PARACHUTE FALL TO DEATH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 85, 27 April 1937, Page 5

PARACHUTE FALL TO DEATH

Telegraph— Press Assn.-

Huge Crowd Sees Fatal Jurap TRAGEDY AT AIR FETE

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-Copyrigbt.)

(Received 27, 8.45 a.m.) PARIS, April 25. Two hundred thousand horrified spectators saw ' ' Birdman ' ' Clem Sohn Lilled when paraehuting in an air fete at Vinconnes. Sohn, a 26-year-old American, was an exponent of gliding during his parachute descent by wings attached to Ms harness, giving a batlike appearance. His method was to be taken np in an aeroplane 10,000, when he dived off head-first. After falling 2000 feet, he opened the wings with ■which he controlled and extended his flight nntil 600 feet from the ground, when he opened his parachute enabling the landing to be carried out. Sohn had perforaed this feat over 200 times and he had many narrow escapes, breaking several bones. He was continually experimenting with a view to obtaining a better wind curve, «nabling him to land without using a parachutfe. To-day loud-speakers announced that Sohn had difflculty in adjusting his complieated hameBs, and, with a strong wind blowing, the aeroplane was flfteen minutes clixnbing over 9000 feet. Sohn dived from the wing of the plane spread his arms and performed aerobatxcs perfectly, twisting gliding and looping. At his customary distance from the ground, he.pulled the cord of his parachute, whieh failed to worn and he continued his fall more rapidly. Onlookers breathlessly watched Sohn fighting to save himself, tugging the eords of a second parachute on his breast, which became entangled in the nseless strings of the first. Sohn crashed on to the centre of the aerodrome, and thousands dashed for* ward as he neared the earth, the pressure from behind nearly forcing the leading throngs to trample the body. First aid men found Sohn was breathing his last and he died before he could be placed on a stretcher.