Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-02
Council Bluffs
YOUNG MAN HAS HIGH TRIP
Caught Around Ankle at Treynor, He
is Lifted Into Air.
FIRST TIME SAW BALLOON
Ransom Jones. while Engaged in
Helping Hold balloon Down, is
Caught by Guy Rope ana
swung Into Heavens.

Caught around the right ankle by q half
inch rope. the end Of which he had coiled
at his feet while aiding a dozen other men
in the task Of holding down a balloon,
Ransom Jones. a 17-year-old farmer boy
was carried skyward. hanging head down
ward. at Treynor Thursday night With
wonderful agility he righted himself and
chung to the rope, while the balloon rose
to a height OF roo feet and drifted four
miles. The boy landed without a scratch
save the abrasions where the coils of the
rope rubbed his ankle
The exciting experience occurred at the
conclusion of the big celebration in honor
Of the opening Of the new interurban rail-
road, and was the last thing on the pro-
gram. 1t had been scheduled for the after
noon. but could not be made on account
Of the high wind The balloon was the
property OF the Twin City Amusement
company, whose secretary and general
manager, Scott Ryan, resides at s44s Ave-
nue. d, Council Bluffs. The balloon was
in charge of Props" sturdevant, a Council
Bluffs boy, 10 years old, who Joined the
amusement company a few weeks ago and
has been doing vaudeville work. The COM
pany had several balloons out Thursday
and were short a rider for the one at
Treynor and Young Sturdevant volun-
teered to make the ascent, although he had
never attempted II before and had little
knowledge of the business. An experienced
assistant assisted in filling the bag and
managing the technical part Of the work.
Caught Around Ankle.
Young Jones, with many other men and
boys. was engaged in holding down the
l.II 49,
filled with heated air. When the initiation
was complete and the order was given to
let go. Jones dropped his line with the
others. He had, however, coied up about
twenty feet of the rope at his feet, and
when the balloon shot into the air the
line caught in a hitch around his ankle.
lie was dragged for a few feet on the
ground and was then carried into the air
head downwards. Jones had been taught
to Skin a cat" on the rafters in the hay
loft and had no difficulty in raising his
body until he could grasp the rope above
his feet and climbed to an upright posi-
ton.
The top of the balloon, after he had
Strengthened Zip, was just eighty feet above
the parachute bar, and Jones was cling
ing a little above the mouth of the big
bag. He started TO slide down the rope
to the parachute where sturdevant was
sitting, but the young aeronaut realizing
that this would mean death for both,
shouted to him to cling to the rope and
the rigging and ride 1t out. The boy
obey to the letter, and Sturdevant cut
loose several bags Of ballast to permit the
balloon to rise high enough to make the
parachute drop in safety. At 500 feet he
pulled the cord and released the parachute
The balloon careened TO one side and APP
peared to be on the point of turning over.
1t did not do so, however but rose in a
lop-sided attitude to height of more than
1000 feet and then began gradually to sink
earthward.
Autos Chase Boy.
1t sailed out to the northeast from the
village, chased by half dozen automo-
biles. Four miles from the starting point
1t touched the ground and dragged young
Jones along several yards before the
weighted top inverted 1t. The boy was
found painting and pale. but unhurt save
the blistered ankle where the rope had been
wound. He was taken back to town ana
was the hero of the day. The only thing
that prevented the balloon from turning a
somersault when Sturdevant cut loose was
that the weight at the top designed to in
vert the bag after the parachute leap set |
tied toward the opposite side from which
the boy was clinging, thus bringing the
center Of gravity in line with his rope.
Jones lives near Fairview, between Trey
nor and Oakland. 1t was the first time he |
had ever seen a balloon and his frightful |
experience did not at all make him afraid |
of them He told Manager Ryan that he |
wanted to go up again. H. H. Spalti of
oakland says he is the best boy in Potta- |
wattamie county.
Young Sturdevant showed the utmost
GOODNESS and judgment. He realized that
the parachute ropes would not sustain the
weight of both. II It had been possible for
young Jones to have reached the bar, and
the parachute would have dropped like lead
under the weight OF both. He realized that
II he did not cut loose the balloon would
have come down in an inflated condition
and the boy would have been Jared loose
from his end Of the rope and would have
fallen distance OF sixty or more feet
The four-mile flight let the balloon cool
off and descend lightly. Sturdevant has
been employed at the Meneray Nursery
company in Council Bluffs. He is an or
phan and has no relatives that he
knows Of