The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-07-06
VOL 19. OCAIA, FLORIDA, SATURDAY, JULY g. 1912
LANTS 5 TREMENDOUS LEAF
Jumped from an AerepIane 5000 Fee:
In the Air and Landed a. Lightly
as Bird
New York SUM

Rodman Law. who for about a year
has been going about the country
jumping off high buildings and bridges
added a new stunt 10 his repertoire
last night when he jumped from ar
aeroplane in full flight at an altitude
of 5000 feet He tried the same feat
once before, but not from such
height, and he looked forward 10 tn
exhibition of last night as the crown
ing event of his brief career
tumbler from high places. He accom-
plished il without injury TO himsel;
and without interfering to any apprC
ciable extent with the manipulation
Of the aeroplane.
The man who was in charge Of tn
machine was Harry Brown, a BOsto
youth who got his training with al
machines in England and whom LaN
selected as about the most careful
aviator he knew. The flight and dro
were made on the plains of Long Isl
and. about three miles southwest
Hicksville. Everybody within fifteel
miles that owned an automobile ap
peared to be there and a moving pic
ture concern that is to weave Stor!
about the flight for the benefit of it
patrons had its cameras at points o.
vantage.
In all his jumps heretofore Law has
simply bundled his parachute up anC
leaped off into space, scorning tho
careful arrangement of the ropes thai
hold the big umbrella. Stevens him
self got the parachute ready yester
day. He folded the twenty-five foo
spread of canvas very carefully and
then put around it a sheet of canva:
which he tackled to the under side o
The lower plane. The stays had been
changed on the machine so that there
was just room enough for Law to sir
through from his seat beside the avia-
tor. \ trapeze was attached TO tho
parachute and in addition Law had q
belt about his canvas protected waist
t was figured out that when he drop
ped the weight of his body would r.
Dut the tacks and free the parachute
1t was G:i0 o'clock when Brown anC
Law seated in the machine anr
the big propellers were started. TIL
IyiatOr made a perfect getaway anC
hegan TO send her up slowly. III,
swept over toward Mineola and theI
back in a wide circle, appearing t.
get into the upper air more easil!
when ne had the wind behind him
which should not be so. according tC
those who know. He had expected
that it would take him nearly a hall
hour to reach an altitude of 5000 feet
but just at : clock the long legs o.
Law could he seen reaching below tho
Ieroplane. lie ght down on one of the
runners on his knees, then let himself
lown to arms length and dropped.
Law figured that IL would take 2
lrop of 100 feet to open the parachute
because it was tightly packed and wa
:er had run into il from the radiator
To those watching below it seemed
that the parachute opened almost the
instant Law gave his weight TO it
There was a fiutter of torn bits OF
canvas in the air and them a bellyine
of the big piece and everybody felt a
whirlng round and round under his
parachute. The wind took him nearly
a mile before he touched the ground
just two minutes after he let go.
When it was seen that Law had got
away with his stunt, so far the
opening of the parachute was concern
ed. every eve was turned to Brown
Just what effect that sudden releas-
ing of a weight OF 200 pounds would
nave on his biplane was problematical
He appeared not to have noticed the
departure of his companion and after
circlinG to the north he glided back tC
the starting place with a shout tC
those who We're running TO meet him
He said he felt no change when Law
dropped away, but that he had inclin-
ID the machine slightly upward just
| before the jumper had slid down the
stays.
When the half a dozen automobile:
| that went to bring him back reached
him. He said il was good stuff. thi:
humping from an aeroplane, that III
| landed without a scratch and has dem
| 'nstrated something that may he val
rahle to the aviators in the future: