Charlevoix county herald., 1920-11-26
REAL THRILL IN
10000 FOOT DROP
Lieut.. A. C. Hamilton Breaks All
Records for Parachute Leap
From AirpIane.
TAKES LIFE IN HIS HANDS
Through Miles Of Cloud Floors to thu
Earth Hanging to a Parachute
None the Worse for His Har.
rowing Experience.

New York.-All records for para.
chute drops went to smash at Carl.
strom field when Lieut.. A. G. Hamil.
ton fell 10000 feet through space In
the quick time of IL minutes, better
Ing by at least a thousand feet the
record for altitude made by Lieut.. VIII
son In Texas. 1t might be noted, says
Air Service news letter, that Lieut.
Hamilton jumped; his method of lea~
ing the plane was not drag Off"
Hamilton, who has had quite little
experience with parachutes, had re-
marked upon hearing of the previously
established record that he thought he
could better ii and last Friday the at
La Pere piloted by Lieut.. p. II.
Downes. Downes pushed on until an
altitude just short of 81 900 feet had
been reached when a miss in the motor
made it impossible to continue higher.
At four miles above the earth the air
was biting cold.
Circling about for glimpse Of
earth through riffs in the cloud floors,
the aviators described what they de-
Quoted to be Dorr field, nine miles
east Of Carlstrom field. Judging the
speed of the wind and its effect on
Downes moved west some two miles
and signaled for Lieut.. Hamilton to
jump.
The Parachute.
Right here mention might be made
Of a circumstance which puts an added
thrill into parachuting at high alti-
tudes and lends interest to the estab-
lishment of a new record. The para
chute used by ayiators is folded snug
ly inside a pack carried on the back.
The operator steps off. allows himself
a couple Of seconds to fall clear Of
his machine, then pulls wire depend
ing over his shoulder. This wire opens
the spring doors Of the pack and re-
leases a small pilot chute some couple
Of feet in diameter. This pilot springs
open automatically and catching the
rush of air. draws the main chute from
the pack. In the top Of the main
chute is an automatic vent which,
opening to width of five feet when
the big parasOl first unfolds, gives the
air compressed within a chance to es-
cape and lessons the danger Of blow
ing the chute apart. When the fall
has been checked rubber springs or
shock-absorbers in the vent close it In
until but small hole remains. At
the atmosphere pressure wherein most
parachute drops from ordinary alt-
tudes are made the speed attained by
the operator in his couple Of seconds
fall is sufficient to create enough pres
sure under the pilot chute to cause II
when released to yank the big one
at once from Its pack. Usually the op-
orator is descending at normal speed
after falling less than 200 feet.
Through Space.
Upon receiving his pilots signal,
Hamilton climbed to the edge Of the
cockpit, waved his hand and dropped
into space. After the usual interval
he pulled his release cord but instead
Of having his drop Immediately check.
ed, he fell O distance which was esti.
mated by both him and Lieut.. Downes
TO be 1000 feet before his parachute
snapped out and opened with a loud
report. Looking aloft he saw that the
springs which close the vent were
broken. The chute is of size design
ed to enable a man to reach the ground
as quickly as is consistent with safety
In landing and the shock upon touch
Ing earth is always severe. With the
vent wide open the best Hamilton
could hope for was a few broken
bones.
To add to his dismay he found upon
piercing the lowest layer of clouds
that Carlstrom field had been mistaken
for Dorr and that instead of drifting
toward the former he was due to land
In the timber between there and the
town of Arcadia, with good prospects
OF serious injury to himself. Almost
below him he discerned the outlines
Of Joshua creek and to prevent his
drifting past this he devoted all his
energies. Climbing the rigging to
windward he managed to pull the edge
down and created a planning effect
which held him pretty well into the
wind. BY the best of luck he dropped
between the Overhanging branches on
either side of the creek and was saved
a crash against its bed by the cush-
ioning action of the parachute, which
had became entangled In the branches
Of the tree. 1t took him quarter of
an hour to extricate himself from a
mass of tangled cordage and two hours
for a searching party to discover him
none the worse for somewhat har
rowing experience.