The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-18

experimenting with his new parachute for many
weeks, sending it down first with bag of sand
weight, and then for short jumps from the rafters
of lofty building with himself hanging the ring.
A century previous the French aeronaut Farnerun
had perfected parachute, ribbed like umbrella,
with which he safely dropped dog from captive
balloon With human freight, however, it oscillated
too violently, and years later Englishman,
Cooking, decided invert the umbrella. He dropped
from a balloon at considerable height and
found in a stubble field his body crushed into
shapeless mass and half buried in the earth.
Since Baldwin's first successful jump with bis
canvas-rope parachute there have been thousands OF
descents, and the parachute jump has become COM
thriller" at county fairs and amusement parks
Perhaps round hundred men and some women have
engaged in this most hazardous of all aerial feats
But that is the show side of the parachute There
is another, important side In the of Cap
tain Baldwin and Leo Stevens the parachute has
been made the forerunner of aerial navigation, first
by showing results previously believed to be
attainable and, second, by adding valuable data
to aeronautca science.
Jump Always Thrills
Parachute jumping has become common, but it has
ceased to be thrilling. To the onlooker there's
breathessness wonderment melted that no other
daring can call forth To see that tiny speck of
man high up the heavens; realize that his sole
hold on life is canvas umbrella; that he is at the
utter mercy of the unknown ungovernable caprcious
air currents; that an accident means certain death;
that he has nothing fight with, nothing to cling to,
hope whatever-one grows to wonder, just that
San Francisco traction official wondered, why and
how man does it.
ts all in getting used to it," the experienced
naut says. That first air cleaving rush from the
ground is hardest the novice There's roar in his
like the coming of cyclone, pulsing like the
booming of monster waves. His body, Strengthening
like an iron rod, seems to have weights
upon the feet and his almost dislocated.
None but strong could stand the muscular
tension.
But this first strain is gone the balloon steadies
itself. The relief is felt in the way of a pleasant
dreamy sensation The bare of the band, the swell
ing applause, the strange exhilaraton-a bring hope
back to the heart and weird spirit of reckless
bravado.
Then comes the cutting loose "Whishp The
breath leaves, again the body is camped in that
vselike grip fash of unearthly light, another cy
conc roar, and then that dreamy, floating sensation
again the parachute opens after that first swift
t plunge of 100 odd feet.
As in baloonng, the parachute jumpers sensation
, is that of being stationary. When he ascends the
E earth seems to be falling from under him with
breathless rapidty. When he drifts the crowds look
if they walking away; when he drops the
earth darling up at him
The of this last illusion may be judged from
experience of Leo Stevens in Montreal
When l opened my eyes,, said he, latter the first
swift drop, the city surging up at me, and in
the middle and directly under the tall, sen-
der spre of Notre Dame.
at seemed like pivotal point about which the
city grew as a kaleidoscope does from the center
The sharp point of it rushing me as if were
e magnet. For an instant felt as if we were the
center of small revolving world being drawn ire
sistbly together, and the idea of swift implement
1 upon that sharp point made my flesh creep
E The experienced jumper generally guide his
parachute by pulling the ropes and fitting it. aad
in this way he is often enabled to land at the point
of ascent to escape houses and trees. On this oc-
casion however, try he would the aeronaut gided
straight down toward the snire and Ytha tlt Of