g 



s 



CO 



s 



o 



SP^^INGFIELD. Sept. 19 (AP)— Heln- 

 rich .Ackenliausen, "human cannon 

 ball," ikvho has been appearing at the 

 Eastern states Exposition during tho 

 week, wai^ Inj^ired. probably fatally, lats 

 this afterr.>oon. when he failed to come 

 out of tlie cannon at the explosion of 

 the powder fharge. He was removed to 

 Springfield .Hospital where his condi- 

 tion was described as grave. He was 

 substituthig fvor Capt. Wilhelm Wilno. 

 who was Injurtcd doing the same stunt 

 a few weeks ago in Syracuse. 



Thousands of spectators who filled 

 the grandstand at the race track were 

 hoi-rifled when afiter the explosion Ack- 

 enhausen slowly appeared at the mouth 

 of the gun and hu,hg by his heels with 

 blood streaming from his face. An at- 

 tempt was made to lower the gun hut 

 the man dropped to the ground be- 

 fore anyone could c atch him. Tlic 

 emergency service of tl.ie expasition Ihi- 

 mediately got Into action, but little 

 could be done before removing Acken- 

 ha,usen to the hospital. 



The police ambulance a.rrived within 

 five minutes after the accident. The 

 man's face was terribly mant3;lcd and he 

 was hardly rccognirable. A pr.'est, under- 

 stodri to be from Indian Ore hard, ad- 

 ministered absolution. This Is' the first 



.serious accident that has occurred dull- 

 ing the 1929 exposition. 



Tlic method in "human cannon 

 ball" acts is tn use powerful rubbr 

 bands to hurl the performer from 

 gun, at the same time dtschargUig 

 side the breech of the gun a gUOT 

 bomb. Tlie performer climbs 

 small compartment which Is pu' 

 toward.^ the bvet^ch and whi 

 in grrr' i :r "-'l-. When 

 relcH I rtmen* 



to t;-i. he g' 



and : I hur' 

 the ail. 



