The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-12-13 00:00:00

BUIDPORT.

EXCITING ACCIDENT TO AERONAUTS.

FEICTURED LIMB AND SUPPOSED Loss or LIM

Bridport and its locality were thrown into • date
of consternation by reason of an alarming accident
to aeronauts, near the Harbour, on Saturday even.
lug. Mr. Walter Powell, M.P., for Malmesbory,
started from the Bath Gias Works sheet mid-
day, on Saturday, in the new and immense balloon,
the " Saladin," in company with two friends,
Mr. J. Templer and Mr. Gardner. The wind
was from the north-west, or nearly so during
the whole of the day, eo that about 4.20 p.m. the
aeronauta arrived within the locality of Bridpirt.
Passing over Symoodsbury, one of the occupants of
the oar spike to metal men working in the village.
and asked hsw far it was to Bridport, and to the sea.
The men informed the inquirer, WrIO thanked them,
Ballast was then cast out, and the balloon rapidly U.
moiled. The aeronauts pursued their course until
within • few hundred yards of the sea, and within •
mile and a half to the east of Bridport Harbour, when
an attempt was made to pitch the balloon. By some
means, yet unknowo, a mishap occurred, probably to
the grapnels, and the car is said to have dragged vio-
lently. along • corn field in proximity to the oil'.
Certain it is that M. Templer and Mr. Gardner were
thrown out of the car, and alighting on the field Mr.
Gardner sustained a frightful fracture of the right
leg, and Mr. Templer, more fortunate, came off
with a broken linger. As soon as the balloon
was relieve I of the weight of these gentlemen,
It rose rapidly with Mr. Powell, and soared away
to sea. A woman at Bridport Harbour who
witnessed the ascent of the " Saladin " after the acci-
dent, is positive ia her aseertim that she distinctly
saw the balloon pitch on the water beyond the buoy,
probably two miles or more at ma. Darkness had by
this time set in, so that little oould be done in the way
of scanning the bay. Dark as it became, watch parties
of men minuted the cliffs on the look-out, and Mr.
Templer at ones took the train to Weymouth, to hire
a steam packet to watch the channel tor any sign, of
Mr. Powell or the balloon. The Lyme Helot lifeboat
was despatched, but without any success, and returoed
to Lyme on Sunday. Just before midnight, as the
lest resource, the Harbour trawler put to sea, having
Mr. Bellingham, chief officer of the oomtguard, on
board, and plenty of willing bands in cam of emergency.
The trawler returns i to the harbour early on Sunday
morning without any iotelligenoe of Mr. Powell, who,
It is generally hoped, may have crossed the channel in
safety. The painful irijery received by Mr. Gardner
was at once attended to. rhat gentleman was taken
to the Cottage Hospital at Bridport, and there remains
under the care of Drs. Evans and Denziloe. On StICI.
day morning about 10 o'clock a telegram was received
from Weymouth, saying that • steamer had scoured
the channel and bay, but no trace of the miming bad
been discovered. It is stated, on reliable authority.
that Ms. Gardner is the eon of Colonel Richardson
Gardner, the Conservative member for Windsor. We
are sinoe informed that this gentleman who sustained a
fractured finger is Captain James Templar, • relative
of Mrs. Major Templar, of Mountfields, Bridport. It
is generally known that the missing member for
hialnaesbury has recently become &celebrated aeronaut
In the West of England, and is passionately fond of
aeronautic travelling NI &pastime, the last ascent being
at Bath hut Friday week, he then had a narrow escape
of his life. The town remains in • state of much
excitement, and the injured gentlemen, although
anxious as to the result of Mr. Powell's lonely voyage,
have every confidence in his management of the
balloon, and believe that Mr. Powell has safely arrived
In France.

