Balloon incident on Close Moss, Standedge.

During the evening of Monday, 30th August 1875 a planned and publicised balloon ascent took place from Manley Hall, Whalley Range, Manchester. The balloon was owned by Mr Henry Coxwell but was being flown by his assist on this occasion. At 18.10hrs the tethering ropes were released and the balloon rose into the sky and headed fast and roughly east rising to a height of around 2300 feet before the aeronaut began to release the gas to make the balloon descend. Unfortunately before the balloon reached the ground it approached the high ground of the Pennines north-east of Diggle. Once the balloon was close enough to the ground the aeronaut threw out the grappling hooks toward what he thought were field boundary hedges but these turned out to be field walls. A number of walls that bordered fields in the Standedge area were pulled down by the hooks but this did not stop the balloon. It continued up onto the moorland on which the aeronaut was thrown out of the basket. Fortunately a gamekeeper, William Hutley, and a shepherd, Robert Garside, witnessed the balloon pass through the field walls so then followed it across the moor for around two miles, they came across the badly injured aeronaut and took him to the Great Western public house at Redbrook Reservoir where he was treated for serious injuries. After crossing Close Moss the balloon eventually descended toward Hey Green and was caught by mill workers but had sustained damage.

Aeronaut - Mr William Barker. Injured.