A Balloonist's Perilous Ascent
A local daredevil suffered a gruesome injury just as he took flight from Madison Park, but he refused to abort his mission.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
SEATTLE, April 25.—After he had broken his left leg in two places at the start of a balloon ascension at Madison Park yesterday afternoon, John Leonard, the aeronaut, made the flight, cut loose from his balloon and descended to the ground a short distance from the starting point. He is now a patient at the Monod Hospital, where he will probably be laid up for nearly two months. He suffered a compound fracture of his left leg. Leonard's leg was broken by the balloon carrying him against a windbreak just as the ropes were cut loose.
“After he had broken his left leg in two places at the start of a balloon ascension, John Leonard, the aeronaut, made the flight.”
This reflects the early 20th-century obsession with daredevils and public spectacles, which often prioritized the 'show' over human safety. While Madison Park has long since transitioned from a site of aviation stunts to a quiet residential neighborhood, the incident captures a moment when the Pacific Northwest was actively testing the limits of early flight technologies.
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