The Tucson citizen., 1902-01-13
TIRED OF THE TRIP.
50 HE GOT OUT OF THE BALLOON
BY THE JUMP ROUTE.

And Th en- when He Told the Eng
lishmen He Met What He Had Done
They Considerably Carried Him
on to an Insane Asylum.
II went up In balloon once, and
never want to make such trip again."
said Colonel A. Noel Brakeman. MY
experience as an aeronaut was in Lon
dom" he continued, land 1t would
never have occurred but for friend
chanced to meet there. lie was going
to make an ascent, and he persuaded
me to accompany him.
"The balloon was a feature Of some
big exhibition. and every day 1t was
Inflated and made an ascent, with four
or five passengers, in charge OF an ex-
Ave In the party the day took the trip.
| We got into the basket, which was
boxed in quite high. then let the rope
| 60. and we shot up about 5000 feet. 1t
was interesting to look down on the
world and hear the noises OF London
streets coming from no far below. The
balloon sailed along smoothly, and we
drifted for about eight miles.
"lt was when we tried TO 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 10 become
fastened. This would be done by wind
Ing In the rope on a winch In the car,
We would be expected 10 climb out of
the balloon into the tree. he said. and
he would then take hold OF the valve
rope and. standing a safe distance
away. open the valve. let the gas es-
cape. and the big affair would collapse
and sink. He Informed us that we
must get clear OF the sinking folds. as
they would come down fast. and If
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 10 he making very
much progress toward the point where
we would have to look ont for the de-
, scending folds OF the collnpspg bal.
loon. The anchors caught III a whole
lot Of trees, but they did not hold one
. would get tangled In tree. and then
the balloon would sway far over tllt-
/, ing the basket IN which we were until
I 1t seemed that we would be spilled out
> Then the anchor would break loose
, and we would shoot up again
. Il became very tired of this and told
the aerouaut that l thought II was tiiDs
TO bring the voyage 20 q conclusion
. He told me IL did not like il coult
! jump out. At firxt | thought h* VA
simply resentful Of my remark. but b.
. said he meant what he said
. "'W hen the car Tits over again, yoi
: climb out on the edge he said, and he
r GO II will probably be a piowed heI'
A underneath us, and you won't get burt
: We'll. dld as he suggested. Wbel
). the anchor caught again, climbed on
4. and burg 10 the edge of the car. Whel
!. | saw st1at the car was as bow as IL wa
:. likely 80 get. le; go. dropped abou
IL feet. and. as lie expected, plowet
!. f3eld was below Us,
AS soon as | dropped out the bal
j, loon. relieved of my weight, shot up Il
: the air again and soarr, Off. | wake,
!, to the nearest road and continued along
:, IL until came TO an inn.
II asked the landlord bow far II was
+, 20 London. aud he told me 1, VAS eigb
), miles. ordered carriage tn take III,
!, landlord asked me where | had come
:, from.
:, II took him To the door Of the Inn
and. pointing to the balloon, which wat
. then sailing along about quarter Of 1
mile above the ground. said. ! jump
j.. cd out of that
, The man looked at me IN alarmed
= 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 hat
, driven along for bali an hour or SO tbs
coachman suddenly turned the horse IL
through gate. and we droy" into biz
courtyard. | yelled to bin aud asked
him what be meant. that wanted Il
go straight to London. bur be paid M
> attention aud slowly circled The court
: When he stopped on the other side. 1
/. man wearing glasses stuck biz head IL
$ the carSiage. scrutinizing me closely
J pulled back. said something to The
/ coachman. and we drove on to London
Finally we reached my lodgings
5 and when we did so the coachmar
jumped of the box. ran up the steps
] and Us soon as his knock was answered
: asked II Mr.. Blakeman lived there
> The maid was Just answering that
; did when reached the top of the Stcp,
, and collared the fellow.