Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-09-05
PLUNCES TODEATH
Charles Oliver Jones' AiTShlp ,
Burns In Air
He Falls 200 Feet At WatervIIIe, Me.
Tragedy Enacted Before 10000
speetators--Wlfe and Child Wit
ness His Fate.

WatervilIe, Me.--In plain sight Of
10000 people Charles oliver Jones,
engineer OF the airshlD of the Strobel
company, which has been on exhibit
tion at the central Maine fair, went
down to his death. The huge ma
chine was at an altitude of 200 feet,
when thousands who were watching
its flight were horrihed at seeing a
thin stream OF flames leap from the
engine and ignite the silk gas bag.
In a few seconds the balloon was a
mass of flames and the whole affair
sank rapidly to the earth. Four
iifths of the crowd at the park saw
the big ship as It rose from its great
tent and went off over the back of
the grand stand.
The appearance of the airshlp Gre
ated general applause, as 1t had
come to be understood there would
be no flight as the wind was strong
from the southwest and not favor
able to a successful outcome. Mr..
Jones is reported to have been told
by the fair management that he
would not be held to his contract il
he made no trip.
Mr., Jones, however. felt the re-
| sponsibility of pleasing the great
crowd rested upon him, particularly
as he made no fight the day before.
Therefore, when the airship appeared
over the homestretch and sailed
away to the northward the aeronaut
was given an ovation by the thou
sands, who cheered and applauded in
every way possible,
The start was made at 43O o'clock
and as a heat of race on the track
had just closed, the people were still
gazing at the strange airship which
in FIVE minutes had passed beyond
the Chase residence on Oakland
street and was tacking in the wind
in an effort to work back to its quar-
ters, when the ordinations of delight
were changed to shrieks of horror as
the great cigar-shaped machine burst
into flames and almost evaporated in
plain sight.
Jones was seen to glance quickly be-
hind him and then seeing that his ship
was doomed and his own life In the
| greatest danger he began climbing
along the railing OF the framework
away from the flames. At the moment
of ignition the bow of the craft was
highest and as the big gas bag began
to settle the forward end acted for an
| instant as sort of parachute.
This for a distance of about so feet
made the progress of the wreck toward
the ground slow, but by that time the
bag was entirely destroyed and the
framework, with Jones clinging to it,
dashed toward the earth. The wreck
sank beneath the tops Of the trees
back Of the Chase estate, and the hor-
rified crowd, which had risen from
their seats on the grandstand, sank
back, women fainting, children scream
ing and men shuddering.
All of 5000 people rushed from the
grounds to the spot where the airship
fell to look upon Jones in the midst
of the embers of his machine, breath
ing, but dying. The crowd surged
1 about the man and would have tram
| pied upon him but for the efforts of
many strong men. The wreck lay ON
the greensward in front of the Chase
residence, and Mrs. Chase. who had
seen the fight and demolition of the
airship from the very spot where its
wreckage fell, was the only eye wit
ness of It's landing
Roy Page and Will Wright, the first
to reach Jones, pulled him from the
burning framework and fragments OF
the balloon. Jones was conscious and
! groaning terribly. A dozen doctors
were quickly at hand and Jones was
removed to the Mccartney hospital
only a short distance away, where he
died within a few minutes.
Mr.. Jones wife and child were at the
show and the wife saw the accident to
the balloon. She bore UP bravely
when taken to her husbands side. The
accident cast gloom over the crowd
for the remainder of the afternoon
and thousands Of people left the
grounds Immediately.
Mr.. Jones was about 80 years old
and weighed about 14O pounds. He
leaves wife and three children, aged
8, 6 and 2 years, respectively. Mrs
Jones is prostrated by the accident
and cannot be seen tonight. She and
the youngest child were here with him.
An inquest has been ordered to be