FALL OFF EIFFEL TOWER.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 74, 23 March 1912, Page 7

FALL OFF EIFFEL TOWER.

INVENTOR’S PARACHUTE FAILED TO ACT. Paris, February 7. A horrible tragedy occurred to-day at the Eiffel Tower because of the folly of an inventor who had persuaded himself that he had discovered a parachute which would protect aviators when falling from a great height. An Austrian tailor, named Franz Reichelt—aviation has already been fatal to one tailor—had for some years been working at a system which was af a kind of gowlirof-silk garment fitted with a capacious hood, which was supposed automatically to become inflated directly certain mechanism was. called into play. When the aviator was fitted with .this apparatus his chest appeared to bulge out and Ms shoulders to bo (provided with folded wings. • M.. Reichelt, who lived in a little .street off the Avenue de I’Opera, had frequently tried his system on his .tailor’s manequin from his fifth-story window, but the results had always been the reverse of encouraging. No failures, however, could alter Ms conviction that success would finally crown 6 his efforts. lie had frequently endeavoured to obtain permission from the prefect of police to try his parachute from the first .storey of the Eiffel Tower, and he finally received the .necessary authorisation to try his system on a manequin. It was announced that he would, make the experiment this morning. at eight. _ i ; Jt never" occurred to anyone at the prefecture that M. Reichelt intended (to try the 1 / system on Jpmself, and oven the 'few spectators who gathered around the Eiffel Tower ..this morning in a temperature which registered 15deg. of., frost had. any, idea that it was M. Roichelt’s intention to try the experiment in any way excepting with a manequin—thinking that he would only, take .the supreme risk in the event off the trial proving quite ; satisfactory. • ! M. ißeichelt and a couple of friends arrived in a motor car shortly before eight. Apparently the police permit ’had not arrived, and there was some delay. Meanwhile the photographers were busy and M.’ Reichelt explained his apparatus, the superficies of which was, about 100 feet, the diameter 20 feet, and the suspension six feet. Among those who listened to Mm was M. Harviou, who is an authority on parachutes. He made several objections, but the inventor only smiled and said: “You will see how my 11 stone will refute your objections in practice.” V A moment afterwards the permission arrived, and M. Reichelt went briskly up the steps to the first platform. When he reached it his friends made haste to unfurl the apparatus. They took a minute over it, and M. Harvieu shook his head and whispered, “That takes ten times too long to he of any use to a falling aviator.” 'At last M: Reichelt stood on the parapet about 185 feet above the ground. Suddenly lie took a mighty leap, the kharki hood trailing several feet behind, him, looking like a big umbrella half open. The wings , failed to open, and the unhappy inventor dropped like a stone, whilst a cry of horror burst from the spectators. ' Fortunately a space had been roped off, so that the , spectators were unharmed. The velocity of the falling body was such that it made a hole four or five inches in the ground.