The Tucson citizen., 1902-02-08
IlkEU Ur IhE lkIF.
SO ne GOT OUT OF THE BALLOON
BY THE JUMP ROUTE.
Aud Then When He Told the Eng
lishm men He Met What He Had Done
Phcy Considerably Carried Him
on TO am Insane Asylum.

Ou 10 an AnNhn& AAThuhs
Il went up In a balloon once. and ]
never want to make such Il trip again."
said Colonel a. Noel Brakeman. My
experience as an acronaut was In Lon.
don" he continued, land It would
Glanced To meet there. He was going
to make an ascent. and he persuaded
me to accompany him.
"rhc balloon was feature OF some
big exhibition, and every day it was
/ inflated and made an ascent. with four
OF five passengers. in charge of an ex-
perienccd acronaut. There were about
live in the party the day took the trip.
We got into the basket, which was
boxed in quite high, then let the rope
so. and we shot up about 5000 feet. 1t
was interesting 10 look down on the
world and hear the noises of London
streets coming from SO far below. The
balloon sailed along smoothly, aud we
drittcd for about eight miles.
IL WAS " ttu We IL lttl tp utSttilC
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 ear.
We would be expected to climb out OF
the balloon into the tree. he said. and
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
and sink. He informed us that we
must get clear OF the sinking folds. as
they would come down fast. and IL
they caught and covered us we would
be In an atmosphere of most poisonous
gas.
"All this was very interesting. EG:
we did not seem to De making very
much progress toward the point where
we would have to look out for the de-
scendlug folds of the collapsIng bal,
loon. The anchors caught in whole
lot OF trees, but they did not hold One
would get tangled in a tree. and then
the balloon would sway far over. tilt
ing the basket In which we were until
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 thought 1t was time
to bring the voyage TO conclusion.
| He told me If did not like 1t could
| jump out. At first | thought he was
simply resentful of my remark. but he
said he meant what he said.
when the car tilts over again. you
I climb out on the edge he said. and let
| go 1t will probably be n plowed field
! underneath us. and you won't get hurt
We'll. did as he suggested When
the anchor caught again. | climbed out
and hung to the edge OF the car. When
| saw that The car was as low as II was
likely to get | let so, | dropped about
II feet, and. as he expected. plowed
tiPld was below us.
LAS soon aa dropped ont the bal
loon. relieved of my weight. shot up In
the air again and scared off. | walked
to the nearest road and continued along
II until came 10 an inn.
Il asked the landlord how far It was
to London. and he told me 1t was eight
miles. | ordered 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 a quarter Of
mile above the ground. ! said. 1 jump
ed out OF that
THE man looked ar 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
coachmnn suddenly turned the horse In
through gate. and we drove into big
courtyard. | yelled to him and asked
him what he meant. that I wanted to
60 straight to London bat he paid no
attention and slowly circled the court
When he stopped on the other side, o
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 reached my lodgings
and when we did so the coachman
jumped Off the box. ran up the steps
and as soon rs his knock was answered
asked II Mr.. 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
into on our way TO LondonY ASKED
him.
"'It was hinsane hasylum, sir he
replied When you said you had jump
ed out O. that balloon. we thought you
was cfazy and maybe you was es-
capped patient from the hasylum.' -
Washington Post.A
Realized His Own Madness.
AN..ur A.