The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-11-29
WHEN BALLO0NING
WAS TRIED HERE
Tragic Flight Of Van TaSsell--
King and Others Witness
OF His Last Leap.

just at this time, when there is a 1
suggestion of an aeroplane meet for
Hawaii, when the navigation Of the air
has come so prominently to the fore,
with ballooning and aeroplaning a
popular and exclusive rad, there are
those in Hof olulu whose memories will,
60 back to the days of 1889, when bal. 1
looming was one of the exciting amuse
ments in this city.
One of the great events with which
il was intended to celebrate His Ma
iesty King Kaakaua IS birthday that
wear was a balloon ascension and para
chute jump by Prof. Joseph l.. Van
Tassell, who was one of number of
skilled ballooniSts who had been hav-
ing successful exhibitions here prior to
the Kings birthday.
The account of this ascension is Civ
en- in The Advertiser of November 49,,
1889, and is headed ellis Last Leap. y
The story is as follows:
All the arrangements had been per-
feeted and at 2;19 o clock the youthful
aeronaut started skyward attached by
his parachute to the well.flled balloon.
The point of starting was so well shell
4
were blowing that the balloon had an
excellent opportunity to rise upward,
which it did to height estimated at
between five and six thousand feet.
The balloon now caught the force of
the trade wind and commenced to set
slowly towards the southwest, passing
over the palace, at which point it had
been arranged by the aeronaut he
would cut loose and begin his descent.
Thousands of upturncd faces watched
the actions OF the intrepid and daring
professor and the thought, even then,
was that he would make his descent in
safety. Slowly the balloon passed to
point directly over the corner of Rich
ards and King streets where it was
discernible, now Mt 2:22 O'Clock afte.
being up three minutes, that Professor
Joe had at last cut loose.
Cheer upon cheer was given this com
pletion of the promise given that a
parachute jump would be made. The
parachute, however, instead of com
ing, as was hoped, directly earthward,
seemed on the contrary to have been
caught by the trade wind and lifted
upward, and also drifted rapidly to
wards the sea.
| And now commenced a race between
the balloon and parachute to seward
the parachute with It's living freight
for the first few minutes appearing tc
be equal in height with the balloon
The lighthouse is reached, no dropi the
outer buoy, no stop! On goes the para
chute, on goes the balloon.
Now appears the danger, there is nj
provision for assistance, the parachute
is now two miles from shore and still
receding.
At last he dropsl IT'S just twenty
nine minutes land eighteen seconds past
two O'Clock. Prof. Joe Van Tassell
has been ten minutes and eighteen see
onds in the air and has sailed over
nearly five miles of space; it is only
about eleven minutes since he shook
hands with a friend at Punchbowl Hill
and now he is in the water off Kaliht
harbor.
Five minutes afterward the balloon
drops, its rotund form being plainly
visible to the crowds that line the
/, wharves, that swarm in the rigging OF
the vessels, with glasses. No view car
be obtained of the parachute or aero
naut.
Two sail boats, the Kahihilani ant
cutter belonging to H. B. M. s. Els
peigle, were in the harbor entrance, ant
e, the occupants noticed the aeronau
; drifting to seward. The yacht Hawai-
J was off Diamond Head with hix excel
. lency the minister of the interior OF
! board. All three turned toward the
a spot where poor Joe Van Tassell hac
! fallen. Captain Rice of the Tug Eler
), ordered steam, but necessary delay
of twenty-five minutes elapsed before
6 the vessel left the dock on her errant
5 of rescue, having on board amongst
e others Prof Van Tassell's professional
Il associate, Mr.. F. Frost, and an Adver
o tiser representative.
S From o clock until $50, search, dill
G gent and careful, was made, the sail
d boats cruising in different courses, Min
e lister Thurston in the Hawaii going wei
e in shore and the tug making circles
i that covered all probable points. A
y boats crew from the Myrtle Club con
sisting Of Messrs. Alex. Robertson, g
Bruins, J. H. Reist and w. Charlock aug
mented the search party by their pres
. ence and pulled to the located spo
} where the Inflated balloonist had endet
his young life and long leap together
No trace of man or parachute coult
3 be found however, and after the bal
: loon itself was picked up and taken
s on board the Eleu, start was made foi
: Honolulu, all hope of rescue being de
stroyed. The homeward journey wa
: made with n sharp lookout but withou
result, the only news given to the anx
= ious enqnifers on the wharf being thai
f Prof Van Tassell had made his las
Y leap had jumped into eternity and ha(
S added his name TO the list Of thos'
+ daring spirits of his profession WHIT
0 had Joined the great majority.
Rumors of different kinds were hearr
up to late hour last night. The mos
careful search, however, failed to dis
cover the body of the aeronaut and 4
is believed that sharks devoured hi
body.