GALLANT RESCUE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 612, 15 September 1909, Page 7

GALLANT RESCUE.

;■ ; OEDEAL. .; Tho "Sydney JlorningHorald" contains news -from.',Jayn of a thrilling;adventure which an Englishman, touring the island with a; balloon and parachute,/experienced the : other; day at a'village called Patt.~-.lt seems'that yhile ho was making'an.ascent one of the natives holding the ropes failed , to let go. at the critical moment, with the. result .that he was carried into the air. He; held on pluckily for, several hundred feet, before .being' seen by th« acton-: out. Hundreds of spectators' were 1 assembled below,-', arid their cries drew.: the' atteition of the balloonist: to, the predicament. . Without a momont's hesitation the balloonist llowored himself, band over hand, down the swinging (rope , until he'was able to hold the ;tdan' his feet. iHe lifted him slowly intil he" could grip'his : hair : with one hand, and so pull him on to a trapeze suspended, from the car. The-native, hall-dead, from terror, 'did Ma utmost to throw'the aeronaut from tho trapeze in order' that 'his safety might be ■ the better secured.', The. plucky Englishnura,' how-, ever, never lost'his. noldqt the unfirtunate Javanese,.who, it. is said,; continually, blawed and bit his rescuer for ;a spaco of at least 45 minutes.- Evontually a descent was tiade by means of a. parachute, tho acclamations of a largo gathorjug.vof spectators -boirig ofltlio utmost'enthusiasm. .'As-soon'-us a-.landing was effected, ■ tho crowds showed their appifcoiation of tho heroic rescue by. raising funds I for tho benefit of tho .aeronaut. One.lmhdrcd guilders w«ro collected '• on', tho spot, and wero t handed over to him, rind of;piis ho gave onri-hnlf to the native who'had endangered his lile.