The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-09-26
= HE parachute now is to the
balloon and to the air ship
what the lifeboat is TO the

the aerial ocean without one.
Scientific aeronauts. like Professor
Myers. do not approve of them. but
they have become Indispensable to
balloonists who do holiday exhibi-
tion business The public h quite as
fond OF the parachute drop as of the
balloon itself People not only like
TO see man go up, but they wish to
see him come down
The parachute, like the balloon. is
now too well known to require de-
scription. When folded. the parachute
and It's lines hang down about thirty
five feet from the basket" of the bal
loon. When expanded, the 'umbrel-
la is from twelve 10 fifteen feet in
diameter. Although light, the frame
and lines must needs he made very
strong. In descending the aeronaut
generally sits on n species Of trapeZc
bar. which is supported at each end
by the lines from the umbrella above
Ii.
When ready to drop from the bal
loon. the aeronaut, vino il necessarily
somewhat OF an athlete. descends TO
the trapeZe bar, then pulls cord at
tachcd to the knife" set in the block
above. through which the supporting
line is rcevcd. The knife-edge. when
ierkcd smartly down on the taut line,
sewers it cleanly-and the descent be-
gins For the first hundred feet the
parachute drops like a stone, then un-
folds with Il flirt. checks the descent.
and thereafter for a thousand feet or
more sinks gradually earthward at
rate Of hardly more than ten feet a
second.
Under favorable conditions, descent
by parachute is not particularly haZ-
ardous to an active young man who
possesses quick sight and good judg-
ment as TO distances.
Altogether the narrator has made
about 100 dcscents by parachute-and
is still alive and well. Beyond doubt,
there are certain dangers from sud
den gusts of wind which may watt
the parachute over rivers. canals,
small ponds. tree tops or the steep
roofs of buildings. | once fell into
the top of n row OF sugar naples in
front of farmhouse, and was some
what scratched while tumbling
through the branches to the earth.
ON another occasion. some twenty
miles out OF Jackson. Mich, had the
i'll fortune TO drop on row of bee
hives. | upset four OF the hives AT
onca on1 fho onorv iu-octs ,,o,.o ,,,o
clear proof of their resentment before
/ could clear myself from the para.
chute lines.
And as | was running away rs fast
ms | could the equally angry owner of
the bees pursued me with abuse and
peremptory demands for recompense.
In fact found him rather worse than
the bees
On Labor Day. the following year,
made an ascent from New England
factory town, and in descending acci-
dentally dropped into the top of pear
tree in a farmers garden. | not only
knocked Off a bushel of fine pears. but
broke the top of the tree rather badly.
The man deemed 500 (all the money
had about mel too slight remuneration
for the damage | had done. He not
only seized my parachute, vi eft arms.
but prosecuted me at law The jury.
however, awarded him but $40, with
out costs of court.
On another occasion | received n
most mmerciful thrashing. but not. /
am glad 10 say. at the hands OF human
beings. On this occasion had made
an ascent from large Canadian town.
1t was some sort of a holiday there.
and great crowd of lumbermen, mill
men. river drivers aud farmers from
the surrounding country had hocked
10 the town. l was TO go up at 2. but
before noon there arose stiff sonth
wind which portended rain. / there
fore attempted to cancel the engage
ment; it was highly dangerous to
make an ascent in such weather. but
the crowd would not take this view
Of the conditions. The lumbermen
and river drivers gathered around,
yelling like wild men. They had be-
come suspicious that | was trying ia
cheat them. They swore that they had
come thirty miles to see me go up, and
30 up l should, or they would smash
my balloon and drive me out OF town
1t was taking my life In my hand
but rather than face that angry crowd
cast off, scared upward over houses
and churches, and went flying toward
Hudson Bay.
Hudson Bay. 1t Is true, was 1901
miles distant. but at the rate l was
was going when the balloon ros,
INTO that strong wind concluded tha
should get there by sundown.
was advertised to make n descen
oy parachute in the neighborhood o
ihe town. whore the assembled multi
tuuc could see me come down. bu
mat was entirely fair weather ar
rangement.
wore my exhibition suit of spangle,
tights under my street clothes a
usual, but when l saw how the win,
plew had no notion OF attempting Il
use the parachute. In fact, l was as
cending under eompuision. and had n
clear Idea how ! should get down.
wanted to get away from that crowd
actually had been afraid they woui
k'i' me " ! failed to 90 M. The how
'ns was something frIghtful.
Sood-byc. you unfeeline animals!
shouted. "Unlcss this balloon burst
you win not sec mo oqoin vcrv soon