Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-09-18
EVENING STAR.


TIE MISSING FRENCa ARRoEAUrS SAVED
NARROW sscA FEoN DEsIRuUrIoS.
The recent balloon voyage OF ". DaruOf aud
his wife proves 20 have been one OF most peril
Gus recorded In the history OF ae.iai naslsat on
TIE dsriDg aeronsuts left Calais on Monday
evening, the 3ist ult, and were not heard OF
nu;il the Friday following, when they were
landed AZ Grimsby, on the east COST OF Eng
iAnd, from fishing smack. The dangers which
by NJ. Duruof himself.
AtI.3J p. N. on Monday, Aug. 81, being any
e Us that the ascent should not be PIT OF % the
Following day, and fearing that we should have
The same vesther, and so be obliged to pat OF
the ascent q second time, / took sdy SutAae OF the
south wind 70 attempt 10 90 in the air, under
the preieNt OF having captive ascent merely:
but resolved 20 avail myself OF this Wind which
was TO have taken Us 20 England. NY wife being
With me, and all being really, l told the people
Who were holding the rope OF the bal
Icon 10 let 90, and at the same tine let q the
hand OF a soldier, there being twenty O re
soldiers in attendance upon me. The balloon
went up amid the ACCLAIM stiOns OF the crowd
and for the space OF $50 yards went In a north
erlY direction; bat upon obtaining that htght
cur course changedto the northeast, aud shortly
aiterwa ard We saw the French and English
lighthouses a. sea, and We seemed 20 be going
mtre towards England than toward France.
There were no vessels 20 be seen AZ sea, AMI
night wss coming on. felt that In that case
should be obliged 10 make a long voyage snd
must economic nv ballast, and decided %
psss The night watching the extremity OF the
rope, 80 yards long. aud every time K touched
Tie water threw out a very small quantity Of
ballast. At a. M, Just before sunrise, threw
81 the light ballast ont, anf 1 discovered taat
Cutug me night bad been driven in north
esst6Tly direction. Not knowing the distance
! was from the nearest land, AMI fearful OF
being driven by another current To the north
ward. resolved 10 lower myself % n vessel. 1
perceived many OF all sizes below me, being then
a mile high. uncovered so As 70 get dOgn,
and toward O'Clock L succeeded. The lover
current OF the wind was blowing north vest. II
Is impossible to describe ms extreme thirst: ana
ny poor wife, whom tried 70 console by telling
her that We we're going in the right direction,
I'D not lose courage. j Shaved her two vessel
in The direction We we're falling, aud made her
understand that We were trying 10 get STOPPED By
one of them. OF the eight bags of ballast
] lad taken with me had only discharged
three, and should have been able, IL needful,
TO continue my journey for thirteen or fourteen
hours. I noticed that the smallest Of the YES
sells, q fishing smack, unanswered and tried 20
Cross my path. The sea was very rough indeed.
Without any fear, opened the valve and de-
scenced until the ropes were trailing in the
water, and In an instant we were past the Ves-
sell The crew of the smack, however, launched
their small boat. and tao men rOwed It toward
us. II was then O'Clock, and seeing the good
will Of the fishermen 10 come and help US, / re-
solved 10 stop the speed of the balloon By
springing the valve until the car flied with
water, and thus would give more resistance TO
the progress OF the balloon. However. when I
turned round could not see the vessel. From
time TO time Tremendous waves broke upon the
balloon, covering US with water, but still the
balloon resisted, and my fear then was that the
assuredly have been lost. At I O'Clock we again
sighted the smack on the horizon, and saw that
she WAS pursuing US, and by degrees we noticed
that she came closer 70 us. The cold was very
severe, and our limbs were becoming benumbed:
our strength was falling us, and the hope OF
being Overtaken by the smack was the only
thing that gave strength TO our arms to hold on.
My wite's limbs were benumbed, and at each
jerk OF the balloon she became weaker and
weaker. The smack continued 10 APP
proach US, and was now within $50 yards
pointed il out to my wife, aud that renewed
her courage. What was more trying was being
obliged to hold her IN nv arms. The smack
was then very near US, and raised myself on
the ropes and saiuted our sailors. They saw rs
and launched their boat, being about 200 yards
ahead OF Us. The small boat was manned BY
the master (Wm. 0xley) and the mate. They
came nearer 70 the car and took hold of the
rope. AT this time their boat was nearly sink
ing on account of the strong jerks Of the bal.
loon, but they did not lose courage, and, taking
hold OF my wifes hand, who was like a corpse,
they dragged her az best they conld into their
boat. i saw the danger they were in, and
began 10 cut the ropes that were following the
balloon. had cut the greater part of them
when was dashed against the boat, and let
myself fall into it, /, like nv wife, lay helpless
at the bottom OF the boat. The men let 20 the
a mighty speed toward Norway. The boat
returned to the smack, and We were put on
board and taken into the cabin. where good
IRE did not tail TO bring us round. We have
only TO express our thanks TO the men for the
care and kindness those good sailors showed to
us during the voyage Of GTimsby, which lasted
until 8 a. II. this morning.