The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-07
HANGING IN MIDAIR.
The AWFULLN PERlLOUS POSITION OF
AN ARDENT AMATEUR INVENTOR.

While Testing Ills Flying Machine Mis-
hap Led TO His suspension by tho Foot
Eighty Feet From the Ground-He Has
Applied For Patent.
Patrick Cooke of Second avenue. New
York, was found hanging by his heels
from Hignbridge the other morning by
Policeman Delamater. The man said
he had been experimenting with para
chute preparatory to trying an aeroplane
flying machine. recent invention that
he had made.
From Cookies story TO Magistrate
Crane in the police court soon afterward
il appears that Cooke is gateman on
the Ninth avenue elevated railroad He
has been experimenting in airships and
flying machines, and the preceding
night he went up to Highbridge to try
his parachute He was accompanied by
a man. whose identity Cooke would not
revea. The two men arrived at High.
bridge about o'clock in the morning,
and Cookies companion proceeded TO
lower Cooke and the parachute over the
side of the bridge near the second span.
The bridge is over 100 feet high at that
point.
Cooke put bis foot in loop of the
rope, standing up and holding on with
one hand and arranging his parachute
with the other hand The rope was
about % feet long and very stout
When the full length of the rope had
been paid out By the man on the bridge,
he fastened the end to the iron ruling.
II wes tben about O'Clock, Cooke
thought. Cooke was busy for several
minutes in fixing the parachute ropes,
which were much entangled. just as he
was getting everything sbipshape and
was almost ready TO give the signal 10
his companion TO let 60 the rope his
hand slipped and he fell.
His hand was so tired he could hold
on no longer and he hung suspended in
the air by the loop around his ankle.
Eighty feet of space separated him from
BE earth below. The prospect was not
especially cheerful and Cooke called TO
his companion TO haul him up to the
bridge. No one answered, and Cooke
heard the rapidly retreating footsteps of
his friend as he left the bridge.
Cooke hung suspended, trying to reach
the rope with his hand, but could not
do it. He called loudly for help, and
Sin about a week the policeman came, !"
said Cooke. 1t was in reality just $3.50
O'Clock when Delamater heard his cries.
The policeman was on his usual patrol,
and as the cries of "He!pl Murder! Po-
lice! I'm dying!" came to him he looked
over the side of the bridge, and there,
20 feet below him, he saw Cooke in his
predicament.
He was entangled in ropes and can
vas. Delamater summoned assistance,
and, after much rapping on the iron
railing and whistling, Policeman Quinn
appeared. Together the policemen man.
aged to lift Cooke to the bridge flooring
and pick him out of his rope puzzle.
Cooke was nearly senseless from the
rush of blood to his head. He could
move only with difficulty. The party
repaired to the Highbridge police sta
ton, where dose of whisky and water
revived Cooke somewhat.
SOChe Was dIIdiSutu DtlOlc huSiS-
trate Crane in the Harlem police court,
as stated. He said in his defense that
he was an inventor. He had discovered
a method of utilizing the aeroplane as
a means Of accomplishing flight in the
air, he said. His method was the oppo-
site to kite principles. The pressure of
wind, he said, against kite held it up,
but by his plan the aeroplane was to be
kept up by the air and propelled by be-
ing inclined against it,
His machine was large aeroplane
fashioned after the Eddy kite, on which
he would suspend himself on trapeze
90 or 30 yards below the craft. 1t would
be propelled by his standing up ami
working the trapeze like springboard
He said that he applied to the park
board for permission to take parachute
leap from Washington bridge, but it was
denied him.
Magistrate Crane asked Cooke if he
did not think he was trifle misty in
his head. Cooke said decidedly not. He
said the plans for his airship were in
the patent Office pending approval
Magistrate Crane discharged him after
warning him to stop his jumping and
flying notions.
Cooke said he would make his plans
and ideas public as soon as he received
word from the patent Office. New York
Sun.