Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-09-08
JNO. BALDWIN'S
TERRIBLE FATE
Aeronaut Who Was Well Known in
lewistown is Blown to Pieces
While Making an Ascension.
AN EXPLOSION OF DYNAMITE
Baldwin Carried the Explosive to
Make a Demonstration With-Was
at lewistown Fair Of 1903.

Perhaps a few people who read the
telegraphic account of the terrible
fate of John E. Baldwin, the aero
naut, at Greenville, Ohio, a week ago,
realized that the victim was the same
Prof. Baldwin who made such a sue
cessful balloon ascension at the coun-
ty fair in Lewistown year ago last
fall, and who became acquainted with
large number of Fergus county peo.
pie during his stay in this city.
Secretary o. w. Belden, of the fair
association. believed that the initials
of the victim and of the man with
whom he did business two years ago
were the same, and on referring to his
contracts yesterday, found that such
was the case, and on Prof. Baldwins
printed letter heads appeared the
statement that he made specially
of demonstrating the use of war
bombs in the air, and also made dem
onstrations with dynamite and other
high power explosives.
Prof. Baldwin was very daring
and most successful aeronaut. as his
work in this city showed Just what
caused the accident that cost him his
life occurred is not known, but the
following special telegraphic account
of the affair will be of interest.
while soaring skyward in an air.
ship. in sight Of $4,000 persons at the
fo;,
e. Baldwin a resident of Losantville,
Ind, was blown to atoms by the ex-
plosion of six sticks of dynamite,
which he carried in his car Bald
wins wife and two children we're
watching the exhibition that in an
instant was turned into a horrible
calamity.
"Airship exhibitions had been CIV
en- by Baldwin daily during the fair
this week, one of his devices for add
ing to the thrills of the multitude be-
ing the discharge of sticks of dyna-
mite to mark his progress to dizzy
heights.
He made his ascents unacOmpanfed
and the exact cause Of the accident
that ended his career will never be
known.
Thursday was the county fairs
gala day. bringing out the biggest
crowd of the week. and every eye
was turned on the aeronaut and his
machine. Baldwin had ascended
distance of 1,500 feet, without set
ting off any of his explosives. His
airship was sailing like bird. arous-
ing chorus of "Ohs;" and "Ahs!"
from terra firma. Then. so quickly
that the upturned eyes scarcely could
mark the transition the airship
changed to a great globe of smoke,
then expanded into a cloud.
"A few seconds later, while the
crowd stood hushed with awe and
terror, a crashing detonation crack
ed the atmosphere and drove the
crowd into a panic.
Aeronaut's wife colIapses.
"a single scream from the thick
of the crush had preceded the crash,
and that was from Baldwin's wife.
who then fell in faint.
GAS the mass of smoke cleared
fragments of the light material that
had constituted the balloOn-like bag
of the airship could be seen dropping
earthward. and nothing more.
"Pieces of Baldwin's body were
picked up over an area Of seven acres.
and when the grewsome work was
completed they were taken to a NOR
que.
Baldwin was SO years old. and was
an experienced aeronaut, having CIV
en- 1000 exhibitions at fairs through
out the country. He was a war aero
naut during the war with Spain.'