The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-02-28
EATEN BY SHARKS.
The Fearful Fate OF Aeronaut Van TasseI
at Honolulu.


Aeronaut Van Tassel, who Is we'll
known all over the United States as a
daring adventurer among the clouds, net
a fearful death at Honolulu not long
ago by falling into the water from his
balloon, whore he was eaten by sharks.
The occasion Of his last ascension was
the Kings birthday. There was a grand
celebration, and the festivities were TO
conclude with a parachute leap. Shortly
before three o'clock Van Tassel entered
his balloon alone after all the necessary
preparations had been made. The con-
ditions were favorable for his landing on
land, and when the balloon shot upward
1t was thought he would not land more
than half mile from the starting point
The balloon ascended steadily 10 the
height of one thousand feet, when it
was caught by breeze blowing seaward
and carried over the water.
The aeronaut evidently saw he must
inevitably fall into the water, and those
who were watching him with glasses
saw that he was hurriedly making prep
arations for a descent. Suddenly the
parachute was let loose, and the bag Of
gas shot up higher into the air. The
parachute opened nicely, and the man
gracefully descended into the water
about two miles off shore.
That was the last seen Of him. The
steamer Zealandia, which brought the
news, was at the time entering the har-
Dor. Two boats were Immediately low
cred, and the men were soon at the spot
where the man was last seen They
could find no trace of him. The para
chute had sunk, owing to the weight Of
its iron, and three or four monster
sharks were seen swimming near by.
They followed the boats back to the
steamer.
Though the search was continued
afterward for several hours no trace was
found. Van Tassel was daring swim
mer, and under ordinary circumstances
could not have drowned before the boats
reached him. The hunt for his body has
been continued every day since the ac-
cident, but without avail. The men
who were in the boats say Van Tassel
must have been seized by the sharks al
most Immediately after he struck the
water, for not more than eight minutes
elapsed from the time the boats were
lowered until the spot was reached whore
the daring man died.
News of his death WAS not long III
reaching shore, and Immediately thou
sands who had seen him go up went TO
the beach and wharves, and small boats
without number were rowed eastward.
The first diligent search was not ended
until dark, and there is no hope what
ever of recovering the body now.
Van Tassel was well known in san
Francisco and throughout America
There are few large cities in the Unit
ed States in which he has not made as
tensions, and few understand the busi-
ness so well as he, as he had been lp
hundreds of times. He made many as
tensions from Woodward's Garden, Cen
tral Park and the Ocean beach, and he
successfully performed parachute jumps
in this city at the beach few months
ago. On one occasion before the Ieapncar-
~ cost MN ms nte, the parachute not
opening and descending with lightning
rapidity for many hundred feet before
spreading.
He was about forty years of age, and
left wife, but no children.-COr. y. Y.
Sun.