Early Balloon Accident | New England Aviation History

Revere, MA. – September 17, 1900

July 6, 2020

Revere, Massachusetts – September 17, 1900

On September 17, 1900, aeronaut John Sawyer was giving a balloon exhibition at Point-of-Pines in Revere. After the balloon ascended to a designated altitude, Sawyer dropped away in a parachute. When he was about twenty feet from the ground he was dashed against a pile of railroad ties and severely injured. Although he had no broken bones, he later died of his injuries.

Source: Sanford Tribune, (Me.), “Shaking Up Caused Death”, September 21, 1900.

Lowell, MA – August 31, 1907

May 26, 2016

Lowell, Massachusetts – August 31, 1907

On Saturday, August 31, 1907, Harry M. Maynard of Lynn, Massachusetts, was scheduled to give a parachute exhibition sponsored by the Stafford Balloon Club of Boston at a pleasure resort known as Lake View. The plan had been for Maynard to ascend to a pre-designated height in a balloon, and then jump using two parachutes. After the first chute deployed, he was to cut himself away from it, and free fall until the second chute opened allowing him to land safely.

Maynard jumped as planned, but the first parachute didn’t open until he was only 400 feet above the ground. He then cut away from the first chute, but was now too low for the second to deploy successfully. He came down on the roof of a bowling alley and died three minutes later.

The incident was viewed by 7,000 people.

Sources:

Pullman Herald, (Washington) “Fell 400 Feet To Death”, September 7, 1907

Sanford Tribune, (Me.), “Aeronaut Instantly Killed”, September 6, 1907