The Mystery of the Plummeting Balloonist
Two hunters near the Blalock ranch witnessed a terrifying mid-air event: a man plunging from a balloon into the clouds.
A balloon sailing majestically through the air at an altitude of over a mile, then suddenly a man emerging from the black mass and descending to earth slowly with the aid of a parachute, was the sight that met the wondering gaze of two young Walla Walla men yesterday afternoon. The incident occurred near the Blalock company's ranch west of Walla Walla around 4:00 PM. The young men, who requested anonymity, saw the balloon hovering in the clouds toward Milton. Suddenly, a man—appearing as a mere speck—plunged from the balloon toward the earth. After a few seconds, an umbrella-like parachute opened, checking his speed. The balloon, relieved of his weight, turned turtle and settled to earth, where it was lost to view.
“A balloon sailing majestically through the air at an altitude of over a mile and then all of a sudden a man emerging from the black mass.”
Aviation was in its experimental infancy in 1903, and public sightings of daredevil stunts were spectacles that felt like visitations from the future. Today, the ubiquity of drones and low-altitude aircraft has stripped such sightings of their once-mysterious, slightly terrifying allure.
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