In 1890 at an athletic meeting in Spalding 7000 people paid a schilling to go to the meeting as it was to be accompanied by a balloon assent by the aeronaut Professor Russett who would then jump from the basket and descend by parachute. 4000 of those arrived by train. A licence was issued to fill the balloon with the town’s highly flammable and poisonous coal gas. Unfortunately the balloon would not inflate due to a leak near its neck and public disorder ensued:
“The weary waiting over an hour beyond the time advertised for the ascent produced a feeling of suspicion in the minds of the crowd and they at once jumped to the conclusion that they were being hoaxed. A general murmur culminated in a loud roar of indignation, followed by a rush for the unfortunate professor and his apparatus, and , but for the timely and vigorous assistance rendered by several gentlemen and by the police, it is quite possible that the balloon would have been torn to pieces and the aeronaut lynched. The spectators included some roughish working men from a distance, whose rage knew no bounds on learning that they had spent their money in vain. This is not to be wondered at, and in the absence of explanation it was natural that they should imagine themselves to be duped. Fortunately the attempt to wreak vengeance upon the stranger was fraught with no serious consequences.
Russett was quickly assisted to the pavilion and locked up safe from the mob. His assistants Mr. Lindley, Mr. Vernon and several of the men, were subjected to some rough treatment, but the balloon was rescued with only a trifling damage being caused to it, the silk showing two rents. A number of extra policemen on duty in the town were sent for and the combined force kept the mob from breaking into the pavilion. The fugitive remained there nearly two hours in sound of the imprecations of many of those outside, who also vented their wrath by beating upon the doors and panels with sticks. Inspectors Caban and Wackett were hardly pressed while defending the parachute party and were compelled to resort to fisticuffs. Eventually, assisted by a ruse adopted by the police, he escaped in the rear and across Cave’s garden. Some considerable time elapsed before the excitement subsided, hundreds of people in the streets expressing their disgust with Russett, with the sports committee, and with the town of Spalding as well, accompanied by more or less bad language. During the row in the field, one man was about to strike a match with the object of destroying the balloon; if he had not been restrained a dreadful calamity would have occurred. The wonder is that an explosion did not occur seeing the large number of persons who were smoking.”
Despite all this the event raised £450 for the athletic club.
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