Balloon "The Queen" at Malton.

On Wednesday, 12th August 1891 a gala at Malton was held on the Orchard Fields and was organised by the Malton and District Floral and Horticultural Society. During the evening a planned balloon flight with a lady parachutist was due to display over the show field. The balloon was owned by James Whelan of Huddersfield. During the afternoon the filling of it with gas commenced, at around 19.30hrs the filling was complete and it held around 40,000 cubic feet of gas but at this time strong wind was effecting the conditions. The wind was strong enough so that the balloon material eventually ripped at around 19.30hrs causing a large tear and the gas to escape. The balloon car appears to have been empty at the time. The wind must have been strong enough for the gas to be dispersed before it ignited on any source of fire.

Not exactly a flying accident but as I grew up attending Malton Shows on this same field I have included it.