The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-10-22

PARACHUTE DROP.
Told by rlr. Lune-stOkes, Aeronaut.


i
loon moved with it, Not breath
seemed to stir. 1t was only by look
ing down at the earth that saw how
rapidly L was travelling onward. over
river, wide spruce forests and scat
tered clearings. l knew the story of
La Mountain and his balloon. and had
horror of being carried off into the
Canadian wilderness. 1 hoped that in
the course of an hour or two the wind
might fall, or the direction of the air
current change.
The balloon continued to GO steadily
forward. however. in northerlv
course until the little clearings and
cabins below grew few and far be-
tween.
1 must have Travelled nearly $50
miles when 1 saw a large lake. or
rather a group of three or four lakes.
come into view on the horizon. Di-
rectly the black of the spruce woods
had begun to fade into the pale gray
of messy bogs of tamarack and the
purple hue of caribou barrens.
could not see Il clearing or sign of hui
man habitatlon anywhere. The crowd
which l had left behind was bad
enough, but the uneXplored wilderness
of lake and swamp ahead of me be-
gan to have an aspect even more grim
and terrifying Moreover. l desired
if possible, to save my balloon. To de-
scend in gale is always Derilous. but
there seemed no help for it. 1 dared
not try the parachute. and so finally l
pulled open the gas valve. The bal
loon soon began to approach the gray
sWampS that stretched away to the
lakes ahead
All the time I was flying ms fast as
n horse could run; and rs l sank lower
l perceived that l was likely TO do
some rough trailing"
When I came within 500 or 400 fec.
of the ground 1 threw out a strong
grapnel and line. which swung clear
for some minutes, then began to brush
the tall tree tops and catch in them.
BY good luck-of which / had had
little enough thus far that day-these
slight bitches greatly diminished the
speed of the balloon. and the grapnel
soon catching stronger hold. basket.
balloon and all came down with a sud
den hard flounce in n thicket of low.
Shrub-like frs, bordering a small bay
on one Of the lakes-and there. hold
ing fast, swayed up and down.
l was pitched out Of the basket into
mud and water, but jumped to my feet
and started to run back among the
thick frs to secure the anchorage when
l became suddenly aware that l was
not alone.
y loud squawlnc and squalling
arose all about me. 1 had come down
in a swamp where wild geese were on
their nests. l was actually treading
on them and on their great white eggs
before l saw them. Every fir bush.
with its widespread boughs, appeared
TO have nest under it.
The cutlery that all these geese set
up was something dcafcning. They
rose up tapping their wings. Kissing
and squalling and at once from all
sides, from the thickcts and from the
pond. there came rushing, lying. skim
ming over the frs whole docks of the
biggest and most savage gray ganders
ever set eyes on They dashed at me.
at the balloon, at the parachute. and
at Che basket. and bit like bulldogs.
and the blows from their long. hard
wings were like blows from a fail.
Before I could make shift to defend
myself with my knife or balloon hooI,
they had hold of me by my clothing.
10y my legs, by my hair even. tug
einc yelling and thrashiuc me. one
pinchcd my cheek so that the blood
flowed. Their wings pounded my
read like clubs. I lodged this way
and That. and laying about me with
the stan of my hook. knocked down
caudcrs right and left but still they
came
] lost q moment in @ foolish effort TO
get my revolver from the wicker lock.
cr i'm the basket. and was we'll nigh
overborne If once they had beaten
me down they would have killed mo.
beyond doubt but I now began jump.
Ing from side to- side among the frs.
dolg.ug ana striking with the hook
These tactics confused the glndcrs.
for in their mad fury they flew blind
ly against each other 7 was con.
s.ondy stumbling into more nests. but
. Kept bon the fr brush scuddmg This
way and chat. os the gaudcrs charged
mp
After th. fashion I retroatod FOR
nearly mile ] tnuk fighting aI ho
way t.H got among larger trees when
. lhe gUaoE s.rcsouoI.
Rain began falling was fu ab.r.
/ as bad piieh. as can wcI Doc im
. ae.uni, NigHt was al hand n.gnI r
800 u1.r11lu wilderness saw
bear 0nsug 1t m. FROM out ona .am
arHn. Nog and getting frightened
'ar.I .o ruu 7 had uo. gone GAR
however, wien ] hoard DE rop1r. off
aun. I..raupou shouting ror haIp
ram bon Ho direction of tha noise. au,
.n thn ..U... of "a few minutes mot af
Indian coming to- GuI me TIE la.
seem .N. balloon come down. and wal
curious ho man who ravole.
In thn H.r I'D. len me out .o Tho barI
of river whore There was bnrI
camp and three other Indians. Tho
received ma .uI'y. installed me in
warm CORNER d.. their camp Out of fh
rain. and gave me au the fried dec
me0t J could .Ht
Bu. when talked with them OF rl
turning .o ,nn swamp to recover fh
balloon ,ney shook their heads an
gave mo fo understand that Nc was 81