Great Northern balloon in Leeds.

This incident involved the use of animals and it must be remembered it was a very long time ago when everything was very different than it is today. Balloon ascents were very much a show and a spectacular occasion, perhaps similar to a show in todays arena. The general course of event that went all these flights of the period took was that the event was well publicised and a very large, often paying, crowd would attend the gas filling and then release of the balloon which would then generally rise to a very great height, sometimes over a mile high and be blown where the air current took it. The aeronaut released the gas slowly and it descended, those on board would be entertained to tea by the landowner where they landed before returning to the place they begun their flight. A short flight would see those taken aloft return to where they begun it with a crowd often still where they left them as they ascended. This specific aeronaut made a great number of successful flights with a number from towns in Yorkshire.

On 7th October 1839 a planned and publicised balloon ascent was arranged to be carried out from a pupular venue, the White Cloth Hall yard in Leeds, and this yard appears to have been very close to the Corn Exchange. These events were very popular, a number took place from this venue and very many people attended. The immediate area where the filling occurred and the flight would begun a fee was charged to enter and witness the event with then often other lucky people paying to have a flight with the balloon's owner and aeronaut. This particular balloon was to be flown on it's second ascent in Leeds by the aeronaut, William Russum. With a large crowd gathered the tethered balloon was filled with piped gas. The crowd was then entertained by a monkey that appeared from somewhere and it was allowed to freely climb the balloon's ropes and netting, unfortunately the monkey then got into the car below the balloon and utterly refused to get out much to the amusement of the gathered crowd. The aeronaut with three human passengers got into the car. Once the tether was removed one of Mr Russum's party-peices for some of his ascents around this period was to take up a cat inside a wicker basket up to some considerable height above the amassed crowd where he would throw the basket overboard, a parachute would open and the cat was descend gracefully back to earth. At around 17.00hrs the balloon was ready to go, the four men complete with cat in basket and also the stubborn monkey were in place. Unfortunately once the ropes were released the weight in the basket was too great for the balloon to rise as planned. It rose slightly but then sunk, after a short delay on the ground ballast was released and it lifted but it began to drift toward the White Cloth Hall. Grappling hooks that hung just below the passenger car caught on the hall roof and ripped off slates. More ballast was thrown out to attempt to make the balloon rise but height could not be gained quickly enough, it struck the side of the Assembly Rooms before rising slightly, narrowly missing another roof. The car then cleared a few buildings before the car struck and dislodged a number of chimney pots over St.Peters's Square. In a direct line with the course the balloon was taking was St.Mary's Church. Between St.Peter's Square and St.Mary's Church everything in the balloon car that could be was thrown overboard was in an attempt to try and lighten the car and make the balloon rise. All remaining ballast was released, the thick coats and hats the men had for the warmth required at altitude were thrown overboard, as was the cat in the basket. The newspapers of the day were descriptive of the events surrounding the unfortunate cat and less so of the monkey, stating "the parachute, containing a cat, was soon afterwards dropped, but it did not unfold, and here, at all events, it is to be feared a cat-astrophe would take place". The monkey was next to go and as it approached the church the heavy grappling hook was cut free with it landing in the churchyard. The loss of this heavy metal weight was finally enough to make the balloon rise enough to clear the church but in loosing the hook their safe descent would be compromised. The balloon was clearly too heavy and while it floated for a short distance it then came down near The Wellington Inn, in the Wetherby Road / Shadwell area. The car touched or came very close to the ground, that appears to have been enough for one passenger who jumped clear. The reduction in weight saw the balloon sharply rise but with the route ahead clear the aeronaut began to release the gas and it descended two fields away at 17.25hrs. The remaining three men escaped injury and the balloon appears to have been undamaged. The car below it sustained some damage earlier. It was thought that the balloon was filled with gas but was then left for too long a period before the ascent was begun and some gas had escaped. The unfortunate fate of both the parachuting cat and the stowaway monkey have been lost to time, they most probably were the first two flying fatalities in Yorkshire through a man-made flying machine.

Aeronaut - Mr William Russum.

Passenger - Mr William Elam Horner.

Passenger - Mr William Blackburn.

Passenger - Mr Hugh? Pitchard.

Monkey - Fate unknown.

Cat - Fate unknown.