ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 217740
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| Date: | Monday 5 August 1895 |
| Time: | Day |
| Type: |  Capt Alfred Orton Smoke Balloon |
| Owner/operator: | Captain Alfred Orton |
| Registration: | Unregistered |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Peterborough, Lincolnshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Demo/Airshow/Display |
| Departure airport: | Peterborough, Lincolnshire |
| Peterborough, Lincolnshire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
%.8.1895: Captain Alfred Orton, Smoke balloon, involved in fatal accident, when Parachutist fell from balloon, Peterborough, Lincolnshire. One of the two on board were killed.
Annie 'Adelaide' Bassett (parachutist , aged 36) killed
Capt Alfred Orton (pilot/owner of balloon) unhurt
According to a contemporary newspaper report (The Aberdeen Weekly Journal, Aberdeen, Scotland, Tuesday, 6 August 1895, p. 6c):
"‘FEMALE PARACHUTIST KILLED.
‘Miss Adelaide Bassett, a London parachutist, was killed in Peterborough yesterday evening. In connection with a fete there had been arranged a balloon ascent and a double parachute descent by Captain Orton and Miss Bassett. The latter’s parachute was broken by a telephone wire on the balloon being released, and as she had consequently no means by which to descend, she jumped from the balloon to the ground and was killed.
It was reported the Captain Orton tried to use his arm to hold Adelaide back to prevent her from jumping once her parachute was dislodged it was reported that he said to her: "Don't jump, Addie," and after was afraid that she may have misunderstood him when he gave this instruction and only heard the later part. He was horror-stricken by the accident.
Before the balloon ascent, Adelaide Bassett had said in an interview with a journalist that she had only had one accident in all her years of parachuting, and that was when she sprained her foot on a landing when she had let go her parachute a little early.
Captain Alfred Orton did not let his balloon travel higher before pulling away to reach the ground and find his parachuting partner, he was first at the scene, it was said that he gave up parachuting after this accident.
The incident was witnessed by thousands of spectators at the event. The news of Adelaide Bassett death was reported around the world that year as far away as a newspaper in New Zealand.
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1916.htm
2. https://footlightnotes.wordpress.com/tag/captain-alfred-orton/
3. http://elizabethdollyshepherd.blogspot.com/2016/07/dolly-shepherd-remembering-today-two.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Nov-2018 20:01 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 13-Nov-2018 20:02 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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