The Express.
London, England, 1863-10-21 00:00:00

DESCENT OF THE GIANT

BALLOON.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

A friend of M. Nader has received the following
despatch c--" We descended near Nienburg, in
Hanover, at noon on Monday. Our balloon was
dragged for several hours, the anchors having been
broken. St. Felix, my wife, and I are rather seri-
ously hurt ; the others are better. We owe our
lives to the courage of Jules Godard. More de-
tailed news to-morrow."

BREMEN, Oct. 21.

Hadar's balloon descended near Eyetrup, in
Hanover. There were nine persons in it, of whom
three were seriously and two slightly injured.

Our Paris correspondent, writing last evening
before the above telegrams had reached Paris,
says:
"It is a curious fact that, whereas a fortnight ago
the earliest, the best, and the fullest account of
Nadar's balloon ascent was given by the Moonrise,
the official journal, neither yesterday nor to-day, I
aye a word about the ascent of Sunday, although
the Emperor himself was present at it, and in-
spected
the car with the greatest interest, and talked
for a long while with K Nader. The ex-
planation of this is that the Emperor's visit
was incog. He did not wish it to appear
in the Moniteur that ha took part in a fête od the
day after the funeral of K Billault and the day
before the funeral of Marshal d'Ornano. His Ma-
jesty's presence in the Champs de Mars was only
known to the people who happened to see his car-
riage pass along. M. Nadal-, of course, proposed
that the Emperor's carriage should drive up through
the reserved arena to the foot of the balloon ; but
as this would have made the imperial visit con-
spicuous, the Emperor preferred to leave his vehicle
with others in the ruck, and to walk to the balloon,
'in the environs of which he remained on his legs
for two hours, quite unobserved by the occupants
of 'reserved seats.' Three marshals of France—
Mignon, Regnault de Saint Jean d'Angely, and
Randon—were with the Emperor,u were also Gene-
ral Fleury and K Boitelle, the Prefect of Police.
There are some little discrepancies in the lists of
the companions of Nader. I rather think that the
adventurous baud consisted of the following nine
persons only and Madame Nader ; K Saint
Felix, a ridactetir of the Nation ; Baron Thirion,
K de Fonvielle, M. Ferdinand de Montgolfier, a
_ .
• '

descendant of one of the celebrated aeronauts of
that name ; M. Delessen, and the brothers Godard.
The utmost curiosity is felt to know what has
become of the Giant balloon. At 8 o'clock on Sun-
day night it passed over Beauvais, and so near to
the ground that M. Nader was able to say to the
people through a speaking trumpet, All well; we are
continuing our voyage.' From the northerly direc-
tion in which itwas going, and the absence of news all
this morning, it was thought quite likely that the bal-
loon might have gone woes the Channel and
descended in England. This evening, however,
the rumour has run that the balloon has been heard
of in Belgium, and I find In the Freese the following
letter dated from Erquelines ;—' Nadar's Giant
balloon passed over the Erquelines station at mid-
night (Belgian time), and so near to the ground
that the travellers were heard through a speaking
trumpet They inquired in what department they
were, and the railway pointernan on duty replied,
"At Erquelines, Belgium." One of the custom-
house officer called out to them to come down to
have their baggage inspected—a demand which no
doubt caused great laughter 5n the balloon. The wind
seemed to be driving them north-north-east in the
direction of Bartell.' The above seems to be the
latest authentic news. The Prase mentions a
report that the balloon has been seen in the neigh-
bourhood of Frankfort, but this does not coincide
with the direction of the wind so far as known.
The lesser balloon which went up at the same time
with the Giant is said to have descended at Saint
Quentin.
"I cannot find that anything whatever has been

. -
heard of M. Simonnet, who went up in a third
balloon from the Hippodrome at the moment of
what may now be called the atate ascent from the
Champ de Kara"

(111711:01 =LEG&
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