Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-07-25
Story of the Paris Siege Balloons.

THE London Echo summarizes an in
teresting account just published of the
doings of the Paris siege balloons. which
show that ballooning is by no means so
dangerous mode of travelling as many
would have us believe Out of sixty-four
balloons which left the French capital,
only two came to bad end, and, as these
were lost at sea in trying to escape the
enemy, it is but fair to suppose that they
would otherwise have descended safely.
Curiously enough, a northerly wind,
which would obviously have been the
most favorable for driving the balloons
to the South of France, and therefore out
of reach of the enemy, seems rarely to
have helped the besieged. This fact
alone added much to the difficulties to be
encountered by the aerial navigators in
keeping out of harms way, and really the
only wonder is that so many of the voy-
ages being made in a northeasterly direc-
ton there were not more captures effect
ed. Only five balloons were actually
taken by the Germans, although, as may
be supposed, many had very narrow
escapes, sixteen in all falling within the
enemy's lines. Two of these there was
no chance of saving, for they went right
over into hostile territory; one of these
unfortunate conveyances descended into
Prussia and the other in Bavaria. Several
accidents happened to the aeronauts in
their descent, but if we except the two
instances of balloons going out to sea,
only one of these ended fatally. OF the
sixty-four balloons dispatched, fifty-seven
reached safe destination, carrying $50
navigators and passengers. The duration
OF the voyage was, on an average, but
three hours at the commencement of the
service in September, 1870, but as the
German troops approached nearer and
surrounded the capital more effectually,
it was deemed desirable to make longer
journey, and in January the average
voyage was between six and seven hours.
At this period, too, it was found necessary
to dispatch the balloons during the night,
so that they might get a fair start
and be well out of rifle shot when pass
ing over Versailles and the outposts of
the German army. The most memorable
voyage was that made on the 21st of No
vember, when the North Sea was trav-
ersed by balloon, which reached Chris
tiania after voyage of some fourteen
hours. The distance travelled was GER
taiRly not less than 1000 miles, and at
the rate of seventy miles an hour-be-
yond doubt the fastest rate of locomo-
tion on record. The balloons themselves
were constructed of oiled silk and mostly
contained some 2, 900 cubic meters of gas.
They were designed and manufactured
under the superintendence of NJ. GODDARD,
whose fame as an aeronaut was well es
tablished before the siege. A number of
volunteers from the French navy. chosen
for their peculiar fitness for the service,
were trained to navigate the balloons.
Most of the balloons carried passengers,
and generally several hundred weight of
dispatches, together with a basket of
pigeons, to be employed as return mes
sengers. In some instances, too, dogs
were carried out, in the hope that these
would find their way back into Paris,
laden with letters for the besieged; but
there was no instance, we believe, of these
animals fulfilling the hopes of their san
guine owners.
The manner in which news was con-
veyed by aid of these balloons at very
regular intervals from the 23d September,
1870, until the 2Sth January, 1871, will
long be remembered. The $4,000 mes
sages which were actually sent into the
beleagured city, between the same dates,
by means of pigeons brought out by the
aeronauts, must all be put down to the
credit of the balloon service, so worder.
fully organized and effectively carried
out.