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It was announced to-day that he would use a pair of wings of his own invention instead of the ordinary parachute, which were so constructed that they would give the aeronaut the appearance of a huge butterfly flitting through the air. The announcement drew a larger crowd than usual to the island [Morris Island, Delaware River, New Jersey side]. They greatly resembled the normal parachute. except that they were in two sections, connected by hinges, and were worked by a series of ropes which ran to the trapeze bar on which the professor sat.
Richmond was exceedingly nervous while the preparations for the ascent were being made. When the balloon was released some of the ropes caught in an electric light wire and it took several minutes to free them. When the balloon was finally released it shot directly upward, and those watching it noticed that it went much higher than usual [3000 feet], and it was seen that Richmond seemed to have some trouble with the apparatus. Finally it was seen that the aeronaut had parted from the balloon, and the crowd cheered.
Then it was noticed that something was wrong with the wings. One did not seen to work at all, while the other spread out and collapsed and Richmond shot downward through the air at a rapid rate. In less than twenty seconds he disappeared from sight behind a dense growth of tall trees on the New Jersey bank of the river. Those who had been watching him on the Jersey shore hastened down the stream and found the broken wing floating on the surface of Sturgeon Pond, but no signs of the unlucky aeronaut.
The pond is an inlet of the Delaware, the bottom of which is quicksand and blue mud, and several bodies which have been lost there have never been recovered. Richmond's body, found buried in quicksand, was recovered about 10 o'clock and brought to Trenton. -- The Press (NY), 6 Jun 1893.
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What is the difference between a parachute and a hang glider?
Answer: An airframe supporting the shape of a wing.
