It started with a postcard... Captain Orton and Ms Bassett ...Part 1

 

 

"A PARACHUTIST KILLED.
MADEMOISELLE ADELAIDE BASSETT, a London parachutist, was killed at a fête and
gala held at Peterborough on Bank Holiday(a London paper of August 11th reports]
the entertainment was organised by Mr Bartholomew, of Cambridge, and the attraction
included a balloon ascent, a double parachute descent, advertised as a "race for life",
by Captain Orton and Miss Bassett.The balloon was' inflated by half-past 1 when Captain
Orton gave the word to letgo. As the balloon ascended, a telephone wire caught the lady's parachute,
causing it to fall, when 20ft from the ground. The parachutists were seen to confer, and when
the balloon had risen about 60ft. the womanJumped off, falling on her head some 30 yards from
where the ascent was made. The man immediately let go, and, his parachute inflating, he fell safely.
Miss Bassett was picked up and removed to the infirmary,where she was found to be dead.
The terrible scene was witnessed by thousands of spectators.
In an interview just before the ascent, Miss Bassett, who was fairly self-possessed, said
she always felt nervous when waiting for an ascent, but was all right directly the balloon went up.
She said she had been parachuting for six years, and had only had
one accident, when she sprained her foot at Aberdare through loosing her hold of the Parachute before
it touched the ground Captain Orton said he had been ballooning 30 years, and had been a parachutist 11
years. He had never met with an accident,and was the oldest parachutist in England.
Captain Orton, who sprang from the balloon immediately after his companion, reached her before she was
picked up. He was horror-stricken at the accident, and said that when her parachute was snapped he cried,
 "Don't jump, Addie," and he was Afraid she misunderstood him. An inquest was held at Peterborough Infirmary on
the following Wednesday on the body of Annie Bassett. Alfred Orton, of 79,Northern-road, Plaistow, London,
a pro-fessional aeronaut, said he was performing at the Fletton Recreation Grounds, Peterborough,
on Bank Holiday, he and the deceased having arranged to go up in a balloon and descend by means of parachutes.
The engagement was a joint one. Deceased resided with him and his wife. She was a married woman,
her husband's name being Henry Bassett, and was 36 years of age. She had made about 30 ascents with witness,
and had never been up with anyone else. He had been an aeronaut since he was eight years old (about 34 years). On thé balloon being filled on the previous day, the parachutes being attached, he and deceased got the seat under the balloon, which was being held down by 10 or 12 men. He gave the order to let go, but the balloon did not rise fast enough to
clear the trees and the telephone wires. The lady's parachute became, detached, and he put his arm across to
her,thinking the wires would pull her off her seat, she being fastened to the parachute.
As soon as he found the parachute was clear of the wires he took his arm away, and said,
"For goodness' sake, Addie, don't go !' He thought she took it as "Go!" for she at once leaped from her seat,
and in 10 seconds.  was on the ground He heard the thud of her fall, and at once let go, his parachute being
right way up, while hers was upside down. He thought she fell nearly 70yds., and he believed she was dead when
he got to her. He was 40 yards. further than her when he jumped. Everything was done in the usual way,
and the accident was caused by the balloon not having enough ascending power owing to heavy weather.
In reply to questions by the jury, the witness said the balloon was filled 30 yards from the trees and wires
He could not clear the public away to get the balloon into the centre of the field, and he thought it would rise
 safely where it was. He was sure the deceased misunderstood him. Had she stopped on until they had got higher up she would have had space to recover her parachute in falling,
he parachute weighed only 301b., and the deceased 11st., and her weight would have caused it to open had
she waited. Mr.William Fettitt, clerk to the Peterborough Board of Guardians, an' eye-witness of the occurrence,
described how the accident occurred, the parachute being detached by the  telephone wire,  and said no blame
was "attached to the last witness, who was risking his life as well as the deceased. The jury, after deliberating,
returned a verdict of " Accidental death?' and added a rider, "That since no useful purpose is served by
these senseless exhibitions at -which-; the lives of performers are risked they should be made illegal""

Source  Barrier Miner 13 Sep 1895 page 3

To be continued....