The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-14
Steel Bomb With Telephone
Pole for Tail Bursts When
Fuse Is Lit
SEARCH IS MADE.
FOR THE REMAINS
Police Who Did Not Want Amy
Attempt at Suicide in
Town Find Airrnan Is
Merely Bruised

NEW YORK. March t3.-Rodman
Law, who has firted with death so
often, tried to qualify as the human
slyrocket this afternoon. He did not
do it,
Instead of going up in the air for
hundreds of feet. just ahead Of nine
hundred pounds of powder, and then
being shot out into space like
spark on Fourth of July night. TO
float down on a parachute, while NOV
Ing picture men reeled underneath,
the aviator high Jumper simply fell
fifty feet. The huge steel rocket that
had been constructed for the stunt
couldn't stand the strain and ex-
ploded, dumping him out on soft
ground. which saved his life.
All this happened over in Jersey
City, near the factory of the Tnterna-
tional Fireworks company. at the
Newark Pay end Of Williams street
More than a thousand persons wit
messed the performance, after wait
ing around In the sagRy marshes of
the salt meadows for several hours
while the fireworks people and the
moving picture men scrapped with a
detachment OF Jersey City police. who
couldn't see their way clear to let
ting, as they expressed 1t. that fool
commit suicide in this town. Fin
ally they were argued around and
retired 10 a distance to watch the
datngs.
Wonder That He Escaped.
If there Is one thing that nobody
who witnessed the affair can under
stand. that Is. how Law came eg9st 81
it alive Everything else in the i'm
mediate vicinity was blown 10 hits, bat
tho star performer came down to
earth with nothing worse than few
Commissions ard abrasjons, and a mill
lion or SO helas ringing in his ears
Sweet oil was All that was needed to
horses and aif the kings men couldn't
put that steel rocket together again.
II simply isn't any more.
The idea Of having a. man go up In
a sky rocket and return to earth on
a parachute originated in some fan
tastic brain OF man connected with
the fireworks concern while ago
When the moving picture people
heard the fire works company's pro-
position they told the latter TO, go
ahead and build the rocket. and at
the proper time they would furnish
somebody tn make the ascent So. fer
several months John Scrpicos and
Sam SoFpicos. and Cousin John
Scripicos, and in fact, lots Of
Scrpicos. who make the pyrotechnjcs,
worked like everything. and tried ex-
Big BormfI Is Ready
Three weeks ago the Scrpicos sent
word to the movies that they would
be ready very soon. and even APP
pointed the day, This was today,
and in the meantime they built the
biggest rocket that was ever seen.
The rocket was shaped like one of
the ordinary kind, only 1t was made
all of steel and had a telegraph pole
for tail. AT the top was a sliding
cap. opening into a little sort Of
room about four feet high, and thirty
inches in diameter. Here the man
was supposed 70 sit with his para
chute as long as he could The floor
ing underneath him was of sheet iron.
and couple of feet further down was
a steel floor Between the two sand
aud sawdUst was tightly packed to
prevent any ipquisitive missiles seep~
ing through. Below the steel was
compartment for the powder. and the
Scrpicos stuffed nine hundred pounds
of composition combustibIe in
here. In order that the man part of
the rocket shouldn't come down with
the steel part, the inventors fixed up.
In the flooring on which he crouched.
a very powerful spring. The theory
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