The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-11-03
BALLUONING FROM PARls-
Exciting Scenes and the Start.
Correspondence Of the New York HeIald. !
~

Correspondence Of the New York Helald.
''rHE AERIEL KING"
Large crowds assembled in the Place 81
Pierre and at Montmartre in order to wit
ness the departures. The people experience,
very great relief when Gambetta appeared ii
order to take his seat in the car. A repOr
had been circulated to the effect that tn
Minister was afraid to venture on a journe,
by such conveyance.
NJ Nadar, ''the Aerial King, lost no tim,
in ordering the start.
When the royageurs were requested {,
"step in" two American contractors enteret
the balloon George Sand.
The captain of the balloon came next.
There were travelling hays and bundles O.
| newspapers attached to lines running above
| the heads of the tourists.
Baskets of carrier pigeons were slung or
also.
the soldiers were told to hold on to the ropes
till the Armand Barbes were comfortably
packed. When the travellers were once in
there was no chance Of their getting out be.
fore the start.
THE MINISTER IN HIS SEAT.
The Minister of the Interior appeared al
this moment. He donned his fur cap and
entered the car. Here he clutched the
shrOuding cOnvulsively. His color changed
to livid almost. An additional line of rope
was passed round the shrouds of the car, 20
as to prevent him from falling out, willingly
or unwillingly.
Two Secretaries of the Department of the
Interior took their seats.
The captain of the balloon followed.
Then came more bags of letters and more
baskets Of carrier pigeons.
OFF AND UPwARD-A GRAND SCENE.
NJ. Nadar gave the order "Laekez tout"
On this the balloon, George Sand, rose
majestically from the earth, followed BY the
Armand Barbes amid cheers from the crowd.
The men waved their hats and the women
their handkerchief. Virc Repsb,iq~ was
shouted forth by thousands of tongue.
and re-echoed from terra 6rmn towards the
skies. The travellers aloft unfurled flags in
reply.
Never was balloon ascent more successful.
Near Montmartre, 4 steep hill arises alb
ruptly from the Place St. Pierre. As the
balloons passed over the spot they appeared
to descend rapidly. Everybody was petrifed
with fear. Horror was depicted on the faces
Of the people. The appearance at the mo-
ment is beyond the power Of the pen to des-
cribe. The Minister of the Inferior con-
tracted his arms, and it was thought that the
letter bags, the contents of which were ex-
pected to convey hope and new life to thou
sands of persons, would fall into the hands
of the Prussian soldiers.
EXCITEMENT.
From the balloon George Sand We eaw a
stream of ballast descend. She then rose
again slightly. "No;" alt won't do"
"she is falling rapidly" was screamed from
every throat.
NJ. Nadar, perfect picture of himself as
he is in every day Lille, dressed in foraging
cap, monkey jacket, red shirt and heavy
boots, seized . prodigious field glass and
charged up the steep hill. Men, women and
children, dressed in silks, satins and cordu-
roys, rushed after him. The hill idesvarm-
ell with anxious thousands, who tumbled up
there, but how no one could say.
The unfortunate sentinel on duty tried to
bar their passage, but he was carried away
BY the human torrent.
1have faint recollection Of nv going up |
on all fours, and of saving myself from fai- |
ling to thebottom BY seizing hold of some