The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-07-30
AERONAUT'S FALL
MAY Be FATAL
Joseph MCMann, Attempting
Hazardous Act, TumbIeS
to Ground.
PARACHUTE FAILS TO OPEN
BALLoONIST IN HOSPITAL WITH
SMALL CHANCE FOR RECOVERY

With both ankles broken with possibly
fatal internal injuries, and suffering from
| profound shock, Joseph McMann, an
aeronaut, is lying at Holy Cross hospital
as the result of a fall from a balloon while
making an ascension at the Salt Palace d
few minutes after o'clock last night
! McMann, who is % years old and single
and whose home is in small town near
/ DeS MONIES, Ia, was on the program at
/ the Salt Palace to give what is known
| as the cannon act last night. His per-
formance was witnessed by crowd Of
| fuily 5000 persons
The performer is concealed in a large
cannon attached to the parachute of the
| balloon, and when the balloon reaches a
| height of 800 TO 1000 feet, the parachute
/ Is cut loose This parachute opens and
the spectators are thrilled to see the per-
| former drop from the mouth of the can
| non a few seconds after the performer
| drops from the cannon a second parachute.
! opens and he floats safely to the ground /
while the first parachute bearing the can
non is still in the air.
McMann had performed this feat many
! times, and had never suffered an accident
He had been in the business for twelve
years and was considered an expert, new
er having been seriously injured
At the ascension last night McMann as
cended to an elevation of perhaps $40
feet, when a pistol was fired by his part
/ ner on the ground. At this signal Nc
Mann cut the parachute supporting the
cannon in which he was concealed. from
the balloon, and the descent was begun.
Fails to Hear Signal.
McMann failed to hear, or failed to re-
gard the second signal which was to no
tify him to slip from the mouth of the
cannon and begin his descent Independent
of the first parachute.
Slowly the parachute descended, carried
southwark from the Salt Palace by gen
the breeze, and the crowds waited eXpec-
family to see him complete the perform
ance by making the second drop.
| When the cannon was within $50 OF 10
| feet of the ground McMann made the
| second cut.
/ His partner was Mortified to see the
man and the parachute drop like a bull
| let. The man had delayed the second cut
too long, and was too near the ground TO
| give the parachute chance TO open
properly.
Down he whizzed. gaining momentum
every second The spectators gazed in
/ horror, or turned from what they be
| lieved must inevitably be the death of the
aerOnaut.
/ For fully 100 feet McMann fell, almost
! in the twinkling of an eye, the parachute
refusing to open MeMann seemed 10 be
\ falling straight to the top of a tall poplar
| tree, and the spectators hoped that this
might break the fall
Just moment before the parachute
with its burden of humanity was due TO
strike the tree. the parachute began to
open and caught a faint ripple of air,
which swung it free from the treetop.
Down McMann fell with terrific force.
/ landing at a point near Tenth South and
/ Main streets in field.
Picked Up Unconscious.
! c. NJ. Hawley, who has charge of the
! balloon feature of the Salt Palace enter
/ tainment program had noted the iii
rectiOn of the wind, and had gone to
/ Tenth South street before the ascension,
/ to meet the aeTonaut
/ AT-M fa1f Hon lev V,ao h.
and he and AdOlph Levy of 35S South
! Tenth East street who was driving in
the vicinity, ran to his aid. McMann was
unconscious, and it was seen that he was
dangerously injured. He was placed in
/ Levys carriage and was taken to the
| Salt Palace, where DR.. c. V. Parmelee
was called to examine him and give him
/ first aid.
DR.. Parmelee ordered McAfann removed
/ to Holy Cross hospital, where he was ia
/ ken IN an ambulance.
DR. E. F. Root was summoned. and
after as thorough an examination as
could be given under the circumstances,
/ reported that McMann had suffered Sc
/ we're fractures of both ankles. bad cuts on
/ the lead, and possibly dangerous internal
/ injui .es. McMann was in semi-con-
/ sciOus condition, and was suffering
] seriously from shock that a complete
4 animation could not be made. II is
fought that he may have a fighting
/ chance Cor recovery
! c. NJ Hawley. McMann's associate in
the business, said last night that ii was
an error of judgment on McMann's part
that caused the accident.
'McMann is a perfectly sober man.
| he said, never indulging in the use OF
intoxicating liquors. He has been in the
! business for a dozen years and never had
an accident of a serious character before
! OF course. he has had small falls, but this
was the first time he has ever suffered
a broken done.
1T was an error of judgment on Nc
Mann's part that caused the accident
/ He made the first cut from the balloon
exactly right. There was not a hitch
when the cannon started to drop, on the
first parachute
Delay Causes Accident.
Everything went well until McAIann
should have made the second drop. L
| cannot understand why he DELAYED max
| ing the second cut. l cannot understand
| why he did not slide from the cannon
| when at least six or seven hundred feet
i-from the ground.
| ''McMann did not leave the cannon IN
! til he was about $50 feet from the ground.
A parachute drops from $50 to 80 feet
! from any height before it will properly
| open. McGann's experience had taught
him this, and he must have Oyer-estimat-
/ ed his height from the ground.
THE parachute did not open as quickly
as it seemed to me il should have opened;
In the cannon act the parachute is roiieI
up like a handkerchief and it takes
| little longer to open than when IL -
hanging free like it does when attached
| to a balloon.
THAT McMann was not killed is I'M
doubtedly due to the fact that he fell in
! cultivated ground. If he had fallen on
building or on a roadway, / believe he
would have been broken TO bits
F. Coleman and Hawley, who are as
sOcated with McMann in the ascension
business, will give benefit performances
for him at the Salt Palace tonight. While
| McMann made large wages. he had no
| savings according to his partners They
| will also start a subscription list in an
/ effort to secure funds to defray the cost
! of his hospital and medical attention
| 1t was rumored i'm the streets last night
| that Bert Nelson. who made a sue
cessful balloon ascension during the aft