Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-05-18
AN INTERESTING CAREER
Since Utah Ascension Has Visited
Almost Every Large City in
Europe and the Orient.
nhIplSs Manila Under the Spaniards
WAS tho Wors. CITY lie ENer
Got Into OH Ills Travels.


,.,,oor una first practised in Utah on
July 4. 1883. and the man VINO rose OUT
Of washington square above the sa"e
az 5000 people, to land in Red Butte
canyon after a trip to the eastward AT
Fl height Of $1,000 feet, Is now pack
On salt Lake for a return visit, since
,aaviug here "a years ago Prot van
Tassell has grown from a young 10 an
old man while the number of his as
cersions has increased from 10 10 many
hundreds. His balloon has hung above
Tho nalares of almost every king on the
Globe and he has collected large
,ackase of letters from princes, poten-
tates raiah mudas poo-bahs, suitans'
dattos nabobs, mikados and shans.
The salt Lake ascension on July a,
1ss2 was followed by another on july
a4 prof. Van Tassell landing in Red
suite canyon on the first TRIP, ana
snuth of Parley's canyon on the second
both of them being counted signal sue
A GALA HOLIDAY.
There are some Utahns who are sure
Ia remember the first ascent. Blsnop
William Woods of the Twenty fourth
ward should recall it, for in the athletic
urogram which preceded the ascension
al Washington square, he led all COM
pettors In the bicycle races, peatns =.
Howe, +. Brooks and w. Jennings 10
The final tape.
THE memory of It should also come
easily to o. p Arnold for he whipped
UP his horse and raced to Red Butte
canyon, following the balloon, and was
the first man to reach the aeronant
after his descent. although a party OF
picnicers had been startled out of their
ramp 10 make place for him to alight.
There are others, too, who should re-
cali 1t, for on that day bitterly
fought baseball game was played be-
tween the salt Lake Olympics ana the
Athletics of Ogden, while The balloon
The Athletics had one victory to their
credit. and the game was played In dead
earnest. w. S. Hedges. who Is now
known only as a staid and substantial
citizen, VS. soaked in the left ear with
a baseball and went out of commission
temporarily.
Mr. Wright of Ogden sprained his
right ankle going over the fence after
the ball Hyrum Steadman OF West
Jordan was the star of the day for In
fot race, he beat a professional runner
from Denver, and there were cheers
galore for the farmer boy who had
accomplished such feat.
AT COUNTY BUILDING SITE.
Washington square, where the ascen-
sion took place, is now the City and
County building square. In those days
it was the scene of the city's horse
races, bicycle races. and especially its
baseball battles. 1t was considered
quite ways out of town.
ON the morning OF July T. there was
only small notice in the News" of
the balloon ascension for the typo
graphy OF that era did not lend itself
10 display. The first page was given up
10 telegraph, and the third contained
the local news under brief headlines.
Under such a showing the announce
ment was made that the first gas ball
loon ascension I'm the territory would
be undertaken as part of the Fourth of
July festivities, and in the city council
notes is an item that Prof. Van Tassell
mad applied for police protection TO his
balloon while 1t was filling with gas
from city main on Fourth East street.
TREMENDOUS CROWD.
Eight thousand people turned out to
witness the performance, and Join in
the sports. At 4;15, according to the
News narrative, the balloon was cut
loose II shot straight up. carrying a
monkey belonging to George a. Mears,
IN addition to the professor, with Mr.
stone lamenting the fact that he was
not permitted to moke the ascent on ac-
count of the weather conditions. Over
10 the east the gas bag floated. reaching
ing a height OF $1,000 feet above Fort
Douglas.
When asked II he recalled the old
time ascension, Prof Van Tassell who
is Still hale and hearty despite his ad-
Nanoing years, declared that he did
most wildly, and that he always assoc
ciated it with Mr.. Mears, through
whose help he was enabled to build the
balloon which was entirely constructed
IN salt Lake. on this visit Prof. Van
Iassell brings another balloon, the most
recent thing In air bags, consisting Of
100 yards OF SILK In the form OF per-
rect sphere, and made up Of 96l panels
sewed together. His intention is to at
Tempt to create a sentiment In favor of
bhuooning here, and to operate cap
i've balloon with "specialties OF mar
rage up In balloon, night ascensions
by search light parachute Jumps, and
99ther accessories to modern aerial
flights"
FIRST BALLOON PHOTOS.
The day Is passed when balloonng
% considered q foolhardy thing" ne
declares, 1T Is now on scientific
pasls, Wnere a passenger is almost as
safe as on land, and It Is being taken
the world"
When asked To tell Of his experiences
Mnlle Dallooning around the world,
iFoI' van Tassell produced scrap
Np'hi on puBe one or which rs "A CLIP
ping from the Deseret News OF July .,
1881, giving an account of his first Utah
appearance, After that In 1889 he took
tle hrst pictures ever snapped from a
Ddllooll' w.lilo his gas bag was float
lfls over nNs francisco. This trip was
for the 'E<Eminer" in the early days
" Hearst's career as 4 sensa tlonal
editor, Editors In Kansas City. Port
,and, and many other cities save been
MS guests, and star" rspSsSSxy have
written up many a city as Il hooked
from the edge OF his basket While his
balloon lowered from 5000 TO 10000
feet above u.
MANILA THE WORST.
Where is the worst place you ever
vent was suggested, to draw out
come incident OF his world travels.
well. cir, that's easy. II was Ma
niln, Philippine Islands / went down
mere from Hong Kong when the Span
ards owned the place. and Of all tho