The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-03
Isadore Michaels, a st. Louis Boy,
Succumbed to Injuries in
Durham Hospital.
FELL OUT OF A BALLOON.
Was in the Signal Corps, Attached
to Colonial Scouts, and Was
Wounded in the Battle
of COlensO.

News was received in st. Louis last
night that Isadore Michaels, son Of Mr.
and Mrs. Morris Michaels of No. 4340 West
Corps of the British Army in the Boer war,
died on June at Cape Town. South Africa,
from hardships experienced in the cam
paign.
Michaels was ., years old at the time of
his death. He was educated and passed
all the days of his youth in this city. and
is well known here.
His primary education was received at
the Stoddard School. and he subsequently
Went to Christian Brothers College At
both these places he was popular to a de-
gree. His chief characteristic was a desire
for and a love of excitement and advent
IRE. This brought him to the fore in ath-
football player.
About five years ago he became interest
ed In ballooning and when still In this
country made several ascensfons. About
three years ago he went to South Africa
with his own balloon. 1t was his idea to
get into the service of the Government.
The threatened Boer-British war kept
him on the scene. and when this finally
broke out he offered to use his balloon to
make Reconnaissance. As an individual his
services We're not at first accepted and he
used his balloon for private observations
and for photographing. The Government
stopped this, but offered 10 buy the balloon
and TO give Michaels q commission in the
Colonial Scouts.
The young ST. Iouisan accepted this prop
csition and went into the ballonist corps. In
this capacity he went through the entire
war and received wounds at the battle of
Colenso and at the assault on Spion Kop.
His most serious injury resulted from a fall
from balloon. about a month before the
battle of Colenso. He fell some fifty feet,
alightins on his hip. and fracturing the
bone. He was badly hurt and the doctors
advised him to rest for some months, but
he could not stay away from the fighting
and when he was barely able to walk he
Morris Micnael. the father, has received
many letters from his son. telling about his
South African experiences. The following Is
part of one dated Pietermaritzburg, Natal,
10. 1900:
Dear Father-I am now In the service Of
the Colonial Scouts at the princely pay of
DO. so / thought l had better fight. I have
been through a lot. but have been very
lucky. II IS bad business. and wish It
was all over. My leg that was hurt from
the fall is very bad. but am trying to hold
Young Michaels. though he went to South
Africa with an eye TO business as well as to
and had little sympathy one way
or the other in the BOer troubles, entered
into the campaign with a will when II was
once on. His letters show that he must
have borne up against his numerous injuries
with almost superhunlan bravery. despite
the fact that he always expressed himself
In very modest language. In the letter to
his father conveying the news of his injury
by the fall from the balloon. he simply says:
Il hurt my leg by falling out Of a balloon
! was dragged long distance and was
laid up for a time at the Somerset Hos