It had everything! The two parachutists were in a race to see who could land first after jumping from a balloon, cutting away from multiple canopies as they descended.
One, riding a malfunctioned canopy, landed in a tree at a nearby North Adelaide nursing home, narrowly missing a baby and causing a female patient to flee in panic.
The other came to earth just in front of a tram on King William Road, close to the Cathedral.
And these guys didn't wear reserves or even harnesses – they simply hung from a trapeze. No ASOs or CASA in those days!
Here’s how the big event was recorded in the local newspaper.
From The Advertiser, Monday, January 10, 1910
FALLING FROM
THE CLOUDS
2,000 FEET IN 6 SECONDS
A PERILOUS DESCENT
Thousands of people held their breath and shivered with fear and trembling when, soon after 6 p.m. on Saturday, the parachutist, Rinaldo, was seen descending from the clouds above the Anglican Cathedral at a terrific speed, hanging to a parachute which had only partially opened.
"Oh, oh, he will be killed," said one anxious spectator, and this was a fear which, if not expressed, was present in the mind of every spectator of the man's perilous journey.
The Viceroy Tea Carnival had been held on the Jubilee Oval, and the final event was a balloon ascent with six parachutes by Zahn Rinaldo, of Austria, and Albert Eastwood, of Australia.
The balloon was inflated at the Oval in the presence of a large number of interested onlookers. It was held in at the bottom by a number of lads, and as it expanded to its full capacity Rinaldo, who was waiting, seated on his trapeze, said, "Let her go when the pistol's fired, boys."
Bang went the report of the gun, back sprang the boys, and as the great sphere filled with hot air felt its freedom, it rose steadily upwards.
"Goodbye, boys!" yelled Rinaldo as he waved his hand and swung from his trapeze by his feet.
He little knew he was to perform a sensational and unrehearsed descent, which, as advertised, would "live in the memory for ever."
Eastwood also hung in a similar manner from another trapeze.
Both men resumed a normal position as the balloon floated away serenely and majestically in the direction of North Adelaide.
It moved slowly, gradually mounting upwards. It was to be a parachute race between representatives of Australia and Austria, and thousands of people besides those on the Oval watched the ascent, and waited with interest for the start of the exciting contest.
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| Still working on the Op Regs. No harness here – just a trapeze. And the guy in the circular frame at the bottom isn't in deep brakes on final approach - he's on the way up, just launching with the balloon. |
Rinaldo remained with the balloon till a height of 5,000 ft. had been attained, and then at a given signal he released his parachute.
He dropped 2,500 ft., using a red and then a blue parachute. At this height above earth, the daring aeronaut, in order to make his descent with greater rapidity, released his last parachute – a tricolor one.
It failed to open properly, and to the horror of the eager watchers, who could see that something was wrong, he dropped with startling rapidity, passing his companion in mid-air with tremendous velocity.
Fortunately for his safety he crashed into a large fig tree in the yard at Mrs. Bartels' Quambi Nursing Rest Home, Pennington Terrace.
The parachute partially dragged through the tree. Rinaldo, who was suffering severely from affected respiration, caused by the fearful rate at which he had passed through the air, was immediately conveyed into the Home, where he was attended by the nurses and Dr. Corbin.
He was soon able to leave the institution, and except for bruises on the hip and leg and a nasty shaking, was little the worse for his perilous adventure.
A Thrilling Predicament
People in the immediate vicinity of the spot gazed open-mouthed at the descending parachutist, and his thrilling predicament caused them great alarm.
Mrs. Bartel, referring to the event, said the parachute looked as if it would fall on the hospital cottage, but escaping this it missed the edge of the hospital roof by a few feet and crashed down through the fig tree in the yard.
"The dense and leafy foliage broke his fall," she said, "or he must have been killed. The force with which he landed in the tree was so great that as he bumped the branches in his downward progress he skinned the bark of the tree with his hip.
"Nurses released him promptly, and as he was suffering from faulty respiration, due to the excessive speed at which he travelled through the air, he was quite purple in the face.
"He was conveyed into the hospital, where ice was placed in his mouth and on his head. He rapidly recovered, and as no bones were broken he was able to leave the institution soon afterwards. He had a marvellous and providential escape."
