The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-02-01
COSTLY film PLANE
ACCIDENT DESCRIBED
BY JAMESTOWN MAN
Jacob T~riebWasser Was to Have
Made Parachute Jump Be-
fore Crash in Air

Jamestown, N. D., Feb. 1.-The
story Of the tragic, head-on crash Of
two Fox Gamers airplanes a. they
were getting into position to film his
parachute Jump at Los Angeles. Calf,
Jan. 2, and in which 10 persons were
killed, was told today by Jacob Trieb-
wasser. @. jamestown, who arrived
here Tuesday evening for an indefi-
mite visit and rest.
I'VE took off in three ships at 2:30
p. m. that day to film my Jump, which
was to be the final shot of the pic
ture. 1t took approximately one-half
III hour to get into position. The
camera ships were almost ready and
within one minute I would have made
my jump" said Tribewasser, when
the two ships crashed head-on. AS
soon as they came together they be-
gan spinning toward the sea and sew
eral bodies were thrown free by force
Of the impact. The two ships stayed
locked until approximately 1000 feet
from the surface, at which point they
split.
"Five Of us. in the third ship.
watched the sight aghast. We then
flew over the falling ships. circled
once over the places where they
plunged into the ocean, came back to
the flying field and landed immedi-
ately.
Hoot Gibson's Friend
"Hoot Gibson, who is a friend Of
mine, was an eye witness to the crash,
st--nding on the beach. Gibson Is an
accomplished pilot, owning and fly
ing his own plane. I met and became
acquainted with him at the airport
where I formerly worked. It was his
personal parachute I had On when I
was to have made my jump. We were
to have been flying a straight course
when I dropped off and the two cam
era planes were to have been along
side to take Shots Under my clothes
was a life preserver and two speed
boats were waiting to pick me up
when I struck the water.
1.-The pilots Of the two ships which
crashed, Hallock Rouse and Ross
Cook, who were also killed, were ac-
quaintances Of mine. I met them
when I was employed by ]. E. Grang-
er, Inc, at Glover Field, Santa Mon
lea. Causes attributable to the acct
dent are unknown, with the excep-
ton that n of the pilots was flying
directly into the sun and may have
been blinded by it's rays.
II stayed until all investigations
were finished and left Jan. 7 for San
Antonio. Texas. and then Memphis
Tenn, before coming to Jamestown
My career as a 'chut jumper is, ended,
the tragedy having made such IN i'm
preston on me that I plan an indefi-
mite rest before returning to California
where I intend to get my limited COM
mercial pilots license. I already have
had SO hours in the air and when
left I turned in my private license
but will renew 1t upon return to the
coast.
Director Is Killed
whether the picture, in which my
jump was to have been q feature, is
to be released without that final
shot is beyond my knowledge as the
director, Kenneth Hawkes.. husband
Vi WAL xAoVOl, W0o OA4V Va eAAO0C AAAA~N
in the accident. Miss Aston is in thu
hospital recovering from shock.
During my stunt career I have
made about 20 parachute jumps al
attitudes ranging from 1000 feet tt
5000 feet. The first few jumps arr
the worst and the hardest moment
in any parachute jumpers routine il
when he steps from the wing intt
space. Ordinarily, q 500-foot drop 4
necessary before q chute will open
After the first second when the para
chute opens one can begin breathing
My drops have always been (fortu'
nately) so short that I never fell IA
enough to go into a spin, which 1
dangerous. During my drops I hav'
watched the chute open after II
leaves the pack.
MY first jump was at Dycer's air
port at Los Angeles. It was what i
known as q 'p~ull-off,' the jumpe
standing on the wing, pulling tn
cord and letting the chute carry hin
into space. My worst accident. an,
most serious. was q few scratches re
ceived when I landed in q barbe'
wire fence and was dragged through
weeds"
Mi. Triebwasser, who has not beel