The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-10-02
BONNETTE
BADLYBURNED
Clothing Caught Fire From
Gasoline.
THRILLING SENSATION
In Spite Of His Injuries Merry Aero
naut Made q Successful Ascent and
Parachute Drop Before Going TO the
Hospital for Treatment.

The greatest sensation II the fair-no
down on the program and wholly nneA
peeted-ooeuFIed "Wednesday aiiemool
when Bonneiie, the ~. Johnsbuy aefu
maui, was preparing 10 make has asccn
sion. The feature lasted only lew SCI
onds, but il sent thrill Of horror lhfongi
the thousands Of spectators who allied tn
blg gandstand aud banked the edges o
the track enclosure. Bonnciie Was al
most ready for his skyward trip. The bil
balloon was nearly inflated and pwpaIa
tons were being made 10 cast oil the gu,
ropes which tclhcred the uneasy enyelops
OF hot air. In an effort 10 set the bas
full the aeronaut grabbed a pail Of gaso
lcne aud started toward the end OF the
underground chute through which tho
heat was forced. As he nearcd the mouth
of the chute he stumbled and a quantity
Of the liquid was spilled upon his tights.
Thinking nothing Of the accident he
grasped tin cup aud threw eupinl OF
liquid into the lire. Immediately bar
Of light shot toward him and instantan.
eonsly he was enyeloped in flame. Bon
nette ran away from the balloon a short
distance and attempted TO put out the fire
By rolling ON the ground, but he was I'M
successful. Then several men nearby
stripped of their coats and tried their
best 10 smother the blaze. They were I'M
successful aud there Is no knowing how
serious the results might have been had
not l.. ID. Taylor and another bys,ander
grabbed large piece OF canvas aud
wrapped it around the struggling man,
With the crowd appalled, and wonder.
ing whether the victim was alive, Bon.
nette leaped from out of the canvas,
grabbed the trapeze OF the parachute and
called TO his assistants 10 let her go.
Upward sailed the big balloon, the ncrvy
aeronaut sitting jauntily on the trapeze
and waving his hand. After rising al.
most straight upward the balloon iloated
gradually northward. When Bonnette be.
gan his drop he was just a little north of
the grounds and he landed in the vicinity
of Oak Grove avenue. In spite OF his con
dition he walked back to the fair ground,
but by the time he reached the judges
stand he was nearly exhausted and was
taken to the hospital in C. d. Whittaker's
touring car in charge OF DIR. Aldrch.
Bonnette's burns were mostly superfic-
ial, covering both arms, his neck and al.
most the entire upper part OF his body.
His right hand was so badly burned as to
be useless and his throat and lungs were
somewhat injured from inhaling the
flames. lie appeared on the grounds yes.
terday swathed in bandages but was for
hidden by his physician to attempt an as
cent. Bonnette said that he did not real
ize what he was doing until he was in the
air, and that then what he feared most
was that he would faint and fall TO the
ground He left for his home yesterday
afternoon.
Bonnette has been in the ballooning |
business for Is years and has had many |
experiences in that time. |
Eight years ago he fell while making an
ascent at Brockton and last year was
slightly injured at the Claremont, y. H.,
fair, both of these accidents being due to
the bursting of his balloon. Eleven years
ago at Malone. n. Y, Bonnette's wife
struck some telephone wires while de-
scending in parachute and dislocated her
spine, Gripping her for life. Since that
time she has been obliged to go about in
, wheeled chair and only week or two
ago she fell from the chair and fractured
one leg
Bonnette did not make his Tuesday as
,ension until after o'clock on account of
The wind which was blowing strongly from
he northwest He landed near the Hunt
'arm without mishap, but pole broke
While his balloon was making the get
lway and in falling struck and slightly
INJURED f. s. Wyman and William Has
sell, son of Mr.. and Mrs W. L. Haskell.