The suburban citizen., 1901-09-28
, HE parachute now is to the
balloon and to the air ship
what the lifeboat is to thC

the aerial ocean without one.
Scientific aeronauts, like Professor
Myers, do not approve of them, but
they have become indispensable to
balloonists who do a holiday exhibit
tion business. The public is quite as
fond Of the parachute drop" as of the
balloon itself. People not only like
to see a 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 its lines hang down about thirty
five feet from the basket" Of the bal
loon. When expanded, the "umbrel-
lap is from twelve to fifteen feet in
diameter. Although light, the frame
and lines must needs be made very
strong In descending the aerOnaut
generally sits on a species Of trapeze
bar, which is supported at each end
by the lines from the umbrella above
it.
When ready to drop from the bal
Icon, the aeronaut, who is necessarily
somewhat of an athlete, descends to
the trapeze bar, then pulls a cord at
tached to the "knife" set in the block
above, through which the supporting
line is reeved. The knife edge, when
jerked smartly down on the taut line,
sewers it cleanly-and the descent be-
gins For the first hundred feet the
oh or ~
folds with a tirt, checks the descent
and thereafter for a thousand feet or
more sinks gradually earthward at a
rate Of hardly more than ten feet a
second.
Under favorable conditions, descent
10y 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 $50 descents 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. 1 once fell into
the top Of a row Of sugar naples in
front of a 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 a row of bee
hives. upset four OF the hives at
once, and the angry insects gave me
clear proof of their resentment before
1 could clear myself from the para
chute lines.
And as l was running away as fast
! as l 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, acct
dentally dropped into the top Of a pear
tree in a farmers garden. I 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 l had done. He not
only seized my parachute vi ct armis
but prosecuted me at law. The jury
however, awarded him but $12, with
out costs of court.
On another occasion I received q
most unmerciful thrashing, but not, ]
am glad to say, at the hands of human
beings. On this occasion 1 had made
an ascent from a large Canadian town
1t was some sort of a holiday there
and a great crowd Of lumbermen, mill
men, river drivers and farmers from
the surrounding country had focked
to the town. l was to go up at 2 but
before noon there arose a stiff soutl
wind which portended rain. l there
fore attempted to cancel the engage
ment; it was highly dangerous tC
make an ascent in such weather, but
the crowd would not take this view
Of the conditions. The lumbermer
and river drivers gathered around
yelling like wild men. They had be
come suspicious that l was trying t.
cheat them. They swore that they haC
come thirty miles to see me go up, ant
go up I should, or they would smasl
my balloon and drive me out Of town.
1t was taking my life in my hand
but rather than face that angry crowC
l cast or, scared upward over houses
and churches, and went flying TOWARD
Hudson Bay.
Hudson Bay, It is true, was 12OC
miles distant, but at the rate 1 wai
/ was going when the balloon ros,
into that strong wind concluded tha
! should get there by sundown.
was advertised to make descen
by parachute in the neighbOrhood OF
the town, where the assembled multi
tude could see me come down, bu
that was entirely fair weather ar
J Tangement.