New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-16
AERONAUT In FLAMES.
Tells of His Experience When 5000
Feet Abore the Earth.

Passaic. N J. July y (SPeciaD--Eugene Ray
nnond an expert aeronaut. living Win Leo stevens
the baIIoonist. No 4ol West zIth street. -NeW
York City. was burned by the explosion OF smoke
not after making a successful ascension at Hill
side Pleasure Park Belleville. yesterday. Ray
mond is in the General Hospital His feet, legs.
hands face and neck were severely burned HIS
eyebrows and lashes and much or the mar on hls
head are also burned Of
Raynond's trip yesterday afternoon was his first
this season Johnny Mack, who usually makes
the ascension at Hillside. Informed the owners Of
the park that he would not arrive in time To make
the ascension. Raymond consented 10 take his
place Ten minutes before the ascent Mack ar
rived but Raymond permitted 70 make the
flight THIS is the story he tells ABOUT #.
The balloon went up all right When thought
I was high enough L lit the fuse with my cigar
and waited for the lannon's discharge The can
non is Of galvanized iron and is twenty feet lons
l lie in the cannon on my back. just as I lie n
bed The only hole through which / can see 3
where the fuse IS. The fuse IS ten feet long. and
runs from a small hole In front of my face along
the bottor, OF the cannon 10 the mouth Il runs
10 the mortar smoking pot Its weight IS forty
pounds. When it lights IL shoots OF the same way
as a skyroCket does-Out one way. The mortar
pot rests between my ankles and has solid back
that IL cannot shoot back Az my mead Is ny
parachute all bundled In one hand hold a
knife. This Is 70 cut the rope when IS altacneo
10 the balloon from the foot Of the cannon
ThA ascension yesterday was all right. but the
mortar exploded Nh Raymond said Ny feet,
face hands and neck were burned by IT, but kept
thousand feet IN the air and could see water be-
low me. u must have been under me- for fully ter
minutes The parachute was f1u OF holes MATS
by the explosion I landed on the ground. 1 don't
know where II was. but do remember seeing logs
where some trees had been cut down ! told
that II was In Nutley
When landed tore everything from my body
NY tights burning. and 81 was the parachute
and the American flag which I had nv breast
The flag given 70 me by President William
Mckinley the Pan-American Exposition a. Buf-
falo Hundreds Of people were by me when
dropped and they rushed 20 get souvenirs The
flag which looked though Il had gone through !
battle. taken from my breast by rre crowd
They tore " into shreds The parachute was in the
same condition. I don't see how i1 was thar the
parachute didn't break when "a IN the air"
Raymond SAYS that doctor sent for refused 70
attend him. saying thar Raymond had right
70 go up a balloon. Raymond most warm
I'm his praises OF the persons IN whose home he
was cared for before the ambulance arrived
Raymond was brought this city IN the srlbU-
lance The doctors said that unless complications
IN the aeronaut will soon recover HIS shoes
were nearly burned or his arms and fCrearrs bad
" sCorched and his face and neck burned ceeoly.
Ra ymoud has had other narrow escapes. II Ha-
gerstown. Md. two years ago he fell three hun
dred feet into celery patch One leg was orcAen-
He was five months In bed a result