The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-02-03 00:00:00

FATAL BALLOON ACCIDENT.

A telegram from Madrid says that the French
aeronaut, Oaptain Mayet, while making an ascent in
a Montgolfier balloon on Sunday afternoon, was
thrown out of the oar through the shock of a collision
with the roof of a house, and, falling into the street,
was killed instantaneously,

The Madrid correspondent of the Standard gives
the following additional particulars :
"Captain Mayet, a Frenchman, who for two
months has been making weekly ascents, in a balloon,
with one or more persons of both sexes, starting from
the Retiro Gardens in Madrid, and alighting in
various parts of the city or the neighbourhood,
executed to•day an ascent with a workman. The
balloon was tossed about by the wind, and canoe down
in a populous suburb. It alighted on the roof
of a house five storeys high, and the Frenchman, to
secure the safety of his companion, risked his own
life, but, missing his hold, fell into the street below.
He was mortally injured, and the place was almost in-
stantly the scene of fearful excitement, the crowd
gazing with horror as a priest administered extreme
unction to the dying man."

The balloon used4wa" Montgolfier, of large
dimensions, and from it hung a basket with the other
man in it, perfectly safe, and a trapese on which the
unfortunate Frenchman was accustomed to amuse the
thousands of people who attended his performance
every Sunday.

THE PROPOSED DEMONSTRATION IN
FAVOUR OF MR. BRADLAUGH.

- - _
At a meeting of the representatives of the railway
companies baying termini in London, held at the
Railway Clearing•house, Ruston, the subject of run-
ning special cheap excursion trains to London from
the provinces on the date of the opening of Parliament,
the 15th proximo, has been specially taken into con-
sideration. It appeared that a large number of
organizations throughout the country wished to. send
large delegations to take part in the demonstration,
announced for that date, in favour of Mr. Bradlaugh's
claim to take his seat in the House oi Commons, and
that the sympathizers with the member for North-
ampton, to the number of some thousands, were de
sirous of having excursion facilities extended to them
On the ground that excursions run on that day might
be made use of for a political purpose, the meeting of
railway representatives passed a resolution by a
majority of votes, binding all the companieeto run
no cheap excursions to London on the 15th of
February.

Mr. C. Bradlaugh, M.P., writing on the Bub-
ject of the refusal of the railway companies
to run cheap trains to London on the occasion
of the forthcoming demonstration at the open-
ing of Parliament, in support of his claim to take
his seat in the House of Commons, says :—" The
refusal of the railway companies is monstrous. Trips
and cheap trains have hitherto been always run for
Conservative and Liberal gatherings in all parts of
England. The action of the companies will diminish
the gathering on the 15th proximo by 20,000 at least,
but as I expect to have fully 150,000 friends present,
it will only irritate without injuring."