Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-12

seemed that we were only hung sus-
pended by tiny thread and that all of
to snap and the whole outfit 10 go crash
ing below 20 the far distant earth and 10
destruction.
could not get out OF my mind this
sense OF suspended fste--of helpless walt
ing for something awful TO happen.
had never experienced II In my Bleriot.
There. all was action: muscles. mino.
nerves were constantly occupied with
the glorious battle, with gravitation. and
every moment carried It's exhilarating
impression OF personal triumph and in
spring victory.
SO we drifted upward and onward. in
ert. silent, helpless. I found myself look
ing at the ropes that suspended the car:
they were all too thin and weak, IL seem
ed to me. for the weight OF such a party.
I glanced up at the toggles where the car
ropes Joined the concentrating ring; GER
tainly it would take bit little to snap Off
these toothpick little pieces OF wood l
looked at the concentrating ring itself;
it seemed fiimsy affair to hold the lives
Of so many of us. And then, up to the
netting over the bag my eyes wandered:
meager little knotting-together of rotten
looking strings. and of which I thought
could snap with my fingers as a grocery
man snaps the Irvine after he has wrapped
a bundle.
| felt my nerves going fast. / wanted
TO do something to prevent the impending
calamity. 1t seemed foolhardy to stand
there calmly with the air OF o cheerful
martyr while We waited for the most
horrible of deaths. I felt the need OF
fighting something. OF working levers, OF
directing the thing, of doing something
or other that would give me a chance
nd I hos r1 NJ
my companions say something about the
altogether lovely time we were having
and what a perfect and Inspiring form OF
recreation balloonng was | looked at
the others OF the party to see II they
realized our danger I did, but. to my
amazement l saw that they had opened
a hamper and were passing about the
sandwiches and champagne
x x
At first this seemed TO me like useles,
bravado, but a glass of champagne en-
ab!ed me to pull myself together some
what and 1 reasoned that my companions
were all veteran balloonists and that. if
there were the slightest grounds for fear
they would be doing something TO avert
calamity instead OF calmly preparing and
eating luncheon.
This allayed my panic for the moment.
put IL ieluTleu again ana again until |
was in cold sweat and my knees and
teeth actually trembled. | knew il was
silly, yet / could not help IT, I was il,
complete funk. The awful Stiffness the
oppressive calm. the sense of nothing to
do and nothing 10 be done-all so DIFF
ferent from the inspiriting struggle I'm a
fighting northumberland my panic
every minute and | was never before nor
have i ever since been, SO glad OF getting
back to mother earth as L was when we
landed lightly as a feather Debated and
stepped from the basket.
To my companions il was an alto
gether delightful trip, without an incl
dent to mar their complete endowment.
and with all conditions ideal; to me IL
was hours and months of torture. for.
long after 1t was over, i found myself
waking In the night with that dreadful
fear impending and Inevitable disa ster
that. even to this day, has not left me-
But L have determined to conquer this
fear. l plan to go into balooning until
| get pilots license and. if all goes
we'll, hope to handle one OF the balloons
of the Aero Club OF PENNSYLVANIA in the
next elimination contests for the Gordon
Bennett race. i am convinced that when
one becomes used 10 the sensation il can
be the most delightful of sports. and I
know that 1t is safer than almost any
other form of recreation.
Copyright. 1911 by Henry NJ Nicely. Copyright
in Great Britain and Canada. All rights
rcservedl