EXCITING BALLOON ACCIDENT

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4806, 8 November 1902, Page 7 (Supplement)

EXCITING BALLOON ACCIDENT

When Mr Bacon, the gentleman who is experimenting with a military balloon, descended at Leatberhead, something went wrong, and suddenly a shout rose that the balloon had escaped. Every one who was close at hand made a rush for the trailing rope, which was running rapidly along the ground, but there was not sufficient combined force, and the men, as they let go, fell over one another in heaps. One man was dragged up in the air for 10ft or 12ft, and then fell on to the shoulders of another man. But this was not all. To the intense horror of all below; a man was still seen clinging to the trailing rope. Realising his danger, ho began to slide down hand over band at a rate which must have burned his hands, hut it was too late. The end of the rope was hy this time 50ffc from the earth, to which ho fell with a sickening crash amid the screams of the numerous women and children near at hand. Then the balloon shot right up towards the clouds. In the car were three persons, two men and a carter’s boy, named Lemon, all utterly inexperienced in its management. One of the prisoners, however, had the presence of mind to senroh for and pull the valve rope, and the ground was safely reached little more than 200 yards from the place whence the balloon liad risen. The occupants of the basket were taken out in a -state of collapse, the strain having proved too much for them.

Tho unfortunate man who fell and was killed was a farm hand, who leaves five young children besides his widow.