Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-10-11
FALLS TO HIS DEATH.
MARIA TOWNSEND DROPS FROM A
BALLOON AND IS KILLED.
While Making a Cannon Ascension and
Jump at Des Moines Last Wednes. (
day-His Parachute Fails
to Open.
By AKERS Il GREEN.
Official County Paper.

Just few hours after last week g
paper had been delivered through the
post office the shocking news of the
accidental death of Maria Townsend
while making parachute leap at Des
Moines reache d this city. The follow
ing description of the accident from
the Capital of Thursday is so minute
in details that we reprint it in full:
MARIA Townsend, the fearless aero
naut who has been giving exhibitions
at the Semi Om Sed circus, was instantly
killed at $40 yesterday afternoon. 1t
is the same old story-the end that
must always come to an aeronaut's
career. He was as fearless as any of
them, and his life was correspondingly
short. He was but 2S years of age at
the time he made his fatal leap from
his balloon. He risked his life daily
for paltry sum. He was under con-
tract with the Semi Om Sed circus COM
mittee to receive $50 for the week g
performance. Out of this sum he had
to pay two assistants and furnish and
equip his own balloon, which left him
small compensation for his own daring.
The cause directly responsible for his
death is unknown. 1t is generally be-
lieved that the tin cannon which was
attached to the balloon and which he
occupied in his ascent became tangled
in the balloon in some manner and
caused it to fail to rise. In Tuesdays
ascent he did not use the cannon and
made his descent with the parachute
without mishap. 1t is claimed that he
refused to use the cannon at that time
saying it was too heavy for the balloon.
Yesterday he determined to use it. He
entered the cannon grasping his para
chute in his hands. By arrangement
with his assistants he was to Jump
from the cannon upon signal from a
revolver. After the balloon had as
cended less than 500 feet, it refused to
go higher and commenced to descend.
Fearing for his safety, his assistants
| fired their revolver. From his position
in the cannon 1t was impossible for
Townsend to estimate his height and
promptly leaped from the cannon into
space. The thousands of spectators
were Mortified to see him nearing the
earth with fearful velocity and the
parachute remaining closed They
held their breaths. 1t was all over in
an instant. He struck on his head
and his neck was broken, amid the
groans of the people who were fas-
cinated and at the same time Mortified.
When they reached his side, life was
extinct. The only mark on his body
was a slight cash on his scalp.
1t Is said that the balloon was old
and worthless and no longer able to
sustain the weigth Of the aeronaut and
his cannon and that it was its failure
to ascend the proper distance that
caused his death. The parachute ap-
peared to be all right when 1t reached
the ground. The assistants stated that
1t will not open unless the descent is
made from q height of over 500 feet.
They were deceived by the fact that the
balloon was directly above hill when
the signal was given to make the leap,
but the fact that the balloon was COM
mencing to descend, determined them
that the only chance for the aeronau.