“BIRD MAN'S” CRASH.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 April 1937, Page 7

“BIRD MAN'S” CRASH.

TRAGEDY AT FRENCH AIR FETE. PARACHUTES FAIL TO OPEN (By Telegraph—Press Assn.--Copyright) PARIS, April 25. Two hundred thousand horrified spectators saw ‘ ‘Bird-man’ ’ Clem Sohn hilled while parachuting in an air fete at Vincennes. Sohn, aged 26, an American exponent of gliding, was making a parachute ■descent by means of wings attached to his harness, giving him a bat-like appearance. His method was to be taken sip in an aeroplane to a height of 10,000 feet, when he dived off head first. After falling 2000 feet he opened the wings, with which, by lifting and lowering his arms, he controlled an extended .flight until he was 600 feet from the ground, when he opened his parachute, ■enabling him to land. He had carried out the feat over 200 times, and had bad many narrow escapes, breaking several bones. He was continually experi menting with a view to obtaining a better wind curve enabling him to land without the parachute. To-day loud speakers announced that Hohn had difficulty in adjusting his complicated harness. A strong wind was blowing, and the aeroplane took 15 minutes to climb over 9000 feet. Sohn dived from a wing, spread his arms, and performed perfect aerobatics, twisting, gliding, and looping. At the customary distance from the ground he pulled the <jord of the parachute, which failed to work. He continued to fall more rapidly. Onlookers breathlessly watched Sohn fighting to save himself, tugging at the cords of a second parachute on his breast which became entangled with the useless strings of the first. Sohn crashed in the centre of the aerodrome. Thousands of people dashed forward as Sohn neared the ground and the pressure from behind nearly forced •the leading throngs to trample on the body. First aid workers found Sohn breathing his last, and he died before he eould be placed on a stretcher.