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Terrible Tragedies With Aeronauts as Principal Actors.DROPPED A MONO HUNGRY SHARKSrno Awrul l'ato of Aerostat Van Tuflol at Honolulu—How I.Hlluu TTagul Recently Came to Grief Neat Sinn Francisco—Un-Bolvod Mysteries of tl»e Sky.Copyright, ISliJ, by American IJress Aaacfar titn.lHE first aeronauts to brave the perils of the air were a / timidly Ideating sheep, a defiantly crowing cock unci a quacking aa well us quaking duck. They ascended at Versailles in one* of the first balloons ever constructed, were launched in their perilous flight Sept. Ill, 1783, in r,b..i presence of the. French king and his family, and after a short sojourn In the finnds descended in safety. The strange ;.rio then probably bleated happily, crowed joyfully or quacked contentedly in an eighteenth century dime museum the remainder of their days. In strong contrast Is the fato of Lillian Tlagnl, who now lies in a Sun Francisco hospital with both thighs broken mu’ n fractured wrist and with the prospect of being a cripple for life before her.She is an attractive woman about 33 years of age. Tier real name is Deane, and she is a protege of Aeronaut F. P. Ila-?al, who says he has made 1,000 successful ascensions without breaking anything about him except a pair of ankles. His young profcogo, however, catne to grief in her fourth ascension. She had been a waitress in n hotel, but possessed a commendable do ire to rise iu life und took Lei IkH-looning as the swiftest method of gratifying her ambition. Three times she nailed away in the air, and dropping, parachute Ln hand, descended in safety to the earth.The day of the fourth attempt a strong gale was biowiog lamlwuid from tho Pacific ocean. The spectators who were holding the guy rope.9 were deluded by the erica of certain would bo wags into releasing the balloon before it was properly filled with hoc air. The great inflated bag caught fire from itB furnace and then shot up about 40 feet, bearing with it tlicgirl aeronaut. Tho spectators uttered cries of horror and watched the balloon with bated breath. If it ro3© higher, the balloon would soon burn, aud the girl would be. dashed to pieces on tbo rocks. If it did not rise, her young life would be beaten out against the buildings or cliffs near at hand.Even as they looked tho balloon, caught by tho fierce wind, darted off at a tangent toward a saloon, and tbo horrified spectators as well as the white faced girl realized tho peril that confronted her. Her wrist was tied to her parachute, which in turn was fastened to the balloon, and although the balloon was only 40 feet distant from the; earth Blie could not escape the dangers of being burned alive or dasheU to death against buildings or cliffs by trusting to the less hazardous alternative of dropping to tho grouud. In ail instant the* balloon, flaming like a comet, crashed into the saloon. The girl's body, like tho lash of a great whip, was partly snapped through a window and then dragged across tho- roof of the building with sucb force that the shingles were torn up.From the roof of the saloon tho balloon swooped downward with terrific speed, and the hapless gill crashed against a photograph gallery. The balloon then tore itself loose* fruui tho parachute, left, the bartered and broken body of the unconscious girl hanging by the wrist from the eaves of the building and then shot away with a roar like a great bird of fire that exulted in its new fonnd freedom. The girl’s wrist had caught betweeu two shingles, and she was soon rescued from her perilous position by a sympathetic spectator. It will be six months before she can leave the hospital, but she declares that she will make another ascension just as soon as she can walk,The first human beings to make a balloon ascension wcro Pilatre dea lioziors and the Marquis d’Arlander, who intrusted their lives to a mammoth hot air balloon 74 feet high Nov. 31, 17S3, in Paris, and after Jmlf on hour's sailing over the French metropolis landed in safety. Dc-h Homer* made several more successful ascents, but two years after his first attempt, he ripped n great holo in bis balkon while endeavoring to open the escape valve, the balloon collapsed, and Dos liozisrs and a companion wore dashed to pieces The second fatality Occurred in 1802 at Orleans, when Aeronaut Olivari’s montgol-ficr balloon ignited irotn tho heater that supplied it with hot air, aud the ill fated aerostat fell headlong to his (teach.dint the three men were dragged ihronvh the .sea. The wind caught thi* nearly . i :. v balloon a-s If It had been a snil anil ilrr.ve i: toward land, but when the cover.; d s':..-was only a few miles distant- the v.i 1 vec-red, and the despairing, half drown. aeronauts were carried out. to sea again.Hour after hour they were ii:v;g/.:d through the water, orrl although r : • tailors on numerous ships saw the balib-.ni they were terror stricken and sailed away from tho strange object. Finally, however, one well informed sailor recognized the tal 1 oon, and the aciouauta v.