The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-03-02

ny part>
Thsu care the eI0ads, and T
wOrk@d my way up rhrough them,
hoping that ther Eoalt n0G Sc thick
or !sst long. for sboyc the clouds
ih tEs sHDIigat are the wickedest
gusts. and IL means fizht-nghI-
iizn, all the time
The hsnd Ut the aneroid baron
ie- ln front Of me kept creeping
around and around az mounted; ;
sbe first 1000 feet were told off
quickly. and then more and more
slowly the indicator vent al en-
tered the thinner strata Of the up
per air and began the struggle to
Dass the thousand marks. Three,
four. five. six thousand passed
each one taking an increasing
length OF time and requiring more
Of physical effort and mental and
neryous strain.
Soon the hand II the aneroid be-
gan ~ capeT back and forth; 1
knew Was mounting steadily. but
she little irstEHment did not shaw
II. and finally Topped back near
the starting point and stayed there.
ihc anerOid had evidently gone
higher than IL was ever intended
- 70 and nov was completely out
II commission.
y baroSraph. which Is record
inE barometer encased IN quite
fair sized wooden boz with a glass
ifont. had been tied about my neck
and hung IN front Of me just rar
enough Gown for Tito rcsr easily
IN my lap al I sat ln mmy neat.
."ok one hand from the control
and turned the face y the baro-
zrapE up toward me.
Through the glass; front I could
~ the purple line that had traced
my ascent. felt aurc that must
be- near the top II seemed ages
since | had started and the terri
ole cold wee beginning 10 penetrate
sven the thick, fur lined clothing
han had had made particularly
NJ this flight.
NY hands were beginning To get
numb and felt that my ears would
burst with the preasur. from in
side my head, Or rather with the
ies''ening Of the pressure outside.
Ay nerves and my muscles TOO be-
gan TO give warning that they had
been pushed almost To the utmost
and felt that waa near the end
Of my powers.
But one sight Of the barometer
made me grit my teeth and shove
the nose ~ the Blcroit Il good
deal higher than wisdom warranted.
Instead Of being near the coveted
1890 mark. VIA barely passing
tn" 5000 line.
No words OF mine can cxpre3s IN.
disappointment and the discourage-
mfnl 0I that moment. was al
most all In. yet had still the two
hardeSt stages Of my journey to
cover. the Bitter pght OF jumping
and falling during the final five
hundred feet. and last but most aw-
'ul Of all. the horrors OF that de-
scent. where the chances were
hundred to one against me In my
weakened condition.
There WAS nothing for il how
;ver. but TO continue the fight up
ward. set my teeth hard and
lgain iled the co1trol toward
ne. There was rafting sound
behind me and lglanced back
quickly. fearing that the tail of tn.
3leriot had come loose. But he
ore l had time to turn all the way
mastered myself apd forced my
elf To look straight ahead and not
o think Of such d possibility as
he tail coming off, knew that
o give away to such fears would
hreaten panic with my overstrung
nerves, and panic would be fatal.
SO doggedly fixed my mind up
IN the magic figures 10000" and
mounted again. Belo& me there
vas nothing but SPACE The filmy
Clouds formed haze which com
pletely shut the earth from my
view and I seemed like an impudent
little fly, buzzing around important
Iy In the vastness Of infinitude.
The thought struck me as being
rather droll and | laughed aloud.
p Then I remembered how "A friend
Of mine had come tonne at the han
gar before started and with a
mlzzicaI expression on his face. as
though he knew | was not serious,
asked:
Are you really going for altitude
to-day"
~ CS, answered.