The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-12-15
A FRIGHT IN MIDAIR.
Going Up In Balloon and Coming
Down in Parachute.

l ONCE "euC up LII DdllOOu duu
came down in a parachute. Something
went wrong, and all the money in the
world doubled would not induce me
to make the experiment again.
One grows strangely accustomed to
dangers as an acrobat, and when it
was suggested that I should earn $25
in as many minutes by taking the
place of parachutist who had fallen
i'll at the last minute jumped at the
chance.
It was at large country fair. The
laughing crowd had probably never
seen a ballon go up. As the great
silk bag gradually swelled silence
fell upon the onlookers.
The sick parachutist 5 manager pat
ted me on the back and said it was
money easily earned. I agreed-then.
"Keep cool," he said, "and what
ever you do, don't look down except
to judge your distance from the earth.
You see that tower. When you are
that distance up pull the check string
and shut your eye" "
A dull murmur rose as the ropes
were cast off and I felt my feet leave
the ground. The upward movement
was gentle, and a great cheer came up
to me until the band drowned it.
I hardly heard the cheering or the
band. The involuntary murmer still
rang in my ears. Perhaps my nerves
were upset, possibly it was intuition,
but from the moment I was drawn up
from the ground felt the conviction
that grim trouble lay ahead.
Ignoring the oft repeated instruc-
tons, I looked down. How slowly the
balloon went up! Could it be possible
that I had not gone more than hum
dred yards9 The giant overhead be-
came living thing, intent on tortur-
ing the puny mortal who had trusted
his life to it. I knew I dared not leap
before I was high enough, for the par
aehute takes 100 feet sometimes to
open.
I shut my eyes and tried to count
to kill time. but the figures became
jumbled, and I looked down again. A
swallow skinned past underneath.
Far below there was sea Of upturn-
ed faces, and the music floated up dis
tinetly. The balloon seemed to have
stopped rising, and for an eternity I
tried to gauge the height.
Again the band stopped, and [ was
in a silent world. The crowd Of
breathless specks far beneath was GET
ting full value for its money. The only
noise I heard was the beating Of the
blood through ny head. I was afraid.
It was the first real fear I had ever
felt in my work.
When the supreme moment came l
kpuIed the string without realizing
what I was doing.
What years I lived in those next
few seconds. An appalling nausea
and consciousness when my feet
touched a wild desire to live came
with the first terrible rush, and nv
heart stood still as I looked eagerly
eloft. The ropes Of the parachute had
twisted and I was falling to instant
death.
Grasping the ropes in a clutch Of
steel, shook them frantically. Half
The huge parachute bellied out with a
noise like a pistol shot. and the speed
pf the fall was lessened with jar.
Again shook the death trap. The
opes were sliding at snail's pace,
nd bit bv bit the parachute was open
ng. Still I fell far too fast. I could
ot breathe, and my hands seemed to
be refusing to Lold on.
Bang. The last fold had opened
pt. and I was saved. Dizzy and numb
18th fear. I held On tightly. wonder
hg whether 7 shonld faint before l
buched the ground. That, and that
plv, was my thought as I sailed
trough the space. I had almost lost
ground gently. And then I col
nsed-Buffalo Times.