A BALLOON ACCIDENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2050, 30 January 1889, Page 2

A BALLOON ACCIDENT.

•— A terrible balloon •ooident la reported from Oanada. At the Central Canada Exhibition at Ottawa, one of the attrao* tlon« was a balloon asoent la whloh Professoe Williams, after reaching a height of 1000 ft. was to desoend by means of a> parachute. Fully 5000 persons were Id the grounds to witness the performance* Many persons were hanging on to the balloon while it was being Inflated* Among them was a young man named Wensley, who was holding on to the rope round the bottom of the balloon, When all was ready the professor shouted "Let go," when, to tha'surprise of everyone, Wensley still kept his hold on the rope, deaf to all the. dries of the orowd to drop* After he had renohed the height of about 50ft. he shouted twice, appearing to realise the perilous situation he was m. It waff, however, too late While the balloon was rapidly ascending he kept his grasp and endeavored to raise his leg through the rope to obtain firmer support. After he had reaohed ft height of about 1000 feat he was seen by the breathless orowd below to draw himself up as If making a lait effort to save hlmtett, and then hla hoi $ relaxed, and with lightning speed h» desoended towards the earth* At thispoint the excitement among the crowd wa» beyond description;'women fainted, and! a panic was but narrowly averted. Daring the first part of the fall Wensley oame feet foremost, but he suddenly turned ft ■omeriault, and atrnok the earth with outstretched arms and legt about 300 yards from the spot where the balloon asoendecL The body was disfigured almost beyond recoFoftfoo, and neok, arms, and legs were broken. Life mnit have been extfaot before the"•. ground vu reaohed. Professor Williams, Ignorant of ttie terrible accident, oat\ adrift from hie balloon to oommence his descent about 20 seconds after Wensley fell.