Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-09
BOY DESCENDS
BY PARACHUTE:
LOST IN OCEAN
YOUNG AER0NAUT AND BAL
LOON CANNOT BE FOUND
NEARBY TORPEDO BOAT CREWS
DO NOT SEE ACCIDENT
Balloonist Was Not Known to Man.
ager of Exhibition, Who Allowed
Him to Make Ascent at
San Pedro
nLOWN out across the inner harbor
II a quarter of mile east of the

nLOWN out across the inner harbor
II d quarter of a mile east of the
~ Gaffey fill at East San Pedro, d
youthful aeronaut, Lester EllSins, came
down in a parachute yesterday after
noon and disappeared in the ocean be-
fore help could reach him.
The balloon ascension was scheduled
| for Sunday, but owing to furious
wind it was postponed until yesterday
| afternoon. L. L. Hill, manager OF the
exhibition, allowed his wife to make
| her initial ascension two weeks ago,
and she narrowly escaped serious inju-
ry by coming in contact with the roof
of a building when she made her de-
scent.
Yesterday Otto Clancy, a messenger
boy of San Pedro, was to have gone up,
but Elkins persuaded Manager Hill to
permit him to make the ascent. The
boy was a stranger to Hill, but as he
claimed to have been connected for a
year or more with the Parker Carnival
company of Abilene, Kas., and said he
had made many ascents there and was
an expert diver and swimmer, Hill al
| lowed him to make the ascent.
The wind had been from the east,
/ and the test balloon which was re-
leased came down on dry land, but
when the regular ascension was made
at $3.50 o'clock from Fifth and Palos
Verdes streets the wind again had
shifted.
Many thousands of persons watched
the balloon as it rose to a great height
and gradually drifted out over the wa
ter. Hill states the balloon went up at
least 5000 feet. When Elkins cut the
| parachute loose from the balloon it fell
Immediately, coming down into the
ocean beyond the breakwater, near
Deadman's island.
Wind Is Too Strong
Ellxins tried to swing the parachute
so as to have it fall on the sand in the
Gaffey fill, but the wind was too strong
and he was gradually borne out over
the sea in the direction of the United
States torpedo boad destroyers Whipple
and Paul Jones, which were busy at
target practice mile or SO beyond.
Anxious spectators lined the bluff
here and saw the parachute hit the wa
ter. Those who were nearer to East
San Pedro make the statement that
Elkins dove out from the parachute be-
fore it struck the water. Others claim
that he swan around, awaiting help,
for fully fifteen minutes, and then dis
appeared.
Manager Hill rushed for the ferry as
soon as he saw which direction the
balloon was taking, and went out with
number of persons on the trestle
which marks the east jetty on the Gaf-
fey fill
Clancy and others procured the
launch Emeline and went out through
the entrance of the harbor to the scene
of the tragedy. Careful search was
made but no trace could be found or the
parachute or the aeronaut.
Hill was much affected at the mishap
to Elkins. He was loath to believe
Elkins could have drowned. He said;
s'I have been in this business for near
Iy fifteen years, and this is the hrst
accident I have had from balloon as
cention.
personally I have made many asoen-
sions over water, having descended into
the lake at Chicago and also into the
river 1t is difficult for me to realize
that Elkins has drowned. 1 did not
know his name He claimed to be an
expert swimmer as well as a peform-
ing balloonist. He either became tan
gled in the ropes or was seized with a
cramp NY only regret is / did not go
up myself 1 know l would not have
drowned.
Launch Passes Scene of Tragedy
The launch Virginia from Long Beach
passed near the scene. of the drowning
about ten minutes after the parachute
and Ellxins hit the water, but Captain
Napier when interviewed on his arrival
at the Fifth street landing said he did
not see the man in the parachute nor
know of the accident. His men did not
hear the calls from the men on the
trestle, and hence did not go to the
rescue. The officers and men on tne
Whipple also failed to see the accident.
1t was nearly half an hour after the
tragedy had occurred that the boys in
the launch were able to reach the scene.
and by that time no trace was to be
seen of the aeronaut, parachute or oai-
loon.
From Ed Grant, who works in res
taurant at San Pedro, the name of the
youthful aeronaut was learned. Grant
claims to be his friend. and stated that
Elkins went to San Pedro from san
Antonio, Tex, where his mother lives
at 1874 Lafayette street. He had letters
received by Elkins, also two recon-
mendations, one from ]. B. Lippincott,
assistant chief engineer of the Los An
geles aqueduct, the other from r. Fl.
I,acy of the Lacy Manufacturing COM
pany. stating that Elkins was good
chauffeur.
Grant said he did not know he had
had any experience as an aeronaut.
A search for the balloon will be made
TODAY and lookout kept for the body
of Elkins.