A Baby's Peril
"So had two of our inmates," continued Mrs. Bartel. "When Rinaldo came flying down through the fig tree he landed within a yard of a small baby lying in a cot, and within a couple of yards of a lady patient. Had he struck the baby in his fall it might have been killed.
"The woman, who was sitting in a chair, was so startled by the sudden apparition, of which she knew nothing, that she jumped up at once and ran away terrified.
"Dr. Corbin, who examined the man, saw his descent from a balcony, and thought he was going to fall in the river. It was fortunate he did not as his respiration was so bad that he might have been drowned before aid was forthcoming."
Nerve-racking Experiences
About an hour after his nerve-racking experience Rinaldo returned to the Oval in a cab, accompanied by Mr Beebe.
To a representative of The Advertiser as he limped into the dressing room he said:
"No, I never felt nervous, but when the 'chute refused to open – the south-east wind caught one part of it, and prevented it from opening on that side – I thought I'll be worse off directly than I am now.
"I passed Albert like a flash. I beat him easily, eh," he remarked with a smile, "and when I got near earth I heard women and children screaming. I suppose they're not used to it. I reckon I dropped over 2,000 ft in six or seven seconds. It was going some, and I thought 'I’ll see the joo through.
"The chute was not one-tenth part open at first, but it bellied out a little. When I got close down I spread my legs out and looked for a good place to fall. I took the fig tree with my buttocks, and here I am.
"The descent shook me up, and it was about three minutes before I could breathe normally. It's not the worst experience I've had. At Burra a month ago I was knocked out for 20 minutes.
"Only once before did a 'chute fail to open with me That was at Newcastle, where the chute opened when within about 20 ft of the ground. It was a bit late, but luckily I landed in a muddy spot near a biscuit factory, and sank above my knees into the mud.”
He laughed cheerfully as he added, "I'll be down the street tonight."
A Narrow Squeak
Mr Beebe, who was much perturbed until he saw that what appeared to be a serious affair was only an eventful experience, said, “It was a narrow squeak for Rinaldo. His last parachute was not more than half or two thirds open He was trying to race Eastwood, and used his first 'chutes so quickly that I reckon he was breathless when he tried to open up the third, and when the wind held some of the segments overlapping, did not have strength or time to catch the cords and) shake out the folds.
"His last chute carries 30 sets of segments, whereas the ordinary number is from 22 to 26. This makes it a little more difficult to work.
"Eastwood does not like it, as he says he gets a bump with it every time, but Rinaldo prefers it. He's had worse bumps. This time fortunately he has escaped practically scathless. I do not think he would have been killed had he fallen direct to earth."
The two men and their parachutes, were equivalent to the weight of four men on the balloon, which came down at the Children's Hospital gate.
Eastwood landed on King William road, in front of an electric tram, at a spot about 50 yards from the Cathedral. He got a nice descent. All’s well that ends well."
A Thankful Mate
Eastwood said he could not describe his feelings when he saw Rinaldo pass by him with such velocity.
"I was full of concern," he said, “as I could see the chute had not opened, and when I got to earth I nearly fainted when someone said he was killed. He’s not hurt, and I’m jolly glad."
A Rush to the Hospital
When the crowd at the oval saw that the parachute had not properly opened a large number of them, anticipating a tragedy, scaled the northern fence and rushed along Victoria Drive.
They were soon passed by a cab with the horses at a gallop.|
Mr Beebe, with an anxious, look on his face, was seated next to the driver and he called for more speed.
The crowd ran across the bridge and through the park to the hospital. Many ran through the gates, but scores, eager to know the fate of the aeronaut wriggled over the high corrugated iron fence.
Curious looks were cast at the limb of the fig tree from which the piece of bark had been sliced. The crowd pressed round the door but Mr Beebe and a policeman kept them back.
"He is only slightly hurt," someone said, and delighted that a fatality had been averted, the anxious crowd melted away.
A Coincidence
It was somewhat remarkable that Rinaldo should have walked in to see Best's pictures at the Trocadero Gardens on Saturday evening just before the pathetic picture of the burial of the victims of the disaster which befell the airship Republic was shown.
The thought of what might have happened ran through the aeronaut's mind as he watched the funeral process on.
Rinaldo was at once recognised by the audience, and during the interval was warmly congratulated on his wonderful escape.
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