The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-03-22
"A BALLOON BAG RIPS.
AERONAUTS FALL ABOUT
TWO HUNDRED FEET
TO THE GROUND.
One Is Killed Instantly; The 9th
er Will Probably Die-Para-
chute Would not Open
Horrible Sight for
Crowd of Specta-
tors.

tors.
Wallace, Idaho, March 1o.-V.
A. Middlekauf, was killed and L..
M. OdeH seriously injured by fall.
ing 200 feet from a balloon while.
giving double ascension here this
afternoon. The men were seated
in a parachute and when they had
ascended 200 feet the lower part of
the balloon tore away. The para
chute would not open, and both
fell among the spectators with ter
rife force.
A young boy was caught by the
falling balloon and badly burned.
Middlekauf had nearly every bone
in his body broken while Odell had
none. The latter is injured intern
ally.
Several hundred people had as
sembled in various parts Of the city
to witness the ascension. Many
were present from the canyon towns,
the Northerns Pacific train being
held until after the two aeronauts
had made their parachute jumps.
AS soon as the balloon left the
ground, to the horror oft he nearby
spectators, the lower part Of the
bag could be seen ripping away. !.
WARNINGS were shouted to the two
unfortunate men, but they could
not hear the alarm.
Although the flight took but a
few moments, Odell, who sis the
more expsrt of the two, could be
seen attempting to force his para
chute open, but on account of the
short distance It would not yield.
Both men were close together, and
while Odell endeavored to open his
parachute he could be observed
holdlng his companion by the
shoulder In attampt to save him il
his parachute opened. Midd1ekauf
made no movement, simply cling
ing to the ropes.
The thud made by the two men
when they fell could be heard fol
over a block, the ground being in.
dentvd where they alighted. Both
struck the ground near one another
and atthe same time, both barely
grazing the furnace where the bal
loon was inflated.
! Odell fell in a more relaxed man.
ner, and his fall was partially brok.
en- by Middlekauf, which accounts
for his lesser injuries. Both were
rendered unconscious by the terri
BILE fall, but Odell soon recovered
and, although in frightful pain, was
able to talk.
Portland, March 14.-Henry B
Miller, recently appointed consul
general for the United States al
Yokohama, Japan, was in Portland
today, and last evening delivered
an illustrated lecture in the inter
tests of the Maxamas, telling of 'ths
I-controversy and causes that brough,
the present war between Russia and
Japan in the Orient. Mr.. Miller
whose home.is at Eugene, though
he has large business Interests a,
Grants Pass, expects to leave San
Francisco for his new station April
8, and declares he expects to be
busy, as many problems will arise
both during the war and at its con.
clusion. Mr.. Miller was for three
lyears, during the most turbulent
times of recent history consul at
Niu Chwang, and says he watched
at no great distance the prepara'
tions made by Japan to launch her
self into the present struggle.
II have taken deep interest In
Oriental conditions and the circum.
stances creating them," said Mr..
Miller soon after he arrived in Port.
land from Eugene this morning
"The5 Japanese were thoroughly
ready for the com bat. They pre-.
pared themselves for years, while
the Russians rested firm in the be.
lief that the Mikado would not
fight. Then. when the blow came
Russia was not ready,
Mr.. Miller was at Shanghai dur
ing the Boxer troubles in China in
1900, and soon after the relief Of
the legations at Pekin he went for.
ward to that station. where he re.
manned during what he playfully
terms the reconstruction period
While there he had abundant op'
portunity to compare the soldiers