The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-10-08

FRENCH BALLOONING.


An Ascent from Calais and n Plunge in
the North sea--M. Duroufs History
of a PeriIous Voyage.
NJ. Duruof and his wife, who made
the perilous balloon ascent from Calais
have been rescued in the North Sea.
AS one of the attractive features of @
public .fete given at Calais that day, it
was announced that the adventurous
aeronart and his wife would go up in
their balloon, the Tricolor, and if the
wind was favorable they proposed to
make an aerial voyage over the Channel
and land in England. The wind was
squally, and moreover blew in the
wrong direction. With q southeasterly
current the attempt would have been
made, but it blew variously south and
southwest, and the only prospect be-
fore the voyagers was descent in the
German Ocean, unless they could reach
the distant shores of Denmark or Nor
way. The authorities forbade the as
cent, but part of the crowd, disappoint-
ed of the sensational episode of the
DAYS amusement, taunted Duruof with
cowardice, and, stung by their taunts,
effort to carry out their engagement,
and LIE Tricolor was seen rising into
the clouds Just as night was closing in,
and drifting over the Atraits OF Dover
toward the open sea.
So it continued to drift for ten hours,
when the gas being partly exhausted it
fell into the North Sea.
Then they saw and we're seen by a
Grimsby fishing smack !; the crew
hastened to their rescue, pursued the
car, which dipped into and rose out of
the water like flying fish, and finally,
after a chase of two hours, saved the
half drowned aeronaut and his wife in
the middle of the North Sea, some 10
miles from the Spur Lighthouse.
According to these data it would
seem that the balloon had travelled
about three hundred miles in a direct
line, its rate being between twenty-five
and thirty miles an hour, or about
twice the average horizontal motion OF
the air.
Subjoined we publish facts taken
from M. Duruof's narration of his voy-
age and rescue
The balloon went up amid the accla-
nation of the crowd, and for the space
of 1927 yards went in northerly direc-
ton but upon attaining that height
our course changed to the northeast,
and shortly afterwards we saw the
French and English lighthouses at sea,
and we seemed to be going more to-
ward England than toward France.
There were no vessels to be seen at sea,
and night was coming on. l ielt that,
in case 1 should be obliged to make a
long voyage, must economize my bal
last, and decided to pass the night
watching the extremity Of the rope,
which was seventy-six yards long, and
every time the rope touched the water
I threw out very small quantity OF
ballast. At four A. NJ, just before sun.
rise, I threw all the light ballast out,
and discovered that during the night
l had been driven in a northeasterly di.
rection. Not knowing the distance
was from the nearest land, and fearful
of being driven by another current to
the northward, 1 resolved to try to
lower myself to vessel. L maneuvred
so as to get down, and toward five
o'clock l succeeded. The lower cur
rent of the wind was blowing north.
west. 1t is impossible to describe my
extreme thirst. The sea was very
rough. Without any fear opened the
valve, and descended until the ropes
were trailing in the water, and in an in
stant we were past vessel. At sever
o'clock we again sighted the smack OF
the horizon, and saw that she was pur
suing us, and by degrees we noticed
that she came closer to us. The colo
was very severe, and our limbs wer,
becoming benumbed, our strength wa
failing us, and the hope of being over
taken by the smack was the only thing
that gave strength to our arms to holt
on. My wife's limbs were benumbed
and at each jerk of the balloon she be
came weaker and weaker. The smacl
continued to approach us. pointed
out to my wife, and it renewed he
courage. I saw the danger they wer
in, and I began to cut the ropes tina
trailed from the balloon. had cut tn
greater part of them, when 1 wa
dashed against the boat, and L let my
self fall into it. 1, like my wife, la
helpless in the bottom of the boat. Th
men then let go the ropes of the, Cal
and the balloon started off with
mighty speed toward Norway. The boa
returned to the smack. We were pr
on board and taken into the cabiI
where good fire did not fail to brin
us round.