The Tucson citizen., 1902-06-27
TIRED OF THE TRIP.
80 he COR OUT OF THE BALLOON
BY THE JUMP ROUTE
And Thea when He Told the Eng
lishmen NE Met what He Had Done
They COnsiderat-ly Casried Him
on 10 an Insane AAylum.

on 10 an Insane AAyium.
II went up in balloon once. and !
never want to make such "A trip again"
said Colonel A. Noel Brakeman. MY
experience as an aeronaut was in Lon
DON" he continued. "and 1t would
never have occurred hut for friend
chanced to meet there. He was going
to make an ascent, and he persuaded
me to accompany him.
THE balloon was IA feature OF some
big exhibition. and every day It was
inflated and made an ascent, with four
or five passengers. In charge Of an ex-
perienccd aerouaut. There were about
tve in the party the day took the trip.
We got into the basket. which was
boxed in quite high, then let the rope
Co. aud we shot up about 5000 feet. 1t
was interesting TO look down on the
world and hear the noises OF London
streets coming from so far below. The
balloon sailed along smoothly. and we
drifted for about eight miles.
1T was when we tried 10 descend
that the trouble began, The method
was to threw out anchors as the bal
loon settled toward the earth. The
aeronaut said that when one OF these
anchors caught firmly he would haul
the balloon down to the tree In which
the anchor was expected to become
fastened This would be done by wind
! Ing In the rope ON winch In the car.
We would be expected to climb out OF
the balloon into the tree. be said. aud
! he would then take hold OF the valve
! rope and. standing safe distance
away. open the valve. let the gas es-
/ cape. aud the big affair would collapse
i aud sink. He informed us that we
must get clear OF the sinking folds. as
( they would come down FAST and X
they caught and covered us we would
be in an atmosphere of most poisonous
gas.
"All this was very Interesting, but
/ we did not seem to be making very
much progress toward the point where
We would have to look out for the de-
scending folds OF the eollapsing bal.
/ loon. The anchors caught in a whole
| lot OF trees, but they did not hold. One
] would get tangled In q tree, and then
! the balloon would sway far over. tilt
Ing the basket in which we were until
7 II seemed that we would be spilled out.
Then the anchor would break loose,
! and we would sLoot up again.
II became very tired or this and told
! the aerouaut that thought 1t was time
! to bring the voyage TO a conclusion.
! He told me IL did not like II could
jump out AT first i thought he was
/ simply resentful OF my remark. but he
said be meant what he said.
| "'When the car tits over again. you
climb out on the edge he said. and let
! go. Ii will probably be plowed field
underneath Us. and you won't get hurt
/ "Well. | did as he suggested. When
the anchor caught again, climbed out
and hung to the edge Of the car. When
| sa " that the car was as low as 1t was
likely to get. let 60. | dropped about
/ II feet. and as he expected. plowed
| ieid was below US.
/ las soon as | dropped out the bak
loon. relieved OF my weight. shot up In
the air again and scared off. | walked
to the nearest road and continued along
! Il until came TO an inn.
II asked the landlord how far 1t was
to London. aud he told me Ii was eight
miles. ordered a carriage to take me
there. and while | was waiting the
landlord asked me where | had come
from.
II took him to the door of the Inn,
and, pointing to the balloon, which was
then sailing along about quarter Of q
mile above the ground, ! said. \ jump
ed out OF that -s~aSsssasssszsseesgzzsasR~A
''The man looked at me In alarmed
fashion. and after had returned to the
sitting room | noticed that several peo.
pie peered through the window at me.
FINALLY my four wheeler was ready,
and set off for London. After we had
driven along for half an hour or so the
coachman suddenly turned the horse In
| through q gate. and we drove into big
courtyard. | yelled to him and asked
him what he meant. that | wanted to
go straight to London. bat he paid no
attention and slowly clrcled the court.
When be stopped on the other side, Q
man wearing glasses stuck his head in
the carriage. scrutinizing me closely,
pulled back. said something to the
coachman. and we drove on to London.
Finally we geacbed my lodgings
and when We did u TIE coachnln
Jumped Off the box. ran up the steps
and as soon as his knock was answered
asked II sIr. Brakeman lived there.
The maid was just answering that
did when | reached the top of the steps
and collared the fellow.
What was that place you drove me
lnto ON our way to London? ! asked
him. Te~e'Esf ssssFf, ~ 2;1- s
1T was hinsane hasyium. SIR he
replied When you said you had jump
ed out O. that balloon. we thought you
was crazy and maybe you was a es-
J capped patient FROM the hasyIum.' -
] Washington Post, .-sAA1ASSzesaap. rz-1r"