The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-05-11
A Murder in the Clouds.

mere Is man living to-day who
has gone through the whole thrill
ing horror-hlled experience of kill
ing man in the clouds. The
marks of grief and woe on his
face and his shattered nerves tell
the whole story.
Robert +. Scanion was known
through the Middle West as one of
the most daring and even foolhardy
aeronauts and parachute jumpers in
all the country. Rarely was a day
&p windy or district too dangerous
f0ip MIN to make his ascension ac-
cordny to contract and on time.
Then L. day, in an hour, il was
ali changed.
1t was during fair week at Ca
hokia, ILL., People from all the sur
surrounding country and towns had
come in OF the last day of the week
to make merry when Scanion was
billeS 90 make a balloon ascension
lad parachute lead.
y. He himself superintended the fill
ing of the balloon with hot air and
coal gas by throwing light wood
and coal oil on the fire in the
furnace few yards from the
balloon. The gas was sent into
the canvas bag through tunnel
and a pipe, the mouth of the bal
loon over the opening. The gas
bag began to expand, putting up
in little jerks almost like the beat
ing of a great heart. AS it be-
gan to expand the people packed
in closer and shouted out in en-
element. Around the bolloon like
fringe were lows of the bags of
sand to weight it down, and in ad-
dition men from the crowd were
pressed in to hold the guy ropes
that the last possible mitre of gas
might be got in before it should be
released for its shoot up III the air.
The Isalloon is Inflated.
Slowly the balloon rose until it's
tail brushed the ground bearing it
self for flight like some great
creature of the air. Scanion in his
tights and spang!eS had to keep
running from one side Of the bal
loon TO the other and then out to
the furnace to give orders to his
assistants. 1t was hard work and
the thing might go wrong and that
the ascension might be failure.
Little by little he ordered the men
standing around the balloon, their
arms upstretchcd holding the guy
lines, to slack their ropes. AS the
great bag tugged the men would
be lifted off their feet, the bal
loon rolling from side to side as
the ground was the parachute fa;-
tened to the bag of the balloon so
that when the balloon shot up it
would be swinging directly under
1t, fastened only by one rope.
cord led up to a knife so that when
the auronaut wanted to descend,
he would have to but jerk the cord
cutting the rope and float down to
earth in safety. Under the para
chute the trapeZe bar was hanging,
bright brass rod on which Scan
ion was to hang and go through
his gymnastics while being waited
to the clouds.
AS the bag Strengthened up it be-
began to tug so that the farmers
and townSpeople swinging on it
for ballast began to grow afraid
and anxious to release their hold
Hey, Mac" he called to his as
sistant, throw in another chunk"
Mac knew what that meant, and
coal oil. A blaze of fire leaped
through the tunnel and the balloon
tore itself out of the hands of the
ballast men. The balloon wobbled
up.
A muttering shout ran through
the crowd for the tension was at it's
height, and a man from theirmidst
was about to be whisked up into
the heavens. W omen threw up
their hands and shouted out words
of warning.
old man leaning on Il Snarled cane
for support.
'Oh, | know he will be killed, -
sobbed | woman, ,urning away her
eys.
Let Go or You Will he Killed"
But all this was met with at
every performance and served in no
way TO unstring Scanion's nerves.
All his mind and energies were bent
on clearing the buildings and tree
tops.
Let her go boys" he called out
over the eXciamations of the people,
and the cracking of the fire. cut
loose
Running back Scanion picked up
the brass trapeze rod and seated
himself on it, one hand on each
rope. Then as the balloon slipped
up into the air he ran forward un-
der it, the long-folded parachute
tugging him gently, thus saving
the ground There had not been
a hitch, the weather was perfect
he was getting good start. The
ascent seemed no different from a
dozen others he had made.
But there is where the risk of a
balloon jumper comes in. He never
knows what moment something will
happen.
Suddenly drunken man burst
through the crowd and threw his
arms around Scanion.
He was a big muscular man and
in his eyes was the look of an in
toXicated man who cares not the
least what happens. Scanion had
to grasp the ropes on the end of the
har m lypaD from hping Dulled off