The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-08-21
DASHED on ROCKS.
AerOnaut Anderson Fatally
Hurt at SnogGalmie Falls.
SWEPT AWAY BY 4 wHiRLwnD.


y
tempted to make parachute jump into
the ehssrn below snoquaimis fails yesseF-
day afternoon, hut was dashed on the
rocks by the xhirixind created by the
rush Of water and received injuries which
are almost SIRE 10 prove fatal
Young Anderson. who j. slight youth
weighing not much over loo pounds. had
chartered Lake Shore excursion train 10
take crowd from the city 10 see his feat,
Receiver Brown agreeing TO par him all
tIse proceeds Of ticket sales over certain
amount. The low rates and the news OF
his INTENDED feat attracted q great crowd,
and il IL estimated that fully LOO people
were on board when the train Of fourteen
cars pulled out
Anderson. who bad assumed the name OF
Prot. LasonIs for the occasion, was on
board with bis outfit and discussed his
plans with the passengers. many OF whom
were acquainted with him. onc young
man who had known him before ne went
into the seronaut business. was incredu-
loas when he said he was going 10 make
Che leap, bat Anderson Jared mp and said !:
81 mean t." Others tried their best 70
dissuada him, telling him Of the terrible
suction Of the Whirlpool OF the foot Of the
falls and OF the rushing current of wind in
which even piece Of timber weighing 30
pounds was played with like feather.
But he thought they were only trying his
mettie that they might have the laugh at
him If he gave tn. and said:
.I'li come back with you, though j
may come back In q box"
Nevertheless the warnings he had re-
ceived caused him TO delay making the
Jump eli. fifty minutes after 3, the hour an
nounced. and induced him 10 change his
plans. They may also have weakened his
nerve 70 some extent. and thus caused him
20 lose his head at the critical instant,
when GOODNESS was most needed.
Both walls of the PERCEPTIONS chasm
into which he was to leap were lined with
sightscers long before be was ready to
satisfy their curiosity, and great crowd
stood on the narrow beach between the
foot Of the walls Of the canyon and the
edge Of the roaring waters. the clouds Of
mist and spray sent up by the water in its
plunge completely enveloping them. A
wire cable had been strung across the tops
Of the canyon about fifty feet from the
brink OF the falls, and Anderson hung his
closed parachute on roller which ran on
this cable. To the ropes depending from
the parachute hung trapexe, 10 which
was attached a circular wooden frame
passing under his armpits and thus leav-
ing his arms free.
After the roller had been run out aud
back again two or three times to make IL
work smoothly. Anderson. hung on the
trapeze and began his perilous journey.
Instead Of going right to the middle of the
stream, as he had at first intended, he
only went about one-third of the way out
from the side Of the falls on which the
Lake Shore road runs, and then, pulling
the cord which operates q knife above him,
he cut the rope tying the parachute 70 the
roller ana sailed into the air, trusting TO
the parachute TO buoy him up rs he de-
scended 10 the rocks or the shallow water
near the shore. and thus save him from in
Jury. He had dropped about 100 feet be-
fore the parachute opened: then IL opened
suddenly, as though gust Of wind had
shot upward from tbs whirlpool and filled
It. II seemed to be sweeping towards
the falls, and Anderson, who looked d.
minutive as he sailed through the air,
worked his legs and arms vigorously 20
keep away from them. Still be descended
gradually till about seventy feet from the
swirling waters. when he entered the
dense cloud OF mist dung up and off the
great white column. At this point new
current OF air struck him and swung him
sideways towards the side from which he
had started. the parachute following at an
angle of about - degrees. This swerve
from the perpendicular, caused by his
weight being too slight to resist the strong
eddy of air which was playing with him,
prevented the parachute from buoying
him up. and he went down with a rush
into the mist. He first struck on his feet
on . big jagged rock near the south side.
then the parachute dragged him violently
along and dashed him head foremost on
another rock, where he lay battered,
bruised and unconscious
The spectators. who had been watching
che scene III breathless suspense, rushed up
70 the rescue and found him still entangled
with the parachute. showing no other sign
OF life but the fact that he was breathing.
fortunately. Drs. +. W. Harreli, of Gill
man. and j. II. Loughary, of this city.
were foremost among the crowd. They
had morphine and whisky with them.
having apparently feared that some such
catastrophe would bring them into reaui-
sition, and promptly administered them to
eounterart the effects of the shock. Then
they and friend of Anderson named Sew
Hour and another man picked up the
body and slowly and laboriously car
ried IL mp the long flight of steps
leading mp the south side of the canyon, a
task occupying fully half an hour. They
took him 10 the hotel and held the train,
which had come ia from North Bend
shortly before. until they had made read v
60 place him on hoard. lie was placed on
Q s;retcher and brought into the city on
the baggage car. though it was scarcely
hoped that he would live TO reach here, as
he never fegained consciousness.
When the train arrived az the depot the
patrol wagon was called and took the snf.
ssring youth 20 the hospital. prs. I.ough-
asy and HaEreil made careful sxamina-
tson Of tho injured man and found f'esh
wound IN the gefs leg. made when be first
struck the rock. q scalp wound over each
ssmple. fractured nose and a sealp
wound in the back Of the head At the base
OF the brain. No bones were broken ex.
ecpt the nose. hat she doctors Judged by
hls breathing that an artery had been rap-
cured IN the head. They say he suffered
eeneussloa oi the brain ard Of the spinsi
chord. and possibly other internal In
tnFlss. They have no hope OF his re-
c0vegy.
Andersen was - years cid on Saturday.
and Is the saa Of A. G. Aasiessoa, an old
and well-so-io citizen of Seattle. who re-
ss3es on Cherry street above the Seattle
thcater. He Was educated at the Seattle
schools and il q graduate Of the high
school. lie Was formerly IN the choir 81