BALLOON MISHAP.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11505, 10 February 1909, Page 6

BALLOON MISHAP.

CAPTAIN JONASSEN INJURED

MISHAP IN MID-AIR

A PERILOUS ADVENTURE

A crowd of about 200 people assembled at the Victoria Domain this afternoon to Avitness a bal|oon ascent hy Captain Jonassen, described as the worlds-famed aerial king, and! a thrilling spectacle was the result.

As the balloon was rising after the inflation, the fire that had been* used for the. purpose of providing the hot air to fill the envelope by come means ignited the fabric. The fire occurred! just at a time :when the captain could not/ recede had ho 'desired to do so, and 'the balloon went sailing gracefully up into mid-air, the spectators gazing with awe and fearing'for the life of the adventurous, aeronaut. . The latter, however, went on with his performance a« if nothing out of the ordinary hadi happened 1 , and he gave a. clever exhibition of gymnastip feats on the Roman rings suspended from the balloon. These feats would have foeen considered clever even if performed m an ordinary gymnasium. ' Suddenly, when tlie balloon had reached a height of about 100 feet, the balloon rent, and as the air escaped the balloon came downwards slowly towards the earth. V_> appeared as if Captain Jonassen must be fatally injured, but he landed successfully,' though he had - ; his ankle badly sprained-, and it is feared th.-it a bono m the leg is broken. The spectators waarmly cheered, the plucky balloonist, whose misfortunes since he arrived m Gisborne have been numerous. Having had his arm and legs through the Roman rings, lie had been unable to recover himself, and could not prepare for the drop.

,- Before Captain Jonassen- had left he expressed' regret to the public for having disappointed) them m r-egard to the ascent, and said that as soon as he waa better he would endeavor to carry out his advertised promise. It ■was, he said, the first mishap of the kind that had happened during his performancesj extending over eight years'. Be had an accident while attached to a 'war 'balloon -at Johannesburg. He had come down with the parachute, landing on the top of an hotel, receiving injuries which prostrated him for some months. The >bal loon is of 6ilk and cotton material. The inner lining . has been destroyed, but it is believed that ' parts of the outer lining can again be turned tp use. The cause of. the ignition is attributed by Captain Jonassen's assistant to tha fire .being too hot at one stage and scotching the top of .ihe balloon. He vras m charge of the furnace, and noticing .the top of the balloon scorching, he had given the others assisting a warn, ing as to the danger, and asked them to ease off feeding the furnace, but they evidently did not hear him. ,As the balloon .rose — and it rose slower than ever' before — the current of air from beneath forced the hot air through tho portion of the envelope weakened by , the scorching, hence the collapse a few j?ecoudr> later. • < ' . # - " -,„' A spectator states that the balloon was fully inflated, and Captain : Jonaseen gave the word to let go. The balloon then rose with a sudden bound, but went -with the north- westerly wind m a planting direction. Like a flash tho envelope of the balloon ripped from end to end with a slight report. There was no flame to be seen, but a volume of remote issued) Irom the rent m tbe .fabric. • Captain Jonassen appeared to -be struggling m the air, and was seen to fall. He was still clinging to the parachute, which he could not get open, and m any case he was not high enough to get sufficient velocity to cause tlie parachute •to expand. He fell to the* ground from the full height, the collapsed balloon coming with him as a dead weight. ' He fell m the paddock at the Waikanae side of the Domain. He was seen to roll over several times, as if in- pain. He had fallen. clear of the balloon. Tho crowd rushed to his assistance, and it was found that his foot wad twisted back, as if the ankle was broken. A stretcher was procured, arid the unfortunate man "was taken to the hospital. Mr Lucas asks us to state that^a subscription m aid of Captain Jonassen -will bo opened at the Coronation hotel.