Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-08-06

manage his descent so as to reach the
earth by sort of inclined swooping
motion. without risk Of conclusion.
About a year ago NJ. de Groof made an
attempt, of which our correspondent at
the time telegraphed the particulars,
to descend from great height
on the Grand Place at Brussels.
The effort was failure, but
Z H0mBae VolaRt, as he was then called,
escaped unhurt, though his network was
afterward torn in pieces by the crowd.
On Monday, the 29th uitimo, however,
NJ. de Groof repeated his experiment at
Crcmorne Gardens with success. Mr..
Baum, the proprietor of the gardens,
had, it seems, after making an engage
ment with him, felt some uneasIness as
to the result, and at first refused to
allow the trial to be made. The Flying
Man protested the absolute feasibility
of his scheme, and insisted on the con-
tract being carried out; and this was
done The wings and stand were at
tached to balloon guided by Mr.. Sim
mons, who, after drifting over London
toward Brandon, in Essex, released his
companion at a considerable height - 300
or 600 feet, il is said-and the flying APP
paratus was Immediately set in motion.
& For a time" ii is said, it was race
between the aeronaut and the flyer, DE
Groof winning by two fields lengths, and
attaining the ground in perfect safety"
How the accident occurred last night
cannot be clearly ascertained. The APP
paratus, previous to the descent, seemed
in satisfactory order, and De Groof-
though, according to custom, he took an
affectionate farewell of his wife-ap-
peared to be fully confident of making
successful ascent. About quarter to
eight o'clock the balloon was cut loose,
and rose slowly in the air, bearing with
it the Flying Man and his gear There
was hardly breath of air, circum-
stance which might have been supposed
to be favorable to the performance of an
aeronautical feat Of the kind. Be this
as it may, however, when the balloon
had attained height of 300 or
400 feet the unfortunate performer
seemed either to mistrust his own powers
or the capability of his apparatus,
for he was heard by the spectators
below shouting to the man in the
balloon to bring him nearer the earth.
This request was complied withnand the
balloon descended slowly toward Robert
street, which lies a quarter of mile or
SO. to the north of Cremorne Gardens
On approaching st. Luke's Church Mr..
Simmons, the balloonist, was heard to
say: "You must cut loose now, or you'll
come on the church roof" The answer
was, Eyes; let me drop into the church
yard" and these were, no doubt, the last
words De Groof uttered. He cut the
rope when about eighty feet from the
ground, but, to the horror of the spec
tators, who must have numbered many
thousands, the apparatus, instead of in
flating with the pressure of the air, col
lapsed, and turning round and round in
It's descent fell with great violence in
Robert street, yard or two from the
curbstone. Assistance to the unfortunate
man was instantly forthcoming. AL
though still breathing, he was insensible;
but the dispatch with which he was ex-
treated from the wreck of his apparatus
and conveyed to Chelsea Infrmary proved
in vain He never recovered conscious
ness, and on his arrival at the hospital
the surgeons pronounced him dead.
Nine. De Groof, who witnessed her hus-
bands fall, tainted at the sight, and a
still more painful scene took place a
short time later, at the hospital, when
she learned the whole sad truth. The
apparatus was carried off in shreds by
the crowd before the police could secure
1t. From the hospital the body was re-
moved TO the dead-house, where it awaits
the Coroners inquest. 1t only remains
to add that the balloon, on being freed
from the weight Of De Groof and his fly
ing-machine, scared away over the me-
tropolis in northerly direction, and at
dark was seen at a great height above
Victoria Park, where it was watched with
much interest by large numbers of peo-
pie, who were, of course, ignorant of the
shocking tragedy in which it had played
part.