The Republican journal., 1892-07-07
Down 800 Feet.

4 BALLOON BURSTS IN MID-AIE WITH
FOUR oCCCrANT>. THE AEEoNAUT
kILLEp. HIS son LEFT WITHOUT \
WHOLE BONE.
LONDON, June 20. A frigltful acci-
dent occurred to-day at the Crystal Palace
\ piece being given at the Palace lately is
called The Tragic Episode. But to-
day the audience witnessed a real and
terrible tragedy. Captain Dale, the we'll
known aeronaut, was to give a balloon eX-
hibition in the presence OF thousands of
Sunday School holiday seekers. The cap
tain invited any who desired to accompa-
ny him III his voyage i'll the air Several
volunteered, and the balloon started on
its upward flight, the great multitude,
largely composed of children, watching
it with wondering gaze. suddenly the
balloon burst and a cry of terror arose
from the audience as the balloon collaps-
ed with a noise as OF the discharge of a
huge cannon. The aeronaut fell to the
ground dead and three OF the passengers
were seriously injured.
About 100 feet from the ground Capt.
Dale, who was clingin% to a rope, was
thrown loose by a sudden lurch, and he
fell, dead and mutilated. among the spec
tators. The car struck ON the stone wall
round an artificial lake, rebounded against
an iron railing, and fell to the ground in
fragments. The son of Capt. Dale was
hanging to the side of the car when it
struck the stones. He was thrown fifty
feet. The other occupants of the car held
on to the last. All of them We're in the
car when it struck. and were strewn with
the wreckage after the collision with the
iron railing. All had sustained numerous
fractures but it is possible that they will
recover.
Young Dale had hardly whole bone in
his body. He has not recovered conscious
ness and the physicians say that he will
die within few hours. One spectator
was caught in the shoulder by the Crap
ping anchor. He was thrown to the
ground, and the anchor tore through his
face. Several other spectators We're in
jured by the anchor, but not severely.
For few moments there was a panic
among the sightseers. The relatives
who were unini iured rushed forward. and
it was some time before the extent of the
accident could be understood. Capt. Dale
was an experienced aeronaut and has given
many successful exhibitions before, but
the material of the balloon was rotten
from ulSUSc. OtntlWlSe une accident colllu
not be satisfactorily accounted for.
About 10, 600 persons, mostly women
and children, had gathered to watch the
ascension. Dale took aboard among
others. two amateur aeronauts and his
son, aged IA years. When released the
balloon shot up about 800 feet. Then Il
reddish cloud burst from tile top of the
balloon, "A heavy report was heard, then
the car swayed; a man could be seen
reaching among the ropes, and the next
instant the balloon collapsed. The car
dropped like lead, with the ropes and torn
material tanning the air above it.
The panic in the crowd during the fall
was appalling. Hundreds started to run
and fell over children and women. When
the car struck the shrieks of the occupants
and spectators were heard for a half
mile. Scores of women tainted. After
the accident they We're laid out on the
piles of freshly cut grass and were brought
to consciousness by friends and relatives.
For half an hour the green looked like a
great open air hospital; then most of the
sickened women were carried home in
carriages. Most of those who were neither
i'll nor injured left the grounds few min
uteS after the accident.