THE BALLOON ACCIDENT IN SYDNEY.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3838, 18 April 1881, Page 2

THE BALLOON ACCIDENT IN SYDNEY.

Mr Henri L'Estrange, who lately lost his balloon through its bursting in the streets of Woolloomooloo, Sydney, has written a letter to a friend in Melbourne, in which he gives the following graphic account of his mishap :—" As I told you before, this was to be my last attempt at sailing through the air, little dreaming it would end no disastrously. I had made arrangements to start at 10 o'clock at night, but the balloon was filled early in the afternoon, with the understanding that it was to be kept filled until that hour; but, unfortunately, the gas company failed to fulfil their portion of the contract, and when the time came for making the ascent the balloon would not lift the car. I saw at once that if I did not make the ascent the people, by whom I was surrounded, would destroy the balloon, and perhaps do me some personal injury, so I determined to go at all risks. So, unloosing the car, I made a loop in a rops, and, sitting in it thus, I started on my ssrial voyage. Away I went, straight up about a mile high, and finding there was no wind, and so many lights under me, I allowed the balloon to go higher still. I then goi into a westerly current that took me out to sea, upon which I determined to come down to mother earth without delay, but picture to yourself my horror when I found the escape valve would not act. I tried with all the strength ©f the one hand I had to spare to move it, for with the other I had to hold myself in the loop of rope, but all to no purpose, it would not bulge aa inch. In sheer desperation I took the valve rope in both hands and it opened with a bang, but in the efioit I had lost my seat in the loop, falling about six feet, and there I was dangling in midair, clutching the valve rope the gas rushing out of the balloon as though she had burst, coming through the air with a velocity that almost tcok all the wind out of my body. At length I succeeded in getting back to my seat, but too late to stop the balloon in her headlong downward course,,and here again my old parachute stood me in good need, causing me to drift along and serving to check the balloon somewhat in her rapid descent. By this time I began to feel very faint, but my troubles were not half over. I fell on the top of a chimney, and then on a shed 25 feet below. I then cut myself away and came to the ground, and here the mob gat hold of me and ran me into an hotel and would not allow me to get near the balloon, which in the meantime was seized by another portion of the mob, who dragged it up and down the street, and at last it came in collision with a street lamp, which set fire to it, and then was witnessed a sight Sydney never saw before, and I hope never will see again. Eventually the balloon, or rather ball of fire, fell on an hotel and burnt itself out. Only two people were burnt out of the thousands that were present, and they are getting well. Thus ended my very last ascent."