Terrible Balloon Accident.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 230, 4 December 1888, Page 2

Terrible Balloon Accident.

A terrible balloon accident is reported from Canada. At the Central Canada Exhibition at Ottawa one of the attractions was u balloon ascent in which Professor Williams, afer reaching a height of a thousand feet, was to descend by means of a parachute. Fully 5000 persons were in the grounds to witness the performance. Many persons were holding on to the balloon while it was being inflated, and waiting for the order to be given to let go. Among them was a young man named Weasley, wnq was ho’ding on to the rope running round the bottom of the balloon When all was ready the Professor shouted ’-Let go.” when, to to the surprise <»f every one, Wens’.ey st 11 kept his hold on the rope, deaf to all rhe dies of the crowd to drop. After he hid reached the height of about 50 ft he shouted twice, appeari g to have realised the perilous situation he was in. It was, however, t< o late. While the balloon was rapidly ascending he kept his grasp and endeavoured to r dee his leg through the rope to ootaiu firmer support. After he had reached the height uf ab>>ut a 1000 ft he was seen by the breathless crowd below to draw him»elf upas if miking a last effort ro save himself, and th«-n his hold rebxed, and with lightuing speed he descended to the earth. At this poiut the excitement among the crowd was be>on i description ; women fainted, and a panic was lut narrowly averted. During the first part of the fall Weusley came feet foremost, but he suddenly turned a somersau t, aud struck the earth with out stre ched arms and legs about 300 yards from the spot where the baloon aspended. The body was disfigured al« most beyond recognition, and neck, aiips, and legs were broken. Life must have been extinct before the ground was reached. Professor Williams, ignorant of tho terrible accident, out adrift from his balloon to comm- nee his descent about twenty seconds after Weasley fell.