New-York tribune., 1906-05-31
WINDS TOY
DRAGGED THROUGH BAY.
Hangs by Arm to Somersaulting
1irship-DrOps ON Marsh.

With one strcng arm run through the ring at
the base of his balloon and the rest of his body
dangling high in the air, Joseph Wartscher,
Swiss aeronaut. scared through space for ex
actly twenty-five minutes yesterday afternoon.
Wartscher made the ascent from the circus ring
in Luna Park COMFY Island. at 4:SO o'clock. in
the presence of eighty thousand men. women
and children. Two hundred thousand persons
scattered over the island chaered themselves
hoarse the balloon rose above the big tower OF
Luna and drifted eastward. II was the star
event on the island.
Twenty-Five minutes after the balloon rose,
Wartscher dropped into Blackwell Marsh ten
miles from Coney. between Rockaway Park and
Jamaica. He was unconscious from the gas he
had inhaled and the terrific experience. The
balloon made nearly two dozen revolutions be-
fore it dropped. the aeronaut being under,
on top; again dipped into Jamaica Bay and
the next moment by fresh, swift wind. carried
half mile away.
Wartscher had little faith in the venture for
some reason and went into the basket with
certainty The clamor of the crowds. however
cheered him some. Earlier in tho day he
almost asphyxiated while repairing the balloon
and this dampened his ardor. When the ropes
were about to be cut he remarked TO some news
paper that he didn't think he'd come out
alive.
When he was up about twenty feet above the
circus ring and the crowds were yelling them
selves hoarse, Wartscher called TO the men to
@hag ~32,->t.t ti.g-.-sAt moment changed
his mind and slashed the rope holding the basket.
The moment the crowd saw his only safety ap
plance thrown away it stood almost dumb. The
next moment the cheers wera deafening
The aeronaut bound the thick cable about his
bod. and tied hmsel. III the rubber ring at the
base of the balloon. Then he pulled the rope
connected with the valve at the top and the
balloon shot up like a rocket At one time it
was estimated that Wartscher almost two
thousand feet in the air.
In five minutes the aeronaut was out of sight
He drifted in northerly direction for a few
moments and seemed to have cOntro! Of the bal
loon. Then brisk west wind sent him nearer
and nearer the He passed over Sleeps
head Bay, Plum Beach. Barren Island. and
drifted TO Rockaway Poin;. Thousands of peo
pie lined the beaches at these points. When he
up about ten minutes he that he must
drop at once in sonic marsh or be tossed into the
sea.
He allowed the gas to escape slowly for
few moments. and as he did the balloon dropped
lower and lower Suddenly gust of wind
struck it and drove him half a mile onward,
then for ten minutes the wind tossed it about
like football. The balloon ''loOped the loop"
a dozen times in the air; once 1t dipped the
aeronauts feet in the middle of Jamaica Bay
and the next moment lifted him hundreds of
feet into the air again.
Once when Wartscher a hundred yards
off the Beeville Harbor Club house, near Rock
away, the officials of the club put out in
launch. but stuck on a bar. The balloon drift
ed again and turned up and down, while the
cable was almost cutting the unfortunate aero
naut in two. Finally he was dropped into
marsh and rescued by Oystermen. who
took him to their cottage at He'll Gate Greek.
near Rockaway Inlet He was unconscious for
half hour. but after treatment by DR.. w. j.
Pierce DR.. Martin J. COtter and DR.. Julian ?.
Thomas. he revived and taken 10 Coney
Island in triumph. Thompson & Dundy put
him astride an elephant and the crowds cheered
again WaTtscher says he VIII try II again.
Thompson & Dundy. he said. to give him
S25. .OOO to make balloon which will take him