The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-09-05

hefldl ocean Wulcn ih Alt ei""AN
about and above us. Naturally 1t IS
a hazardous profession. and naturally
have had many thrilling experiences
the most thrilling, or at least the
most nerve raclsing, being the one
am about 10 relate.
II happened before ! went IN Tor NY
drogen gas balloons, all OF Yarnished
silk. doubled and lined. and all that
and fit for voyages of days instead OF
mere hours. The Little Nassau
(named after the Great Nassau OF
many years back, was the balloon
was making ascents in at the time. 1t
was a fair-sized hot air affair, OF SIM
gle thickness, good for an hours hight
or so and capable of attaining an
altitude of a mile or more II an
swered my purpose, for my act at the
time was making half-mile parachute
jumps at recreation parks and coun-
try fairs. | was in Oakland, Cali
fornia town, filling a summers en-
gagement with a street railway COM
park outside the city, and OF course
it was to its interest to provide at
fractions which would send the towns
people over its limo when they went
out to get a Whit of country air. My
contract called for two ascensions
weekly, and my act was an especially
taking feature, for it was on my days
that the largest crowds were drawn.
Before you can understand what
happened, / must first explain a bit
about the nature of the hot air ball
loon which is used for parachute jump
ing If you have eyer witnessed such
jump, you will remember that di-
rectly the parachute was cut loose
the balloon turned upside down, emp
tied itself Of its smoke and heated
air, hattened out and fell straight
down, beating the parachute to the
ground. Thus there IS no chasing a
big deserted bag for miles and miles
across the country, and much time, as
well as trouble, is thereby saved. This
maneuver is accomplished by attach
ing a weight, at the end of a long
rope, to the top of the balloon. The
aeronaut, with his parachute and ira
peze, hangs to the bottom of the bal
loon, and weighing more, keeps it
right side down. But when he lets go,
the weight attached to the top imme-
6iately drags the top down, and the
bottom, which is the open mouth, goes
up. the heated air pouring out. The
weight used for this purpose on the
Little Nassau was bag OF sand.
But to return On the particular
day I have in mind there was an I'M
Usually large crowd in attendance, and
the police had their hands full keep
ing the people back. There was much
pushing and showing, and the ropes
were bullying with the pressure of men,
women and children. AS | came down
from the dressing room l noticed two
girls outside the ropes, of about IA
and 16. and inside the rope q youngster
OF s or 8. They were sOlding him by
the hands, and he was struggling, eX-
citedly and half in laughter, to get
away from them. | thought nothing
Of it at the time-just a bit of childish
play, no more; and it was only in the
light of after events that the scene
was impressed wildly upon me.
Keep them cleared cut, George!"
called to my assistant. eve don't want
any accidents"
SAY" he answered, chat l will
Charley"
George Cuppy had helped me in nc
end of ascents, and because OF his
GOODNESS, Judgment and absolute reli.
ability, / had come to trust my life
in his hands with the utmost conf
dence. His business it was to over
look the initiating of the balloon ant
to see that everything about the par
achute was in perfect working order
The Little Nassau" was alread!
filled and straining at the gays. Thu
parachute lay flat along the grounc
and beyond it the trapeze. / tosse'
aside my overcoat, took my position
and gave the signal to let go. AS yol
know, the first rush upward from
the earth is very sudden, and thi
time the balloon, when it first caugh
the wind, heeled violently over an
was longer than usual in righting.
locked down at the old familiar sigh
OF the world rushing away from ms
Ard there were the thousands of pee
pie, every face silently upturned. An
the silence startled me, for, as crowd
went this was the tire for them
catch their first breath and send up
roar Of applause. But there was 4
hand clapping, whistling, cheering
only silence, And instead clear {