The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-06-01
AERONAUT WHOSE
STROUD WAS FLAG
PREDICTED HORROR
WOODS Remark Before Fatal AS
cent at Belleville Park
Was Prophetic.
BROWNS THREE YEARS TO
DAY AFTER MOTHER DIED
crowd Fails to Heed His Cries
and, Entangled in National
Emblem's Folds, He Perishes.

wrapped in the folds of an Ameri-
can flag, youthful Frederick L. Wood
met the death he had often courted as
an a%eronaut, being drowned in the
Fassalc River near the Avondale
bridge while a crowd looked on and
maze no effort to save him. The
young mans mother died three years
ago the same way.
WOODS body is in the morgue of
w. R. Stirratt. in Franklin avenue.
Nutley, awaiting transportation to the
dead mans home at $50 Chapel street,
New Haven.
Woods father arrived in Nutley this
afternoon, being taken to the morgue
oy MACK. He is janitor of the Ex-
change building, New Haven. The
elder Wood is captain of a tug which
piled up the river in the waters of
which the aeronaut met death.
The body will probably be inferred in
Newark An investigation is now un-
der way by the Essex county authori-
ties.
Two of Woods Friends Killed.
Wood was a chum of Teddy French,
the aeronaut who was killed at Savin
Rock, Conn.,, in August last, and of
Carrie Meyers, who was dashed to death
in upoer New York a year ago.
Wood, although but 20 years old, had
been an aeronaut for the past three
years, and made many hazardous
~ascensions prior to the fatal n from
Hillside Park, Belleville, yesterday. He
was assistant of John Mack, who was
engaged by the Hillside Park manage
ment to conduct the balloon ascensions
there, and ten thousand persons we're
on the grounds yesterday afternoon
when the giant bag, inflated with hot
air, was cast off, with Wood on the
trapeze bar.
To a companion he had said earlier
in the day, with a hint of fo%reboding,
that he knew he should fall either into
the lake on the grounds or the river.
He had not equipped himself with the
life preserver often worn for safety by
a%eronauts, relying on his ability as a
swimmer. From his cries as he
dropped Wood was probably seized
with a cranp.
Wood was carried rapidly upward,
the balloon rising 1000 feet and sailing
northwest in the direction of Nutley.
Wood saw the waving of the big
white flag, the signal. The balloon
was then directly over the Passaic
River, near the Avondale bridge.
Wood swung from the trapeze bar and
dropped.
Entwined in Flag.
1t was a pretty, yet fatal, descent.
The parachute opened gracefully and,
as it steadied, the %aeronaut, 1000 feet
in air, flung out the Stars and Stripes,
a flag fifteen feet long and eight feet
wide, which streamed above him as he
sank.
As the aeronaut descended to the
height of tree tops a wind current
caught the flag and twisted it about
his body and legs. He struggled to
free himself, but the flag wrapped it
self the tighter.
Wood was within twenty feet of the
water when he called for help. Not
one person moved to succor him.
Wood fought to detach the para
chute and reached under the water to
tear away the flag. Several times he
called. and once he pointed toward the
boats conveniently near, yet none re-
sponded. The crew of a passing motor
boat. bound upstream, was within easy
reach. yet made no effort to save
Wood.
Then Wood, helpless as he was,
struggled to swim. He could use onY
his arms, for his legs were fettered by
the flag; above him dragged the para
\ chute. Yet he struggled to within 100
feet of the bridge, then sank. He
arose again, went under, once o
came to the surface, then disappeared.
His body was recovered at IL o'clock
last night.