-cro rencui:d. I ti 1812 Count Zambeoarri’s balloon, caught fire high in air, and the daring aerostat was burned to death.As in the cases of Zam'Jeeari, Olivari and Lillian Hagai, Jlre balloons have caused the greatest number of accidents, and the aeronaut of today who values his life inflates hi* balloon with hydrogen oi coal gas. In July, 1519, Mine, Blanchard Bailed away from Paris with c- string of fireworks attached to her b:illoon. When tho dariug woman reached a great height, she lighted the fireworks, and the multitude below screamed with delight as a great star glowed just beneath the balloon. An instant later their cries of approval were changed lo shrieks of tcr.oi, fortheballoon flashed 15Ice n huge gas jet, fell upon a house aud hurled Mum Rlanehard to her death on the pavement b?low.Several years ago Aeronaut Van Tassel made a successful nsccrssion at- Hrinnlnlu. The balloon unexpectedly drifted a mile out to sea, and Van Tassel jumped, parn-chute in hand. The great umbrella opened properly, and the aoronmitdescended slowly toward the sea. When a short distance above the water, he discovered n big school of sharks below him. As he had no control over the parachute, he dropped into the very jaws of the rapacious monsters and was devoured. At Cclnmbus, Ga., Nov. ’2i, 1833, B. F. Vandergrift’s fire balloon burst at a height of G.OfKifeet, but the aeronaut seized his parachute and leaped for life. He came down properly, but fell into a river and was drowned. A mouth before at Ottawa Thom its Wensk-v became.so excited while holding aguy rope attached to Professor Williams’ balloon that he forgot to let go when the nscensio.1 began, lie was carried lip 1,000 feet, fell ind w*s dashed to pieces.There have been so many fatal ballooning accidents that many columns would be required to describe them nil. The sky lias almost as many grim mysteries us the sea, £ud numerous famous aeronauts have vanished in the clouds and never been heard of fgaln. Professor Donaldson, Professor I logon and several others have disappeared curing the last 20 years, and tho stories of the dread fate that befell them must be classed among the many unwritten tragedies of the air.In tho oil regions natural gas baa been used occasionally for inflating balloons, and tho writer hod thcTll fortune to witness one of the first attempts of this kind tit Olexin, N. y., a few years ago. Although the day was July 4, there was a strong, e.ool wind, anil tho gas which came out. of pipe* iu tho ground was cold and heavy. The balloon wns finally filled, however, hut a* number of us beld ic. in check with tbu guv ropes it swung round and round. With a church spire, a ti.ll school builtliii” find numerous trees sin'rouniling the huh loon and a high wind to play havoc with it, the outlook was not encouraging, but ihe aeronaut believed that the natural nanworld Instantly lift his baTloon Tar “above these obstacles.Hi; wns a liimd:«mo, well formed, smilingatlili-.ee, and hr he grasped, his trapeze and shouted, “‘Let go!” he was the picture ol pluck, daring and physical manhood. The balloon shot up about -10 ieet and struck n great network of tel cgrnph wires, but by a series of remarkable contortions tho aeronaut; succeeded in passing through them. An instant laler the heavy balloon dashed him against the roof of the schoolhouse. Although badly injured, ho clnng for life to the trape/.n ns the balloon skimmed, along over the house tops, but finally his strength failed, and he fell upon a barn. An hour later he was dead. Earle H. Eaton.An Old Matrimonial Advertisement.Those who believe that the matrimonial Rd,v.;:rt3sement originated with the modern Sunday newspaper should consult the Ipswich Journal of Aug. 21, 1802,- which contained this advertisement:Tc tho ougcllu fair uf ll:e lrno BngllsU breed,Worthy notice. Sir Jolm Dinely, of Windsor Castle, recommends himself and his ample fortune to any angelic beauty of u good breed, fit to become and willing to be iho mother of a noble heir, anil keep up tlie name of an ancient family ennobled by deeds of arms and ancestral renown. Ladles at a certjjn period c.f life ncec. not apply. Fortune favors the bold. Such ladies as this advertisement may induce to apply or send their agents (but no servants or matrons) may direct to me at tnc Castle, Windsor. Happiness and plcastiro are agreeable objects, und should lie regarded *s well as honor. The lady who shall thus become my wife wifi Le a baroness and rank accordingly ns Lady Dinely of ‘Windsor. Good-will and favor to r.ll ladies of Great Britain. Pull no caps on his account, but favor him with your smiles, aud pecans of pleasure await your steps.Notwithstanding this tempting offer to the fair sex Sir J uhn Dinely died a bachelor in 1308, an inmate of the poor knights' quarters in Windsor castle.Betrayed by a Chew of Tobaucu.The other night a shop on one of the boulevards in Paris was broken into, and a strong box was found in tho morning wreuched open and with the contents iui3-iug. At first it was thought that the burglar bad left no trace, but cn a careful examination of the floor a piece of chowed tobacco was discovered This caused suspicion to rest on a former employee who woe given to using tobacco in that particular way. He was found and convicted. Ir order to understand this Incident Americans should recollect that the accomplishment of tobacco chawing is not a general one in Europe.Washington's T.nat Letter.Hie last letter ever written by George Washington has just come to light, and it is tb Tig sold. George W. Childs haslong boon credited with possessing tho last letter, tlic one in his collection having been written six days before his death, but the one now to be sold proves to have been indited the very day previous to the great general’s passing away. It bears the date of “Mount Vernon, 18th Dec’r, 1799.” The subject matter is far from, romantic and without any historical interest, consisting of some charac-iatically practical auggost-iyn3 as to cattle pens, but being the farewell document of tho “Father of His Country” it possesses an undying interest for autograph collectors.—-Philadelphia Record.
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The Philipsburg Mail
Philipsburg, Montana, US
Thu, Jun 01, 1893
Page 6
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 17 Apr 2025
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