Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-08-26
AERONAUT BADLY
INJURED IN WILD
TRIP OF BALLOON
Mangled and Torn, Is
Rescued from Be-
meath Bag.
AGAINST Bull DINGS
AS HE SWUNG ON TRAPEZE
Rushed to Hospital. Where
Physicians Despair of Saw
ing His life.

Frederick Owens. an expert aeron-
aut, who fell with his balloon about
500 feet in West New York late yes
terday afternoon, and was rushed in
a diving condition 10 the North Hud-
son Hospital, in Weehawkeu, had not
resained consciousness up to noon to-
day. and little hope is held for his
recovery. Fifteen thousand persons
saw him fall.
In the descent his aalloon dragged
the young aeronaut above several
Jersey towns. through streets
crowded with horror stricken peo-
pie, and dashed him against the roofs
of two houses before finally falling
to the ground and burying him be-
meath the wreckage. His injuries
consist Of a fractured skull. internal
injuries and hurts 'abotu the head
and body.
Well known Here.
For the past week Owens, who is
weii-known In this city as the ball
loonist at one of the local amuse-
ment parks, has been entertaining
thousands as the star attraction DIT
the Volksfest. at Schuetzen Park, in
North Bergen. Every evening toward
shutdown he would ascend TO a height
Of about 1000 feet. and then stir the
crowds with a three-parachute drop,
always landing gracefully on the
nearby meadows, ready to make
another flight If one was necessary.
Last night he had no opportunity
to make his spectacular parachute
drop, his balloon failing to go higher
than 500 feet In the air.
Just as everything was ready for
his fight yesterday ii was noticeu
by many In the assemblage, who had
witnessed his former flights. that
something had gone wrong. To
many the balloon appeared to be
only partly inflated, but Owens after
a hurried inspection jumped to the
trapeze bar and gave the signal to
cut away. With Grained necks the
crowds wstched the aeronaut swing
easily to and fro Of the trapeze bar
as the big air bag shot heavenward.
Trouble Is scented
As the balloon started on its ascent
1t was readily seen that something
was wrong. Instead of rising straight
to the usual height of 1000 feet the
big bag wayered uncertainty after
reaching a point much less than 500
feet above the crowds. Then it was
caught in a strong easterly breeze
and swept way. Owens still dar
Cling underneath. He swung his
body first one way and then another.
in an attempt to steer the bag, but
with each move on his part it only
increased In speed. Even had he
been able to manage his parachutes
he could not have cut loose from the
balloon at that height.
Instantly the trouble was scented,
automobiles started out from the
park, following as best they coulo
the erratic course of the airbag. as
1t careened and twisted in the air
with the young man on the trapeze
making desperate efforts to direct
it toward some high building where
he could land. But the fates rule
otherwise.
Pursued by Throng.
Pursued by a throng, thousands or
foot having Joined with the autome-
bilists in the chase, the balloon swung
around eastward, following the course
of the Hudson boulevard. Losing gas
as 1t swept along the bag was seer
TO drop p~erceptibly as 1t neared tht
corner of Bergen and Main streets
Union Hill, about a half-mile distant
from the start of the fight. For a
moment it appeared to the excited
crowd thai Owens would have q
chance to alight on the corner build
ing. but of a sudden the balloon rose
slightly and carried him clear of the
structure. Doubly excited, the crowd:
started out anew after the bag, which
was about half empty by this time.
Suddenly the upper air currents
veered and the bag was caught and
driven in a -northeasterly direction,
toward Fifth street and Hudson i've
nue., for another half mile. A sudden
puff of air dashed both balloon and
balleonist against the cornice of a
hve-story apartment house. Though
it could be seer from the street that
tContinued on Second Paxe.)