The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-05-28
BIZ BALLooN TO EUROPE.
Mons. Chevalier's Balloon Trip Across
the A tlantie from New York-A Famous
Aeronsut-His Previous Exploit
Plans and Preparations for the Great
Enterprise.

Nrvs announced the arrival upon our shores
of q bsIloonist OF the name Of CheYsliar, who
w.s going to make On aerial voyage from New
York TO Europe. Most people recall lis the fste
OF similar previous projects, and dismissed
Chevalier, from mind as humbug. Mons.
Cheyalier, however, little rocked what people
said about him, indeed does not appear tohave
cared whether the general public said or knew
anything at allof him, for scarcely word in
his behalf has been seen in the p, blic prints
from that day to this. Meanwhile ] q has been
consulting with gentlemen whose c. s2tenance
and support are worth having-such men as
Prof. Doremus, and Prof. Henry, Of the Smith
sonian Institute, and number Of solid men Of
means. and to-day.the great enterprise is said
to be in most suspicious state-the balloon
and its appurtensnces in compile order, the
connection with the gas pipes for supplying
gas, made at Landmarks Park. New York, and
the period Of departure definitely fixed for
about the middle Of July.
WHO Is CHEvAIIER
he was born in st. Petersburg in 1885, being
the son OF an officer OF the Russian army. The
Emperor Alexander himself stood godfather at
his christening but Mons; Chevaier claims us
podson even, for his mother was an Anowfrief;
which is the family nar,e OF the Grand Duke
Constantine, who ought, by the rights OF de-
scent. to be on the throne instead OF the pre-
sent Autocrat. After having gone through the
wars against schamyl, the Circassian, with his
father, young Chevaier was taken to Swltzer-
land By h mother, where he was placed in the
~ IS 20 Io a1r1 tod for q n
eeon. he finally abandoned surgery, however,
for chemistry and metallurgy, and eventually
followed his brother to Australia, where they
engaged in mining. In o few years he
had returned to Paris, where, IN 1852,
he was studying photography with Nadar
and Disder;. From the Days Of his student
life he had penceaa for acr9statlon, and had
and var ties-fsh- shaped, bird-shaped, cigar
shaped, cylindrical, " th machinery and with
out, but be, oud the qualification OF his taste
for ballooning study, and no result save the
reduction OF his fortune. He finally made one
invention in his art, however, which will give
him an enduring fame, and which goes far to-
ward assu suring the success OF his perillous en-
terprise of traversing the wide Atlantic. This
was the "compensator" balloon-a small reser-
voir balloon placed beneath the mouth Of the
main balloon to receive the gas which escapes
by expansion in high latitudes, and which in
ordinary balloons Is lost. II was during bis
stay in Paris with Nadar that Chevalier engag-
ed in the greatest ballooning teat IN history,
the voyage OF
TIE FAMOUS BALLOON Gle GRANT."
The remarkable incidents of the ascent Of
"Le Geant," which took place in Paris in 1854,
are doubtless fresh in tho memory of many of
our readers. Chevalier had with him as CON-
pagnons da voyage, the Princess De "a Torr
To 10 ttcyirI ~ ho
period" Nadar, NJ. Delessert, the two brothers
Godard. NJ. Tirion. great-grandson Of Monsol-
fer. and M. De S.. Felix. "Le Geant' was one
hundred and ninety-fye feet in helghth, held
$50 600 cubic feet OF gas, and was OF such ire.
mendous power thai previous to the final start
it took up ffty-tour soldiers OF the National
Guard, or as many as could be packed into tho
car and it's rigging. The balloon VAS provided
for the voyage with india-rubber beds, print
ing press. from which bulletins iu the shape of
printed handbils were scattered out during
the progress Of the voyage, with directions IN
several languages to forward them to Paris
and Londoe, complete Photographic
apparatus, and set OF the best astro-
nomical Instruments, presented by various
ecientific societies. lie Geant" left Paris at 5
P. NJ, on the 10th Of September. The same
night, at 10 o'clock, it's electric lights attract
ed the attention Of the guard on boundary
post between Holland and Germany, who in
formed the balloonlsts that that they were
seven hundred miles from home. They then
ascended again, and during the night Cheya-
lier had the proud pleasure o. seeing the value
of his compensation balloon practically de-
monstrated, as it vas at one time half full OF
gas that would otherwise have been lost, and
rendered further progress impossible. The
landing was effected the next day, at 8 8o'cock,
not without serious casualties, however, as
the Process, Nadar, st. Felix, Delessert and
Cheyalier, all had limbs broken, and were
otherwise seriously hurt. The balloon had
trayersed fifteen hundred miles In fifteen
hours.
Several other ascents of CheYalier's have be-
come historical. In 1867 he crossed the Eng
lish channel from Dublin, landing in West
moreland, after sail Of 164 miles, done in four