A Fall Of 2,000 Feet

A most exciting incident took placo in connectíon with tho balloon ascensión at Stafford Springs, Conn., not long ago. ''Professor" Hogan, the parachute "artist," who had been engaged to make a balloon ascensión, had waited all day for the wind to die down. About 5:30 o'clock, bef ore 8,000 spectators, he inflated his monster machine and ascended gradually to a height of 4,000 feet, or nearly a mile. At that enormons heigbt the balloon with its occupant appeared to be about the size of a frog. Aecording to bis programme, the aeronaut p.t this point fixed his balloon so that it would faJl to the earth alone, and prepared. to make his dariog descent by means of the parachute, which was attached to the side of the balloon by a small cord. The parachute, when inflatcd, is a sort of cone ia shape, the base of which looks like an umbrella, the Bides being numerous cords and the apex being a small iron ring, to which the professor hangs by his hand. Mr. Hogan juraped from the basket at that terrible altitude with the iron ring in his hand. The cord attaching the chute to the balloon at once broke, leaving the daredevil with his flimsy anparatus . nearly a mile from the earth. A temblé thing now happened. The eord? had become eutangled and stiffened by the rain, and prerented the great chute from expanding its broad surface in tho air, through which the aeronaut was falling with frightful speed. The people below, looking up with wide open mouths, could see nothing but a dark line, becoming longer at each instant and coming toward the earth with tho speed of lightning. "Aly Godl" crieda looker on; Hogan's goneP A ornan elutehed frantically ut a strange raaa at her side as the body in the air was seen to careen to one sido, as if unstable. At this point, when fully one-half of tho descent had been mailo in bnt a few seconds, and when not ope of the 3,000 spectators expected aught else but a catastrophe, the great surface of tho chute was seen to expand, and thence thero was only a graceful, easy fall that turned every groan to a smiie. When tbc performer reached the ground he said that at the beginning of tho descent ho realized his dangsr, but could do absolutely uothing but clutch the ring. He was unable to breatho, his liead began to swim, faintness overloop him, and his sensation was that his fingers were n-lazing their hold. At this point, however, tho entangled cords that held inclosed the folds of the chute were snapped by the enonnous pressure of the air, and ho was sa ved from certain death. - Springfleld llepublican. Small Boy- Ma! ma! WeVe got to get away trom liere. It's dangerous. They're caunibal.s! 1 was just helping Büly tie the cat to the dog's tail at the gutter when Mr. Hawkins carno to the kitchen door and he called out: "Wife, get everything ready a& quick as yon can ; we'll havo that fat Mr. Johnson for dinner, and his wife and baby for (opper." - Judge.