the peoples fright that they scarcely
felt her pass.
You can't go up" cried her hus-
band; 1.-The balloon is wreck"
Il must go up she answered; If l
don't these people will be crushed to
DEATH
There's a hole in her big enough 10
drive team through" he protested;
but already she was in the basket, and
a cheer arose.
1T is better to risk one life than
many" she answered with decision,
and turning to the crowd, motioned
them to loose the car. In their wonder
the mad multitude forgot their fear,
and the struggling quoted. All eyes
were now on the balloon; one womans
90 had no hn
danger to the crowd was past; to the
woman just beginning.
wait a moment" shouted Prof.
Myers; you must have more ballast.
And with a great heave and a tapping
on its torn sides, the balloon wrenchel
itself free and shot upward, cripple
soaring with it's last strength. Up and
up it went, higher and higher as the
small store Of gas expanded. That
tattered balloon, with, it's seams Gaping
open, raised itself somehow two miles
over the city of Ottawa, and then al
most immm ediately began to fall The
gas stayed in just long enough to lift
the broken bag, and then left it to dash
downward. Prof. Meyers heartsick or
the ground, turned his eyes away sure
that he had seen his wife for the LAST
time alive
But Carlotta was of no such mind.
She had saved the crowd, now she
would save herself; and even as the
balloon dropped with frightful speed,
she put her plan in action. Swinging
herself up on the netting, she caught
the Tapping silk above long tear, and
drew it down with all her weight until
it reacher the car. Instantly the air
rushed in underneath, and bellied cut
the fabric into a great umbrella. 3
parachute improvised from a ripped
balloon. Now they are slowing up;
they had put the brakes on, and nov
they were soaring easily, drifting with
the wind Carlotta drew long breath
of relief and looked down. Trey were
still mile above ground. She had the
runaway in hand, but where should she
land him? Most aeronauts would have
been thankful enough to get down
alive anywhere; she proposed to do a
feat of steering as well. No doubt
there was some gas in the upper part
of the bag to help her, but in the main
she was guiding a parachute, and she
guided it so skillfully, by tipping the
footboard forward or back. to left or
right, that she landed finally in clumQ
of evergreen trees, fifteen miles from
Ottawa, that she had selected as the
very place where she had proposed to
land. And great were the rejoices
when it was known that she came to
/ no harm.