Putnam patriot., 1913-09-19

. Mechaniesville, was dashed to death at Woodstock Fair Tuesday afternoon when he fell 800 feet from balloon of the Boston Bal con Company.
 Young Bernier with other boys from the village were at the Fair early to enjoy everything. When Professor Flower began to get his big canvas balloon ready for an ascent it was the mecca of all the youngsters on the grounds. The big bag slowly flled with hot air and as it became two. thirds full call was made for volun- teers to help hold the monster down. Bernier grabbed guy rope, proud to lake part in such an event. To make the task he took seriously more effec- tive he wound the rope he was holding around his little wrist and held on with might and main. The prelimi- nary warning that everything was about ready was given but the little fellow was obivious of all around him and only bent on doing his duty of holding on. Aeronaut Gates took his place in the swinging trapeze, there was shout, "Cut away Everybody let go!n and up shot the balloon.
 The balloon went rapidly skyward It had hardly left the ground before little figure was seen apparently cling ing to one of the ropes. There was shout and cries of horror from those near by who realized that boy was being taksn to certain death. In the xrandstand, which was full to over- flowing, it was thought that it was double ascension, or that the figure was dummy, and mercifully for the moment none seemed to realize that they were witnessing tragedy such as heretofore they had only read about. When the crowd finally awoke to the realization that they were watching a human being struggling for life they were taken so suddenly that there were no screams or groans and before anything of this kind had tune to be set in motion it was all over.
 Just what happened will never be known. As the balloon rose the boy could be seen struggling and once he partly lifted himself up as if endeaver- ing to get better hold. It seems more logical to believe that as the balloon rose and the little fellow reali zed that he was caught he tried 10 free himself This thought of getting free predominated his mind and he contin- ued his struggle with this purpose in view with no thought or realization Of the distance upward he had been car red When he succeeded in his pur pose in sight of 5,000 pairs of eyes his little body shot downward from height of four or five hundred feet. His arms and legs were outspread and he fell face downward. People under meath scrambled to get out of the way and horses were quickly moved so that the body struck on the grass within the race track enclosure just north of the judges stand, not over 25e feet from where the balloon started. Automo- piles and teams hitched at the rail just inside the enclosure shut of the hor- rible sight from the grandstand and the people in the stand did not see the body strike the ground. Those Tn the vicinity within the enclosure, who could do so. turned their heads Others, fascinated, could not turn thelr heads away. The boys body turned just be. fore it struck, quivered, and lay stlii. He struck on his back. He was dead and nearly every bone in his body was broken. The thud of death could be heard even in the grandstand ana De. yond People became nausealed, women became hysterical, but the fact that the realization of what had nap pened did not come until It was all over, saved much worse state of ai- fairs.
 People asked each other if the boy was killed. They well knew that there was no possibility of life after faii from such height, but the recovery from the tense strain seemed to ma vent in this expression. Then the question was asked, ..Who was it' The names of several boys became car ried about from tongue to tongue untii the truth was known, The boy uncle and aunt and cousin saw him fall. They were Tn the grandstand and did not realize that it was their loved one. The medical examiner gave permission for the removal of the body and il was quickly taken from the sight or the morbidly curious ana an undertaken summoned. The events of the fair went on but the people nao lost interest in pleasure seeking ana they began to depart for their homes
 Harold Gates of Newburyport, Mass, who m ade the ascension for the Boston Balloon Company under the direction of Prof. T. H. Flower of Boston, said after he had returned 10 the grounds, that he did not see the boy dangling from the guy rope. He was looking upward al the cut-sway of his para chute and saw nothing beneath nim. If he had seen the boy, he said, and ne had hung on, he, Gates, would have