New-York tribune., 1906-08-05

~ Ak-S3 subject W. -'--
~ 1Aentlng IN -
~ c\1\I i.h held near ~
. "as a clurnp Of t,r
- trees ne WlnL Na hight and Tho
under good control (1rad1Iau,' 4 -ae'-s
!. {. !. /. !. | . 4. !. 4 ! !.
the force OF the u-rf ircre,rs, is1 "'ssy-
- apparatus dTNtcl yer toward +b
NV assistant So, Il in his E++1 Ne .ls
ing toward me li had his bseI
= ard the Obstruct..- I sho1,,oJ 80 or
n tiCulated but couf nor oct b;.- gnu g
. around vt las, reve2 he .--.- ,r- y 1s |
head, and saw ha- HE ba11oo- @ ~-1e1 1
cling rapidly toward some of 49, Ia'
trees only about thirty arCls ayaI '- A's=
Realizing his danger "a STONED d.
throw out some ballast. bur was TOO In t-o"a
balloon had reached the tree -assiror o. - 4-
perhaps a height of one h--r red feet f- V-- 4
ground. The car was too .... hovvever 80 -, I-
them, and dashed vo-e agajnsf tbS - cs1
branches. JudsOn was throw .odIIv orr o5 = lVsc
and then, to my horror. Le shot toward So - -
The little balloon gave la-r upward and 's- az
ped with jerk. And then Saw hudson I.s
head downward apparent rn r7id-air Co.'S
hundred feet from the grouu. While the baIoo,D D
slowly descending in the lee af elm trees '@
JudSOnS miraculous esca-. was due m .
chance. / have ALWAYS made IL r,Ia -,
cure the end of a valve co-I - the riggirg b %
knot which sailors call a da- r ha1f-hitcR- s5
this case the rest of the cord haprened - a.
outside the car, forming l.an As he rfs
downward Judson's leg had caught in tbie .-rs.- -
The weight of his BODY on the &, I've cord onen5 II
escape valve at the top Of t'ie balloon and 60
an escape of gas, and thereof rapid but peerless,
safe descent.
BY the time we had re him. hudson b.s
Skinned up into the car and greeted us with a W.
grin and the careless remark. Pretty close shaw
wasn't IT
Good little Judsonl His eieverness and grit hs,.
carried him to a good place .n another profess
equally difficult, but less ph ally hazardous tfs-
air navigation.
Some Years ago IN Dublia an atronaut na-e
Hampton made several darr1 air VOYAGES n
one occasion he made an ascension nOtwiths-a7l
ing straight out TO sea The balloon rose rapidIv
height of about SIN thousand tcrt and then. owiug
skilful manipulation, made equally rapid descsn,
Descent Into the Sea
A IL went well until the gas bag had descendeit,
within about hundred feet of the earth Itwss
then caught by strong curren, Of wind and whirIa
along Just about on level with the hOuse-tops
Directly IN his course there happened TO be house
which was on fire. The Inhammable gas IN the hal
loon became ignited. the silk bag exploded with
tremendous report and began 20 burn making
spectacle which the observers have described as
being unspeakably grand and impressive" Hamp-
ton made quick jump, and hv a most remarkable
chance escaped with few burns and bruises.
Speaking OF narrow ESCAPES reminds me Of the
close call of Leo Stevens not long ago. Stevens
IS one of the clevereSt acrouauts IN the world
cool quiet Young fellow. with the law Of a unze
tighter, muscles of iron, and nerves of steel
The ascension was made from the upper part Of
Manhattan, New York and The wind took The
balloon in a westerly director All went well until
the balloon was over the Hulson River. At this
point the acrOnautS enCouu-cred a cold heavv
cloud This cooled the gas and decreased the buoy
anCy of the balloon to such a0 extent that from
height of about three Thousand feet it fell with
downward slant directly toward hose Jagged towers
of rock known as the Palisadt-
Straight up against the Wall punged the grea,
unWleldy bag, pushed by the WIN ehind it. andWnh
ever-decreaSing buOvancv. I'm am had the aero
nauts throw tt al their ballast,
even value 1-strunentS. in or
der TO en- l. --.-n 10 clear The