Gunnison Gazette | 1909-03-12 | Page 2 | Aeronaut's Accident

AERONAUT'S ACCIDENT. Drops Into Ocean off San Pedro and Loses Life. San Pedro, Cal. While hundreds watched his frantic efforts to control a great gas bag which was swiftly bearing him over the Pacific ocean Monday afternoon, Lester Elkins, an amateur aeronaut, 22 years old, soared soar-ed with the balloon to a height of more than 4,000 feet before he cut loose his parachute and dropped into the waters of the outer harbor to his death. As the stiff wind, blowing off the land, carried him out to sea, boatmen hastily left the inner harbor in launches to rescue him when he came down,- should he be unable to guide the balloon back over the land, but were unable to reach the place where he fell, and his body has not been recovered.