The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-11-18
HIS LAST LEAP.
Prof. j. L. Van Tassell's Parachute
Jump Into Eternity.
Another Name Added to the Death Roll
of Aeronauts.

|
was intended to celebrate His Majesty's
birthday, the 16.h inst, was balloon
ascension and parachute jump, by Prof
Joseph l.. Van Tassell. All the arrange
ments had been perfected and at 2 10
O'Clock the youthful aeronaut started
skyward attached by his parachute to
the well-filled balloon. The point of
starting was so we'll sheltered from the
brisk trade winds that was blowing that
the balloon had an excellent opportunity
to rise upward which it did to a height
estimated at between five and six
| thousand feet. The balloon now
caught the force of the trade wind
and commenced to set slowly to-
wards the southwest, passing over the
Palace at which point it had been ar
ranged by the aeronaut he would cut
loose and begin his descent. Thousands
of upturned faces watched the actions of
| the intrepid and daring professor and
| the thought, even then, was that he
would make his descent in safety.
Slowly the balloon passed to point
directly over the corner of Richard and
! King streets where it was observable,
now at 2 % o'clock after being up three
minutes, that Professor Joe had at last
cut loose. Cheer upon cheer was given
at this completion of the promise given
that parachute Jump would be made.
! The parachute however instead of COM
ing, as was hoped, directly earthwards
seemed on the contrary to have
| been, caught by the trade wind
and lifted upward, and also drifted
rapidly towards the sea. And now com.
menced a race between the balloon and
parachute to seward, the parachute
with its living freight for the first few
minutes appearing to be equal in height
with the balloon. The lighthouse is
reached, no drop! the outer buoy, no
| stop! On goes the parachute, on goes
! the balloon. Now appears the danger,
| there is no provision for assistance, the
parachute is now two miles from shore
| and still receding. At last he drops, tbs
| just twenty-nine minutes and eight
cen seconds past two o'clock. Prof.
| Joe Van Tassell has been ten
minutes and eighteen seconds in
| the air and has sailed over nearly five
miles of space; it is only about eleven
minutes since he shook hands with a
friend at Punchbowl Hill and now he is
in the water off Kalihi harbor. Five
minutes afterwards the balloon drops,
its rotund form being plainly visible to
| the crowds that line the wharves, that
swarm in the rigging of the vessels, with
| glasses. No view can be obtained of the
parachute or aeronaut. Two sail boats,
the Kahihilani and a cutter belonging to
! H. B. NJ. S. Espeigle, were in the harbor
entrance, and the occupants noticed the
aeronaut drifting to seward. The yacht
J Hawaii was off Diamond Head with His
Exeellency the Minister of the Interior
on board. All three turned toward the
spot where poor Joe Van Tassell had
fallen. Captain Rice of the tug Eleu
ordered steam, but necessary delay
of twenty-five minutes elapsed before the
vessel left the dock on her errand of
rescue, having on board amongst others
Prof. 2. T. Van Tassell professional asso-
ciate of the missing aeronaut, Mr.. f.
| Frost, Wray Taylor of the Bulletin and
an ADVERTISER representative. From
/ 3 o'clock until 5 80 search, diligent and
careful was made, the sail-boats cruising
! in different courses, Minister Thurston
in the "Hawaii" going we'll in shore and
the tug making circles that covered al
probable points. A boats crew from
the Myrtle club consisting of Messrs.
Alex. Robertson, G. Bruins, j. H. Reist
and w. Charlock augmented the
search party by their presence and pull
ed to the located spot where the ill
! fated balloonist had ended his young
life and long leap together. No trace eli
man or parachute could be found how
ever and after the balloon itself was
| picked up and taken on board the Eleu'
start was made for Honolulu all hope of
rescue being destroyed. The inomeward
| journey was made with Sharp lookout
| but without result the Cmly news given
to the anxious enquirers on the wharf
being that Prof Joseph Lawrence Van
| TAssell had made his last leap,
had jumped into eternity and
had added his name to the
list of those daring spirits of his pro-
fession who had joined the great ma
! iority. Ru mors of different kinds were
! heard mp to a late hour last night. On
| the nigh1 OF the awful occurrence sup
| possible correct Information caused Mr.
| f. Frost, the manager OF the aeronauts,
and an ADVERTISER representative, to
! take a midnight trip to the Quarantine
station, but without good, result. Yes
| terday Major Parker, with boats crew,
| visited and searched Mokuoeo island off
, Kalih, but with like effect
/ Joseph Lawrence professional Prof. J.
! L. Van TasselD the lost aeronaut, was a
native of Salem, Ohio. He has been
professionally connected with Prof. P
I. Van Tassell, for six months past dur
ing which time he has made several
parachute jumps and made four straight
balloon ascensions. The lost aeronaut
had had, previously several very mar
row escapes, on one occasion (see
S. F. Examiner October 13th) in
ascending for parachute jump the
ropes became twisted and he could not
jump, the balloon scared upward to such
height that the over-infation "caused
a split from the bottom to the
lower portion of the equator, de-
cending with the aeronant from
a height of 5000 feet and ne fell with
such force as to lay stunned" The
young man was about 26 years of age
and leaves mother two brothers and
three sisters, who will greatly mourn his
sudden departure to the land of shadows.
To them is rendered the heartfelt SYM
pathy of the residents of this mid-Paci-
tie island kingdom.
The schooner IA Moi while coming in
tie channel yesterday afternoon came
near running ashore and had to drop
| off l,~hH