The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-10-01
A Perilous Balloon Voyage.

1t now seems, says the London Times,
that NJ. Durnof and his wife, who as
cended in q balloon from Calais, Aug.
81, were landed at Grimsby on Sept. 1.
NJ. Durnof says:
AT 1855 p. m. the balloon went up
amid the acclamations of the crowd, and
for the space of 800 meters went in
nOrtherly direction. Our course then
changed to the northeast, and shortly
afterward we saw the French and En-
glish lighthouses at sea, and we seemed
to be going more toward England than
toward France. There we're no vessels
to be seen at sea, and night was coming
on. l felt that in that case should be
obliged to make long voyage, and must
economic my ballast. l decided to pass
the night watching the extremity of rope
seventy meters long, and every time the
rope touched the water / threw out Il
very small quantity of ballast. At four
a. m, just before sunrise, l threw all the
light ballast out, and discovered that dur
ing the night l had been driven in a
northcasterly direction. Not knowing
the distance l was from the nearest land,
and fearful of being driven by another
current to the northward, l resolved to
try to lower myself on to a vessel. Ipcr-
ceivcd many Of all sizes below me. Be
ing then 1000 meters high l maneu-
vered so as to get down, and toward five
O'Clock l succeeded. The lower current
of the wind was blowing northwest 1t
is impossible to describe my extreme
thirst, and my poor wife-whOm l tried
to console by telling her that we were
going in the right objectionable not lose
courage. l showed her two vessels in
the direction We were falling, and /
made her understand that we
were trying to get stopped by one
of them. Of the eight bags of ballast
had taken with me 1 had only dis
charged three, and l should have been
able, if needful, to continue my journey
for thirteen or fourteen hours. noticed
that the smallest of the vessels, a fishing
smack, Unanswered and tried to cross
my path. The sea was very rough in
deed. Without any fear l opened the
valve and descended until the ropes were
trailing in the water, and in an instant
we were past the vessel. The crew of
the smack, however, launched their small
boat, and two men rowed it toward U.s.
1t was then six o'clock, and seeing the
goodwill of the fishermen to come TO
help us l resolved to stop the speed of
the balloon by springing the valve until
the car filled with water, and thus give
more resistance to the progress of the
balloon. However, when / 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 balloon might burst, in
which case we should assurcdly have
been lost. At seven o'clock we again
sighted the smack on the horizon, and
saw that she was pursuing us, and we
noticed by degrees she came closer to
us. The cold was very severe aud our
limbs were becoming benumbed. Our
strength was fast failing us, and our hope
of being overtakcn by the smack was
the only thing that gave strength
to our arms to hold on. My wife's
limbs were benumbed, and at each
jerk of the balloon she became
weaker and weaker. The smack
to approach us, and was now
within 500 meters. 1pointed it out to
my wife and it renewed her courage.
What was more firing was being obliged
to hold her in my arms. The smack was
then very near us, and raised myself on
the ropes and saluted the crew. They
saw us anu lduuClcu luclT UOdl, UcluS
200 meters ahead of us. The small boat
was manned by the master (Willlam Ok
ley) and the mate. They came nearer to
the car and took hold of the rope. AT
this time their boat was nearly sinking
on account of the strong jerks of the
balloon; but they did not lose courage,
and, taking hold of my wife's hand,
dragged her as best they could into their
boat. saw the danger they were in
and began to cut the ropes that were
following the balloon. l had cut the
greater part of them when l was dashed
against the boat, into which let myself
fall. l, like my wife, lay helpless at the
bottom of the boat. The men let go the
ropes of the car, and the balloon rushed
off at mighty speed toward Norway
The boat returned to the smack; we were
put on board and taken into the cabin,
and a good fire did not fail to bring US
round We have only to thank the men
for their care and the kindness shown to
US during the voyage to Grimsby, which