LESLIE HADDOCK – AERONAUT AND SHOWMAN
Bellingham, Massachusetts -August 20, 1901
It was August and it was hot, yet modesty standards of 1901 dictated that men wear jackets and women don ankle length skirts with layers of petticoats underneath. However, the heat wasn’t enough to deter the large crowds who had come to witness a balloon exhibition given by famous aeronaut, Leslie Haddock, but as the balloon rose into the evening sky, it quickly became apparent that something had gone terribly wrong.
Silver Lake is a body of water that lies in the approximate geographical center of the town of Bellingham, Massachusetts. At the dawn of the 20th century it was known as Hoag Lake, and was a popular tourist destination due to an amusement park located along its shores. The park was owned and operated by the Milford, Attleboro, & Woonsocket Street Railway Company, and it cost a nickel to ride the street car to get there. Besides a large carousel and other rides, the park boasted a restaurant, a dance hall, a theatre, a beach, outdoor concerts, boat rentals, live animal acts, and the occasional balloon exhibition.
One such exhibition was scheduled for the third week of August of 1901, to be performed by a man named Leslie Haddock, a well known aeronaut in his day and no stranger to hair raising experiences. He arrived on Monday, August 19th, and began his exhibition by making two ascensions that day, much to the delight of the cheering crowds.
The following evening, as crowds of people emptied out of the theatre after a lively performance, they gravitated to an open area where Mr. Haddock was in the process of inflating his balloon. As the numbers of spectators grew so did their anticipation. Finally, about 10 o’clock, it was time for lift-off. Haddock gave a signal, and workmen released the rope that held the balloon earthbound. The craft soared several hundred feet into the air and drifted towards the lake. A flare tied to a rope at the bottom of the balloon allowed everyone on the ground to track the its progress. Suddenly the craft began falling at a rapid rate and the crowed let out a collective gasp. Some pointed skyward, as if by doing so others would see better, while still others stated what seemed obvious. “He’s in trouble!”, and “Something’s wrong!”
The balloon continued dropping near the boat house and the crowd began running towards the shore to get a better look. When the craft was twenty feet from the water Haddock leaped over the side and dropped into the lake making a dramatic splash. The balloon, now relieved of its weight of human cargo, suddenly rose upward and drifted away; the glowing flare still indicating its position in the dark sky.
Looking out over the lake there was no sign of Haddock. Had he drowned? Should someone jump in and try to save him? A murmur swept through the crowd as this was debated, followed by a sigh of relief when Haddock’s head suddenly bobbed to the surface. He waded ashore to the thunderous applause of the happy spectators who now had an exciting story to tell when they got home.
Haddock later explained that the accident was due to a sudden tear in the upper portion of the balloon which had allowed the gas to escape, and supposed the fabric had failed due to age. He went on to say that he had been worried about the craft’s air-worthiness, and had taken a parachute along as a precaution, but never had the chance to use it.
Hoag Park remained in operation until 1922, when the property was sold to new owners. The decline in trolley car use seems to have been a factor. Unfortunately, the new owners were unable to bring the place back to its former glory, and over time the park simply faded into history.
This wouldn’t be the last adventure Mr. Haddock would have in a balloon. Several years later in July of 1908, he took part in a balloon race in Chicago where his entry, the 87,000 cubic foot Cincinnati, became entangled in electrical wires upon take-off.
Sources:
(Woonsocket) Evening Call, “Dropped Into The Lake”, August 24, 1901, Pg. 4
New York Times, “Nine Balloons Off In Race To Coast”, July 5, 1908