Our Weymouth correspondent writes as follows ;
The Commodore steam tug was engaged during the
greater pert of Saturday night and Sunday in search.
fag at sea for the balloon It apars that
Capt. Templer, from the Meteorological Office,
arrived by the last train from Bridport on Saturday
night, in search of • steam tug. The captain was at
the time covered with dirt and suffering from injuries
to his hands received when attempting to hold the
balloon from which he escaped. The Commodore wee
immediately got ready and went out about • quarter to
10, to the south.eastward. It appears that the
Meteorolgical Department determintrltowards the end
of hat week to send out • balloon expedition to
tofu the the extent of the then preening fog, and the party
tad of one meteorologist., who was joined by two
tan, the party this consisting of Capt. Templer,
A!.O Gardner, and Mr. Powell, M. P. After
-.ding the journey between Paddington and Wool-
wich, they ascended, and were taken by the north-
east wind over the country as tar as the south of
Devonshire, and were about to descend near Exeter;
bat took advantage of another current of air, they
went back over &menet. Here they appisar to have
mat the north-east wind again, and late in the after.
noon of Saturday, enquiries were made sate how near
they were to Bridport. Soon alter they tried to
descend, and the balloon struck the ground
rather loss than a mile to the westward o BrUport.
The violence of the shock was such that
Colonel Agg Gardner was thrown out, frac-
tured a leg, and was left on the ground,
Captain Templer at the time warn holding the Tatia-
na* of the balloon, with the view of managing the
escape of the gas; but ha also was thrown out, and
pulled violently along the ground, until at last the
valve-line was pulled through his hands by the balloon,
which was immediately carried over the cliff by the
wind, and, with Ms. Powell, M.P., was then lost. It
Le said to have been seen to fall into the water by Mr.
Good, of Bridport, who did not dream at the time that
• man warn in the car, but supposed it to be • toy
balloon; but immediately on the news spreading, he
mat out a fishing smack from the harbour. Imme-
diately on the valve-line being pulled through his
heads, Captain Templer ran to Colonel lAgg Gardner,
but that gentleman at one. beeought him to leave him
and see what could be dose for poor Powell. Leaving,
therefore, Colonel Age Gardner in the charge of the
people who gathered, Captain Templer, finding Wey-
mouth was the nearest port fsr a steamer, caught the
train, and came on to Weymouth, wh-re the Commo-
dore was put out about • quarter to 10, and searched
is every direction likely. but without success, and she
returned to Weymouth about five on Sunday morning.
Captain Templer sorrowfully deciding that poor Mr.
Powell must in any case be dead. About ,even o'clock,
Mr. Fowler thought of the chance of bp ttine the body.
and, going to Captain Templer at the Gloucester Hetel,
asked him what would be the result if the gas had
escaped from the balloon ?—lt would lie fiat on the
water, was the &newer. And the man in the car ?
Would be lying dead beneath it. The chinos of
recovering the body for the satisfaction of friends was
seen, and the captain at once directed that the steamer
should make every effort to recover the remain,. They
started again about ten, and the West Bay and the
water southward within reasonable limits, was
thoroughly traversed by the steamer; but she returned
&boot raven o'clock, entirely unsuccessful
It may be remarked that, while the north-east wind
would, had the balloon been clear of the water, have
carried it towards the Atlantic, if the north-west corner
of France were cleared, yet the wind must have changed
on Saturday night or Sunday morning, for on Sunday
It was blowing from the north-weat, which would tend
to carry the balloon again towards the coast of France.
On Soncley evening it was freely rumoured that the
balloon had been picked up in the English Channel by
• passing vessel, and taken into some other port' but
we are unable to trace the rumour to any definite
source.

Mr. Powell, who be. just completed his 39th year,
having been born in 11142, has eat in the Conservative
interest for Maltnesbury, where he resides. since
Deoember. 1868. He is i son of Hr. Thomas Powell,
of the Geer, Newport, Monmouthshire, and was
educated at Rugby. He is a magistrate for Wiltshire.
He is unmarried. Although a constant attendant in
his pleas in the House of Commons ?dr, Powell's
voice has been very seldom heard within its walls.
For years past he ha. been an enthusiastic aeronaut,
and bars made nue:moue ascents, aomethnes crossing
Gimege's Channel to Ireland, and on others going
over to France. Heretofore he be. met with no
serious mishap in connection with his serial excursions.
It may be remembered that some four weeke ago Mr.
Powell crossed the Bristol Channel in a balloon,
descending successfully at Dingestow. He resumed
his journey intending to drop at Monmouth, out
altering hie mind he went on to Hereford. The trip
war one of the most successful he had made fey some
time.