A Daring Trip.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7902, 18 August 1905, Page 2

A Daring Trip.

An interesting account Is given in the New York Tribune of a daring slide down a long wire cable from the top of a Swiss mountain by M, Ohapuis, an instructor in the University of Geneva. The steel wire is nearly half a mile long, and at, somo points about 300 feet above tiro ground. The cable is about threequarters of an inch thick, and from the valley the higncst part of it can hardly, he seen with the naked eye, the daring performer having the ap» pearancc of floating in space when mounted upon it. At one time in th ft distance covered there is a span of about 930 feet between the supports, at a height of 1160 feet. The angle varies from 40 to 50 degrees, and the greatest difficulty M. Chapuis says he experiences is to prevent) himself from sliding down 100 quickly. During his initial trip down the steep incline he burned his hands terribly trying to hold himself hack, and even then the speed of his dc-' scent was such as to tear his clothing to shreds. Since that first trip be has gone 'down astride a saddle of stout leather.

Perhaps the greatest, difficulty lie experienced, 'however, was that of keeping his balance on the swaying ■wire. Until several trips had accustomed him to it, the tendency was to turn over head downwards during the descent. Realising that this would mean inability to maintain his hold of the wire ami death on the rocks several hundred feet below, lha intrepid man fought bravely against it, ami finally succeeded in mastering the scoref, of keeping his balance. The wire Gatotc down which he slides was originally erected to convey blocks of limestone from the quarries on the summit of Saerbe, a mountain on the south-west of Geneva, to the valley below. Speaking of his sensations during the trips, M. Chapuis said that a I feeling of horror sometimes possesses- liinn when from the summit) of ttvp jnountain he glances alopß the slender thread stretching away before him to the valley below. At such times H | s only by the exercise of the whole of his will power that he can bring himself to make the trip, init once sealed on 'the wire all fear leaves Mm, and he feels perfectly at home.