The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-08
COLONEL TEMPLER's ESCAPE
Caught In Broken Balloon 10000
Feet Above the Earth


There is an Englishman still living tba
hero of many ascents. who will read the
story Of M severo's death with thrill
OF gratitude that he was once saved from
such an end. Colonel Templer. who has
done such excellent work with the army
balloons in South Africa, was the sub
jeet, many years ago, of perhaps the
most remarkable escape ever recorded in
the annals of ballooning. He is proba-
bly, the only man who has been carried
senseless TO a height of more than A
thousand feet. To this day he bears on
his face the mark of marvellous expert
ence he can never forget. A sudden gust
OF wind had blown his companion from
the car, sent up the balloon with the
colonel alone and dashed the car against
the ornamental ironwork at the top of a
gasometer. The collision had a disas-
trous and tragic effect The ropes were
cut in two, causing the balloon TO hang
on its side. and the whole Of the unsecur-
ed instruments to drop out; and a piece
O ironwork cut deep into the colonel's
face. tearing his cheek
The balloon, revolving rapidly in mid
air. rose to a great height. the severed
ropes twined round the colonel. suspend
ing him in the most frightful position
the mind can conceive. Then the aero
maui tainted. and when he came to his
senses the earth was twenty thousand
feet below him. He was a prisoner in an
uncontrolled balloon. with the car dang
ling beneath him, and he was. to add to
che horror Of the position, suffering in
tense physical pain and hespattered with
blood The novelist who brought his
character. alive and well out OF such a
situation would be accused OF absurd ex-
trasagance; yet Colonel Temper is alive
and well today, and has done yeoman
service in the war Who, else among
living men can say that he has been car
ried four miles high entangled in a rope2
Colonel Tempiers name recalls a mys-
terry Of balooning which never has been
and never can De solved. II was he who.
twenty years ago. assembled in balloon
with an NJ. 2. who has never since been
seen. K was one of the rare occasions
when the house Of commons has issued
a writ or presumption OF death. Mr.
Powell N. P. was a daring and enthusi-
astic bailoonist. and, with Colonel Ten
pier and a mutual friend. he made an
ascent in the south OF England with
government balloon. When over wey-
mouth the balloon. through some failure
OF machinery. fel rapidly 20 the ground.
and two Of the aeronauts fell hout. Just
AS suddenly. and just as unexpectedly.
the airship rose again-before Mr. Powell
had aEghted. The II p was carried
back toward The skies. and from that
day 70 this his fate has been a mystery
Since the moment when Colonel Temper.
Half senseless by his fall cried to him
10 descend nobody has ever seen Mr.
Powell. NJ. P. and not a trace has been
found Of the balloon
Hythe has its balloon mystery as well
a. Weymouth. Nobody has ever heard
of the aeronaut who assembled AZ Hyfhe
n July lSSs. MI Pe-civsi Spencer. one
q the most successful English aeronautS
whose asceats from the crystal palace
have beer witnessed BY enormous crowds. +
vas az one tirae supposed 10 have dis
81 rni6air. He assembled 81 Cal
eutta in the presence q the governor
general aid a quarter OF million people, |