The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-01
Walter Barker, Human Torch,
Has Narrow Escape When
Board on Roller Skat-
ing Incline Snaps.
FLAMING SUIT
ADDS TO DANGER
Spectators Are Panic-stricken !;
Diver Saves Life by Jump.
ing Into Tank of Water
and Extinguishing Fire.

Walter Barker. high diver and human
torch, at the Utah State Fair. had as mar
death last night as man could have.
That he did not break his neck, or every
bone In his body. In front of large crowd
OF spectators gathered to watch his feaat,
was a marvel.
Barker and his wife, Annette, perform
diving feats IN front Of the coliseum twice
each day, The afternoon performance
went perfectly. though the thrills offered
are enough to satisfy anyone At 10
o'clock last night Barker went to the top
of high, steep incline from which he
glides down at terrific speed on roller
skates and leaps through the air into a
tank OF water.
To make the night performance more
spectacular the diver dressed in rubber
suit. Over thls Is placed a paper suit.
soaked In gasoline. Gasoline s also poured
over the surface OF the tank Of water be-
low. When the signal is given a torch
is touched to the water surface and the
gasoline Is ignited. Flames leap ten feet
Into the air and completely cover the
water AT the same instant an attendant
lights the paper suit on the diver above
and he starts down the Incline on his
pcrilous leap through the flames into the
water. himself enveIoped in a suit of
flames.
Board Cracks.
An instant after Barker started on his
wild dash down the incline last night
when he struck the curve at the end OF
the lncline-the spectators were horrided
to hear board crack. Before they could
realize what had happened the diver
turned a complete somersault in his fam
ing suit and landed fiat on his back, head
down. against the earth embankment
around the edge OF the tank That earth
emba nkment and the fiat position In which
Barker was fortunate enough TO fall was
all that saved his life. A foot higher and
his body would have been dashed at
terrific speed against the solid wood work
of the tank and he would unquestionably
have met instant death
Barker was stunned by the fall. Sew
eral spectators rushed TO his side and
made frantic attempts to extinguish the
flames, which still threatened TO burn
him seriously. They slapped him with
coats and pieces OF cloth. but no one
seemed 10 think of hurling him into the
tank AS the fire began to lick at his
face the sting brought Barker to con-
seriousness. He jumped to his feet and
leaped, human torch through the fire
that still covered the surface Of the tank
and disappeared into the water below,
His life was saved for the second time In
one minute.
Wife Takes Dive.
1t was at this moment that the crowd
first realized that his wife stood on the
top OF a tower at the other side Of the
tank, ready TO dive down fifty feet into
four feet OF water. her most daring feat
The coura geous little woman had watched
the accident from the little platform high
above tho scene. Had she been only the
average in bravery she would have faint
ed and fallen. perhaps TO the death which
her husband so closely escaped
But she was game" and when her
husband crawled out OF the water half
dazed she cried, Are you all right. Wal
tcr7"
I'm all right-go ahead, he gasped
In reply as he dropped back Into the
arms OF two attendants.
The pretty woman. garbcd In rubber
suit covered with gasoline soaked paper
like her husband gave the word In
weak quayering voice, The attendant
lust below her on the tower touched
torch to her and she became enveloped
in Are She leaped IN magnificent dive
the flames that still burned VI
cIously above the water and into the
tank She rushed out, stepped In front
OF the cheering audience, smiled AND
bowed Then she ran into the coliseum
10 her husbands side. The spectators
turned TO go. having witnessed a double
escape from dcn tn and about as strong
a bit OF courage as they win ever see
all of Ii inside of about three minutes.
Talks of Accident.
In his dressing room In the coliseum
Barker dressed his burns while an al
tendant rubbed his bruised body with
alcohol,
THAT certainly was the uarrowest es-
cept | ever had" he declared. III l
hadn't been thrown in just the position
was, | would have surely broken my
neck Then those men who came TO my
rescue made matters worse by holding
me down and trying To smother the
lam mes around me. Gasoline flames can't
be put out that way. They should have
thrown me into the tank instantly, But
suppose they thought I might drown
~ he moro bndly burned nv Tho hlnze