Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-10-27

Oskalooaa. Kas., 1t inter-
fered with the plans Of an amusement
manager who had contracted to fur
nish two balloon ascensions and
drops says the Kansas City Star.
This fatal drop was only the fulfill
ment Of the first half Of his contract
He had 10 give another ascension and
drop the next day or loss one-hali OF
his money so, before the body OF
Turner the dead aeronaut. was cold,
the manager wired TO "Curley' Clark
OF Kansas City to come at once.
"Curley' read IN the papers that
evening Of the death OF Turner but
he did not hesitate. The next day he
made an ascension and drop with
the same balloon and parachute that
caused the death OF Turner The para
chute had been used to carry the
nangled body OF Turner of the fair
grounds. and Il was covered with
blood. Not one man In thousands
would have the nerve to make the
same jump, with the same bloody ma
terials. the next day after that fright
full death. but Clark did II without a
moments hesitation. was glad to get
the Job, and he was paid only S1V FOR
IT, e
Curious to see and talk With the
| kind OF a man who could 30 coolly and
! tocklessly flirt with death reporter
went last week TO the home OF Cur
ley Clark. 6ls Locust street. opposite.
the courthouse. y
One can imagine single man OF
reckless temperament dropping from
midair every day or two fot 50 a
drop and trusting his life, to n can.
vas parachute that might or might not
open at the right time. n
But "Curley' Is married and has a
pretty little daughter.
Are you going to make balloon
list OF herr" he was asked.
mot on your life. One in the fam
ilys enough he answered q
zone in the family.is one too many
retorted his wife, ~ v
She's sore on the businesss' said
"Curley" noddlng his head In her
direction.
"I've right TO be sore" she re-
Piled. Look at Turner's poor wife
and Children today. And every time
Curey goes out think maybe they'll
bring him home to me In that way,
Many sleepless night I've spent when
he was out on the road
"Curley" Is a big fellow, Of mag
nificent form, an athlete, with black
curly hair,
why do you stay in the business
he was asked.
Why Because it's my trade, and
| like It."
Are you ever afraid?"
Never. | don't mind going UP 500
or 1000 feet and dropping any more
than you mind hopping off street
car. What Is there to be scared or"
What do you suppose caused Tur-
ner to fall?' was asked him.
His own carelessness IL he'd had
on the safety he couldn't have fallen'
What's a safety
ITS rope tied to the ring In the
chute with a slip moose In tho other
end for your wrist. never cut loose
from the bag without the safety around
my wrist first. Then II get cramps
can't fall. III come down when the
chute does, and not before. This II
what kills most air jumpers. They
get all heated up on the ground getting
the bag ready to go, and then up they
go, all OF a sudden, to where the air
IL colder. The change chills them and
causes their muscles to cramp. That's
what happened to Turner, He hadn't
any safety on, and when he took the
cramps as he hung by his hands, he
had to let go. I've had the cramps Of
ten up In the air."
How long have you been In the bus
mess"
Ten years as regular business"
Ever have any narrow escapes?"
He grinned. "A few once dropped
about 500 feet straight down before my
chute opened. | thought | was q dead
man that time sure. You drop pretty
fast, tell you, and l expected to hit
the ground any second, but | did not
dare to look down. because / needed
every second to look up and try and
shake the chute open. At last she flew
open with fiirt and jerk and was
all right. ! was only 100 feet from the
ground when she opened. Another Sec
ond or two and Mrs. Clark there would
have been widow. Az 1t was, / struck
the ground pretty hard I've had the
chute close up on me after II opened,
too But l never In my life lost my
head. That's one reason why I'm here.
II had a narrow escape In Sedalla
once. | went up unusually high that
day. and In making the drop l drifted
into the column OF warm air from a
smokestack. couldn't work the chute
out of that streak OF hot air. Usua,iy
! guide the chute considerably by rock
Ing 1t and causing II to slide sideways
upon the compressed air beneath IL, but
this time / couldn't. / fell straight
down on the top OF that chimney. I
would have fallen into IT, but when |
came within reach OF its top gave 1t
violent kick. II broke my ankle, but
II saved my life. The chute dropped
across the chimney top and stuck.
There | hung 1872 feet from the ground
until the fire department came with
ladders and took me down.
Another narrow escape had was
while making ascensions at Lake Con-
trary, near st. Joseph last summer. I |
made seven jumps there and six times
/ alighted In the lake and the seventh
time ! fell squarely into the middle OF |
the Missouri river. Each time | let |
loose the chute when | was within 40 |
fest or the water and plunged In and |
swan ashore. When I fell In the river |
lost my balloon. You see | was pret- |
~ tired when I struck the river and I |
had quite time swimming ashore.
When my engagement was over Pal |
mer Clark the manager OF the resort.
gave me $40 more than he'd agreed To. |
He said; You've done a double stunt. |
l engaged you to make balloon ascen- |
sions, ana you've given US high dive. |
too
zone OF the most dangerous ascen- |
slons ever made was q few weeks AFRO
at political picnic down here In Ath- |
erton," continued Clark. ut rained |
hard, and the big bag and chute were |
soggy and heavy. It's risky work un- |
der such conditions because your chute |
IL likely to stick and not open, and you
know what that means. My manager |
begged me not to go up at all, but the |