Connecticut western news., 1874-08-14
Death of the s'Flying Man.O

Death of the ''Flying Man."
 The London Daily Telegraph gives the following account of the fatal acci- dent to M. de Groof, the Plying Man." ...4.. -r....
 ct was announced that at 7:3O P. M, , M. de Groof, the Flying Man, would repeat at the Oremorne Gardens his astounding performance of flying through the air distance of 5, 900 feet. True to this announcement, the Flying Man did endeavor to repeat the exploit which he had accomplished in safety ten days before, and perished in the attempt. M. de Groef was a Belgian, who had expended years in construct ing for himself an apparatus with which he believed it possible to initiate the flight of a bird. The general outline of this apparatus was in imitation of 8 bats wings, the framework being made of cane, and the Intervening mem- branes of stout waterproof silk. The wings were in all thirty-seven feet long, with an average breadth of four feet, while the tail was eighteen feet by three. These wings were inserted into two hinged frames that were attached to wooden stand upon which the aeronaut took his place. Here he had three levers which he worked by hand to give his machine propulsion or guid- ance as might be required his theory being that having started from a given height he could manage his descent so as to reach the earth by sort of in- clined sweeping motion, without risk of concussion. About year ago M. de Groof made an attempt, of which our correspondent at the time telegraphed the particulars, to descend from great height on the Grande Place at Brussels. The effort was failure, but EHomenae Vol0aat as he was then called, escaped unhurt, though his network was after wards torn in pieces by the crowd. On Monday, however, M. de Groof repeated his experiment. at Cremorne Gardens with success. MT. Baum, the proprie- tor of the gardens, had, it seems, after making an engagement with h1m, 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 contract being carried out; and th1s was done. The wings and stand were attached to a balloon guided by MT. Simmons, who, after drifting over London toward Brandon, in Essex, released his companion at 8 considerable height-three or four. hun dred feet, 1t is said-and the flying ap- paratus was immediately set in motion. For time, it is stated, it was race between the aeronaut and the flyer, De Groof winning by two fields lengths, and attaining the ground in perfect safety Ir:
 "How the accident occurred cannot be clearly ascertained. The apparatus, previous to the ascent, seemed in satis- factory order, and De Groof- though, according to custom, he took an affec- to be fully confident of making suc- cessful ascent. About a 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 8 breath of air, circum- stance which might have been supposed to be favorable to the performance of an seronautical feat of the kind. Be this as it may, however, when the bal loon had attained height of three or four hundred feet the unfortunate per former 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 with, and the balloon descended slowly towards Robert street, which lies 8 quarter of mile or 50 to the north of Oremorne Gardens. On approaching St. Luke's church, MT. Simmons, the balloonist, was heard to say You must cut loose now, or you'll come on the church roof The answer was, 'Yes; 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 spectators, who must have numbered many thousands, the apparatus, instead of iniating with the pressure of the air, collapsed, and, turning round and round in it's descent, fell with great violence in Robert street, a yard or two from the curbstone. Assistance to the unfortunate man was forthcoming. Although still breathing, he was insen- ltsible but the dispaSohh with which he was extricated from the wreck of his apparatus and conveyed to Chelsea In- firmary proved in vain. He never re- covered consciousness, and on his ar- rival at the hospital the surgeons pro- nounced him dead. Madame De Groof, who witnessed her husbands fall, tainted at the sight, and still more painful scene took place 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 it. From the hospital the body was removed to the dead-house, where it now awaits the coroner's inquest. It only remains to add that the balloon, on being freed from the weight of De Groof and his flying machine, scared away over the metropolis in northeasterly direction, and at dark was seen at great height above Victoria Park, where it was watched with much interest by large numbers of people, who were, of course, ignorant of the shocking tragedy in which it had played part"
 General Custer as a Teacher.