A PARACHUTIST DROWNED AT SEA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2303, 16 December 1889, Page 2

A PARACHUTIST DROWNED AT SEA

Neva hnq reached Auckland of the trajjlo death at Honolalu of a young American aeronaut, named Joseph Van Tmhol, whoao brother, who la aiao la tho b*l ood bnblnjßß, waa u through paaaenger by tho Maripeaa to Sydney, An exhibition of b»lloin asoont and deaoent by means of a paraohuto had been arranged in oonneotion with tho festivities given in honor of Kir g KaUkaaa'a birthday, aud thouaandn of porßona ni)H«mblecl to witness the thilHlog font. Van Thbol made the aooont Ba r oly, and aoon reached an altitude oE over 20Q0ft. Ho then out loose th> parachute, bat hore it waa caught by tho prevailing trado vrinda, and the aeronaut wao gradually oar r Lid oat to Baa. The paruohato came down a ahort dlalauoo, auj then began to aaoend. Boon It appesrod Orel the hatbor, wl h not the slightest Indication of coming down. The reof vr*n pmied, and the paraohate remained at about the same height, but aboitfy afterwards deeoended and Van T«fi«l dropped Into the water, out of eight, »b)ut 600 yards beyond the reef. The balloon dropped Into' the water nearly five minutes after the puraohute, bat they weeo a long dlstanoo apart, A lorjg searoh by iowlDg boats tpd a ote»m tug wta made with all available promptitude, but to tcooe of the 111-fated aeronaut wkb found, and he waa never afterwards Been. Van Taiiel hftd received a lottor from his motbei Iq Amerloa begging him to give up the ballooning business, and an hour before he made hia'f*tal aeoennion ho wrote to hor atatiDg that he was going to dlioooUnae tha •loeoki* '