The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-23
PARACHUTE SHUT UP
BALL00NIST WHO Is LAUGHING AT
THE SURGEONS.
After Being Terribly MsngIed He is
Humored by the Physicians Who Oper
ate on Him Slight Because He Insisted
That He Would Get WeiI-To Their
Surprise He Does Continue to Improve
and is Now Talking of More Ascensions
Great Operation Performed on His
Back Bono.


Great Operation Performed on His
Back Bono.
New York, Dec. 22-Charles Wolcott
laughed al physicians who told him that
ne must die. He said he would fool them.
and he has kept his word. When ae was
lying on a COT in a hospital in Caracas.
Venezuela, unable TO move his body. the
surgeons shook their heads and wondered
that he persisted In living. He puffed con-
tentedly on his cigarettes and declared that
he intended to resume baIloouing in few
months.
He 1ever gave up hope, and he laughed
a, the doctors. His triumph over death
is a modern miracle He made his plans 70
return 10 his perilous occupation as soon
as ne could leave the hospital. and ne is
now preparing 20 carry them out
He is small. slender and vigorous. HIS
wife was killed in 1895 and IN the tsll ot
tha; year he went 20 Venezuela intending
10 return to fiji al engagement In Massa-
chusetts the tolHwug spring. He MADE
er ascension from villa &c Cura on Octo-
bsr s When three thousand feet IN the
air Re made a leap from his trapeze, hold
ing ths parachute. IS he sped downward
he was hor-ihed 70 find that the ropes
had become tangled and cemeuted with
mud, and the parachute failed to open He
dashed down with frightful rapidiry. hold
ing his leG rigtdly straight. his toes point
ed downward. Within fifty feet CO TIE
ground the parachute began 20 open
wolcott's legs bent under him ard he
fell. mass OF nu.iiated flesh AMI bone.
HIS ankles. knees and hips were disiocated
and there were half a dozen OF lis bones
fractured besides his spinal column was ir-
iursd. He was carried 70 the German rail-
road. an entire nights trip through e WI
derEess. ard every step taken was a tor
turs. he railroad gees 20 Caracas. where
there = a good hospital When 'ls was
received there tas surgeons dii not think
I; worth their while 20 60 anything. ss
they said ooult only be question of a
few hours a, The outside. and any operation
would surely result II death. volc5;t was
paralyzsd from the walSt 6own, e1d LIE
was almost gone.
AS he d.i rot tie. tas Venezuelan sur
geols hunozed him By son. nino- opera
tio7s. He picked up Spanish n -ts hos
pltal. ana continually SPOKE o. the u-as
when ae would ssS away. hose who saw
him tes7s admired his pluck. but awaited
news lat the breath had EFT him He
kept OF getting better. uHui 81 last be
VAS taken 10 TIE port o. Laglzy-z. ard
shipped 20 this city. TIE c.5cers OF t1s
steamer supposed "a, they wo,..d have 70
buy him &, sea. bot they saw hin safely
CT terra frna He entered s. LukeFs hos
p!tai In April s1i Ire surgeons would
give 10 Uord CO encouragement a. the out
SCI Finally they SAT- II he survivs. L
IoEld De as cf.ppls-
= g-sas operation was performed n Ja;y
@. last year ard = was sanoanee5 tha:
hs might recover. HIS spinal eolz-na was
lad open with knife for r2ne inches. II.
case surrounding tire spiral cS-G Was found
70 be GUY slightly injured TIE pressure
upon -he SPINAL cord WAS removed. several
sinai bones Eere Gu. ard thsz woico.t BE-
gan 70 rSa51 ASs strength
Vale rs LEGS were ps-aivze5 he was
PTscoca.S wi:a hss arms. trzpeze a.
Tsrse11e1t haG been placed over rs Be.
and BY tAe Use &C rs sr1ss re coaId raise
rs body and slightly TeEsye ,hs pain Q.
the sores He Cd more and more VIZ II.
a-1is. and tie muscles w.-e a-n s-e hard