TOYING WITH GRAVITY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 26 January 1911, Page 6

TOYING WITH GRAVITY.

THE THRILLS OF A LONG DROP

A BALLOONIST'S EXPERIENCES.

"What does it feel like to be up in a 'balloon; what kind of a sensation, is it when you lea.ve the balloon in a parachute? These two question have been asked- mo more times than I've got hairs on my head," isaid the wellknown balloonist, Mr Vincent M. Beebe whose company c-f aerial experts have been, giving ballooning exhibitions in Christ-church during the last few weeks. Mr Beebe is an American a eronaut, who hais spent nearly twenty-five years as a balloonist, and is a recognised expert in tihe building of hot air balloons and parachutes. The folder parachute, already perfected by his company, he re-, pards as ' the aerial lifebelt of the future, and with slight! alteration hopes soon to have it ready for installation as an important part of the equipment of airships and aeroplanes. That it will be a safeguard as effective to thos'» who travel by air as a lifebuoy or lifebelt is to the mariner Mr Beebe"has not the slightest doubt. . ' "To be up in a balloon whem you once get used to it, produces the most delightful and exhilarating feelings imaginable," said Mr Beebe to a "Press" representative. "Yau are glad, happy, free, and satisfied. The only thought that troubles you at all is the fact that you must ocane down again. An aeronaut would stay up there for ever if possible. The air is light, a«a I'onr hflart : s lighter. You are away from the noise and dirt of the city, and the hoini o,f its endless .strife reaches you through the pure, rarefied .air, like the distant ruimble of machinery in some greait factory, and you look down with a feeling of pride, for you know that for the present at least you are ifar above vour fellows.

"But the first.time, what does it feel like?" "Oh, that is different. I don't think the man ever lived that went up in a great balloon the first time without being scared, or at least, very nervous. Of course, you understand' a hot-air balloon- is much faster leaving the ground- than any other class of balloon, and before you have time to realise what, has happened yon are several hundred feet an the air. Everything has dropped away from you, and is still dropping rapidly. You don t enjoy the scenery much the first time, I can assure you, for you have not the heart to look down. You feel a bit eilly", and heartily wish you had never Jeft the mother earth. If vour companion— it is customary for an experienced aeronaut to go up with a beginner the first few times—asked how you like it,-of course you will .say fine, but somehow or other, when you say fine, your' voice lacks t the enthusiastic ring rwhiCh .real joy produces, and the older man knows tnat you are stretching "the truth some."

"How about when you have to leave the balloon with the .parachute?" "The first time you feel anyhow. Asi a matter o,f fact, you have been calling yourself a fool all the way going up for having ever taken the- game on, and you silently vow, if ever you get back to earth alive, no more of this f for me. The time cam&s to 'cut away 'when the manager, on the ground, fires his ioistol. You hardly hear the shot, though the air is rarified, and the •souncii carries u- distinctly... Your com-, panion has heard it though, and. ,calls out, 'that means you, cut away.' •

"It's too late then to turn back. You grasp the handle of the automatic knife, grit your teeth, close your eyes, wive one quick ienk,. and/ you* are off before you know" it; You hold on for dear life—there is no time to think 1 — you don't even breathe. It is all over , in a fe w seconds, and you are brought up with a bang when the parachute opens, for a novice always falls head downwards, and when the parachute opens the jerk is terrific. ' You then experience the first sensation that has the faintest semblance of joy about it, for the thing you have been fearing might not happen has happened; the parachute has opened; and a quick glance down.vards shows the good old earth coming up to meet you. Your next trouble comes when you' hit the ground. You don't strike easily, as most people suppose/ and the beginner invariably lands on his back, through not knowing, how to control the parachute, a.s the ground currents sway it about. However, you joon get .used to all these little-things, md don't think any more of leaving 'the balloon with a parachute than you would if takinsr a motor ride. In fact, yOu :ather like the idea of a good long "drop" before .the "chute" opens, for you have acquired perfect faith in' the ippa-ratus, and hav©no fear of its not .vorking properly. In our triple para•huto descent the aeronaut must take ,hree falls through space, and Mr >ebphe has even taken four parachutes ivith him, which he has used m a single descent. He is the onl v man in the world who has accomplished a quadruple descent. ..-•'.-■..

••"How'far do we fall before the para:hute opens? That depends entirely upon the atmosphere; never less than •vA>ftj and frequently 6Coft or 700 ft. fou see, the parachute is 45ft long, and you fall its full length in order; to un.old it.- This merely gives you.a good "ast start; and' then you keep on falling until the wind created by the force Df your- fall gets : under, the folds of the ■loth p.nd spreads the whole thing out. With three parachutes, of course, riple' the risk, for instead of merely isking one parachute not opening, you nust rely on three to open, and if only mo of these three should fail, the result Arould be disastrous."

"How high do we go . , It is extremely hazardous to attempt a. triple parachute descent unless you are at "east 3Ooofb up. and we,usually strive to reach upwards of 5000 ft for the triple 'drop.' The higher you are the safer' /ou are." ?