Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-05-20

of ballast shall throw some out?"
replied: "Do as you please" He put the
same question to our friend, whe nodded
energeticslly in token OF approval. we
had Ave sacks with us, each weighing
TWENTY-FIVE kilos, and at least four more
were hung outside the car.
Siyel took his knife and successfully
cut three cords. The bags were emptied,
and we mounted rapidly. All at once
found myself so feeble that could not
even turn my head to look at my COM
panions, who. / believe, were seated.
desired to obtain the oxygen tube, but
could not lift my arm, but my mind was
still quite lucid. had my eyes on the
barometer, and l saw the needle pass
over the figure of pressure 26O NM, then
| $50, which it went beyond. l wanted to
exclaim: 1--WE are at 5000 yards!" but
my tongue seemed paralyzed. All at
once my eyes closed and fell inert, en-
tirely losing all recollection; the time
was then about / 80.
At / :52 revived for moment. The
balloon was descending rapidly; / was
able to cut sack of ballast to slacken
the speed and to write on my register
the following lines, which copy:
eve are descending. Temperature
SC. Q7.G Fahrenheit) l am throwing
out ballast. Elevation, 315. Sivel and
Corce still insensible at the bottom OF
the car. Descending very rapidly"
had scarcely written these lines when
a sort of trembling fit seized me and l
sank down fainting for the second time
| I was conscious of violent wind, indi-
l royatd dacpanf few
moments later felt myself shaken by
the arms and recognized Croce, who had
| revived. "Throw out ballast" said he,
ave are going down" But l could
hardly open my eyes, and did not notice
whether Sivel was aroused. remember
that Croce unfastened the aspirator and
threw it out, as well as some ballast, ex-
ira wraps and the like. All this is an
extremely confused recollection, which
was quickly extinguished, for l relapsed
into insensibility more thoroughly than
before, and felt as if was going OH
into an eternal slumber What happened
then? / suppose that the balloon, being
lightened, impermeable as it was and
very warm, shot up once more into the
upper regions. At about 3 10 o'clock
reopened my eyes, feeling giddy and
weak, but my consciousness returned.
The balloon was rushing downward with
frightful velocity.
The car swayed violently from side to
side and described great oscillations.
raised myself on my knees and pulled
my companions by the arms. Swell
Grocer cried, Grouse yourselves" They
were both crouched down in the car with
their heads concealed in their cloaks.
summoned up all my strength and en-.
deavored to lift them up. Sivel's face
was black, his eyes dull mouth wide
open and full of blood. Croce-Spinelli
had his eyes closed and his mouth blood
stained also.
To relate what occurred then is quite
beyond my power. noticed tremen.
dous wind from below upward. We were
still at an altitude of 5000 metres. There
were still in the Car two bags OF ballast
which l cast out Soon we neared the
earth; and sought for my knife in order
to cut the attachment of the anchor, but
/ could not find it.
| was distracted, and kept calling out
"Sivel! Sivelm Fortunately laid my
hand on knife, and was enabled to free
the grapnel in time The shock OF the
fall was extremely violent. The balloon
appeared to fiatten itself out completely
and thought it would so remain. But
there was strong wind which carried il
along. The grapnel did not hold firmly
and the car was dragged across the fields
The dead bodies of my unfortunate
friends were jerked about, and l feared
at each moment that they would fall Out
of the car. Meanwhile | succeeded in
grasping the cord of the valve, and tic
balloon was quickly emptied, and was
finally exhausted against a tree. This
was about four o'clock.
On getting out of the car l was at
tackled by feverish excitement OF the
most violent kind, and very soon fell ex.
hausted, and became livid. | thought
that was about to rejoin my companion
in the next world.
4 Nevertheless, / gradually recovered
my senses. / examined my poor com.
rades and found them cold and stiff.
had their corpses transported to the
shelter of neighboring farm. sobbed
to suffocation, and even yet have not re-
covered.
am at Ciron, near LIE Blanc, where
have been received with boundless hos
pitality.
have been feverish all the night.
have not yet been able to eat anything
whatever, and feel consequently very
weak salute you.
CASTOR TIssANDIER.