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Louis D. Earl’s Thrilling Aerial Voy* age and Parachute Descent—It Will be a Feature of the State Fair.There will be three balloon ascensions during the State Fair, the lirst one to occur on Tuesday, October 14th, at four o’clock p. in.The aerial feat will be performed by Prof. Louis D. Earl. Following is a description of one of bis tlights by the Fort Wayne, (Ind.,) Journal.11 was the crowning feature of the day. Words fail utterly in expressing the beauty of the terrible drop, which could only be appreciated by being seen. At two o'clock the furnace was started and the huge canvas was steadily in Hated until it began to till out into its’ monstrous size.The crowd pressed eagerly forward, increasing as the balloon grew larger. At four o'clock the pulleys wore made ready for quick release. All eyes were expectantly wailing for the courageous young aeronaut. After a few more seconds Louis Earl made his appearance, took his position on the bar and at the words “let 'er go,” the monster of the air shot upward like a rocket amid the cheers of 10,000 spectators. Louis, by way of answer, waved his hand aud was heard to say, “good-bye, everybody.” Higher and higher rose the air ship, bearing far below it the intrepid aeronaut, who performed rapid aud graceful evolutions upon the bar as he ascended. At a height of what must have been 2,200 feet, the balloon seemed to vibrate like a thiDg of life, then suddenly dart into a new current. The young aeronaut appeared no larger than a man's hand. The balloon was now in the old air current. Knowing that the upper current would soon cause the balloon to descend, Manager Ryder signalled to those below that the boy was about to make the parachute leap. A pistol shot was the signal for the boy to prepare, and the multitude held its breath iu suspense.A second shot rang through the air, the sigual for the drop, and as the limp parachute separated from the balloon, trembling men and women watched, with strained eyes aud bated breath, its downward ilig’ht. Down it shot with lightning speed, taxing the swiftness of the eye to follow it. Will it never open? Has someone blundered ' No, it opens partially, closes again aud then opens, this time to its full extent and the terrific descentJis checked. After a drop of 200 fe tor more, the parachute caught the bm/.e and sailed as gracefully as a bird upou the wiug aud il ated toward the earth. Rut look at the released balloon! When the weight of the parachjute and aeronaut leaves it, it suddenly springs upward, then slowly turns upside down, while thick, black smoke pours from its mouth like that from some huge furnance. Soon it is empty aud the beautiful thing of life which it seemed, is transformed into a limp, black rag, and comes swiftly toward the earth. Again all eyes returned to the daring young aeronaut, now rapidly descending. Rut a few feet more and he camo down on a housetop, and losing his hold, he fell to the ground, about twenty feet, but was not injured. He landed one quarter of a mile from the starting point and the balloon fell a mile and a quarter from the grounds of the celebration.The first successful ascension in a bal-loou was made in 1773, in France, by IV i at re De Rosier, a young naturalist,and the Marquis D’Arlundo, who ascended ;o the height of 3,000 feet. Subsequently DcRoiser was killed iu an attempt to cross the Euglish channel in a balloon iu dated with hot air. The parachute was first used in descent in 1802 and the second attempt to use it resulted in tho death of the hazardous aeronaut. The danger of ballooning has scarcely been lessened during tbc past hundred years, and not a season passes but what some aerial voyager meets death in his attempts to navigate the air.
Newspaper Details
The Daily State Chronicle
Raleigh, North Carolina, US
Sun, Oct 12, 1890
Page 1
Full Page
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Anonymous
DE 30 Mar 2024
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