The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-16
AERONAUT %CAMEDOWNAFLAME
THOUSANDS CREERED, NOT KNOW
ING HOW THE MAN SUFFERED.
Gene Raymond. In a Hospital. Tells or Hls
Thrilling Experience Near PasssIc
Powder From the cannon Had Set Hls
Clothes Anre 5000 Feet I'm the Air.

Clothes Airc 5000 Feet I'm the Air.
Several thousand persons saw Gene
Raymond. the aeronaut. make a balloon
ascension from Hillside Park. near Passaic,
y. j., late on Sunday afternoon. Hanging
horizontally from the balloon from two
ropes as il left the ground gas a galvanized
IRON cannon, ~ feet long and about 3 feet
IN diameter at the mouth. Raymond was
lying fiat on his back in this cannon. with
Just the tips OF his shoes showing at the
opening. Between his ankles. right in the
mouth of the amor was n mortar bomb,
the kind they use in Fourth of July cele-
lrations TO send up a big shower Of sparks
at night.
The thousands watched the balloon until
1t was up 5000 feet. Then a u doomed in
the park. That was to let the aeronaut
know it was time for him to fire" himself
from the cannon. A tiny cloud Of black
smoke burst from the lannon's mouth.
and a few seconds later Raymond. clinging
&" the cross bar Of his parachute. shot
through the smoke cloud feet first. or
,uurse, only the mortar bomb had been
fired. but il looked as if the aeronaut had
iccn hurled from the long iron cylinder by
n charge of powder. A thin line of smoke
NlHNH lidlitO dioIH III tne uOWnWaru night
made the performance all the more realistic.
The BIC crowd applauded. and when the
parachute opened and Raymond began to
do stunts" on the cross bar they cheered.
A brisk southerly breeze carried the par
achutc of in the direction Of Nutley, but
the crowd in Hillside Park WAS able to follow
the performers until he was
within a few hundred feet of the ground.
fIln, 49, a l.. L. - l. -
from Are bar by one arm. They couldn't
imagine how any human being would take
the chances Raymond was taking when he
kicked about 30 recklessly and slapped his
legs. Even the managers Of the show
couldn't understand his actions, although
they also noticed the light smoke cloud
that ioated along above him
n good show, but mighty ticklish,"
vas the sentiment on the lips Of most Of
the spectators when the parachute and the
performer disappeared from view behind
The trectops more than a mile away.
Gene Raymond. lying n the Passsic
General Hospital yesterday. packed in
cotton batting and oil, told the real story
ol his descent.
when | heard the signal gun. said he,
81 ook my cigar out of my mouth and
touched the lighted end TO the fuse. This
fuse entered the cannon through a hole Just
above my head. IL ran along the bottom
OF the cannon TO the smoke pot mortar
bomb at the mouth, There were about
ten feet of fuse anu that always means a
wait of a minute or two.
Il took another draw OF 80 on my cigar,
blowing the smoke up through the fuse
hole and at the same time got my knife
ready to cut the rope running from the
mouth Of the gun to the balloon. That
rope was fastened about half way up in
side the cannon. right near my hand. When
things work all right | fire the bomb and
cut the rope, then the mouth of the cannon
drops and spills me with my parachute
out into the air.
We'll. yesterday after | lit the fuse she
went sputtering along all right, and | was
saying 20 myself: Now. after this trick ia
over I'll run over to Passaic and spend the
evening with "A friend of mine when helll
the whole inside Of the cannon seemed to
have blown up.
THE burning bits of powder fell all over
me. My eyes seemed to be blown full Of il.
! opened them but could see nothing. The
fumes. were sufiocating. j had on a full
length pair of tights and cloth shoes. and
around my body was an American flag.
My tights were aire in several places. or
course, | realized that the bomb had ex-
pioded and thrown most of the charge up
Into the cannon. |
What should | do? My first thought was
20 remain where / was and trust to the
balloon falling quickly. But the pain and
the smoke were too awful. / knew that l
would be smothered to death il not cooked
to death before the gas bag reached the
ground. l reached with my left a mt
felt the parachute. Apparently il was in
tact. All this flashed through my mind in
a few seconds. grasped the bar Of the
parachute, uttered a little prayer n
siashed the rope with my knife.
The cannon dropped and | shot out.
For the first $50 feet it was impossible for
me TO tell whether my big umbrella was
going to open or whether I was only started
on a death plunge Of 5000 feet. l have
been in a good many hair raising expert
my tights. famed by the air, started to
eat it's way more rapidly. All the deeds
Of my life seemed to flash through my
in that first $50 feet. but my reason
was still with me.
AT first there was the horrible doubt
about the parachute it might have been
broken by the explosion. And then came
the thought that even il the parachute
did open IL meant a slow trip TO the earth
A small rope ran from my belt to a ring
In the parachute framework. so that l
was safe from falling even II ! did lose
hold or become unconscious, pro-
vided. Of course, the rope itself didn't
burn.
Il can't describe to you the feeling Of
that came, even in my suffering,
when I felt my speed slacken and realized
that the big umbrella was opening. l
tried to collect my senses then. The fire
In my tights was confined chiefly to the
lower limbs. Hanging TO the crossbar
with one hand | tried to beat the fire out,
that was in vain.
Then I tried to kick what was left OF
nv shoes off. | could feel that the soles
we're still there hanging by some shreds.
| managed to get them OF, and then l tried
tn rub some OF the powder out Of my eyes.
IN TO this time I hadn't been able to see
a thing. | could tell from the movement
Of the chute, though, that she was going
along safely.
When I finally managed TO dig a little
Of the grit out OF my eyes I saw below me
a river, | think it was the Passaic. Say,
you talk about a soul OF the grid wanting
drink! That water looked better 20 me
anything I have ever seen in my life.
The first look I got at the5 parachute
showed me that danger from that source
wasn't over by any means. The explosion
lad blown several holes in IL, and 1t is a
wou~-s 20 me now how it lasted. Usually,
YOU .~ow. the least little hole in the silk
cover will grow into a big rip when she
begins TO All out.
Well, | simply hung on and fought the