Connecticut western news., 1875-05-21
DYING ABOVE THE CLOUDS.
The Terrible Fate of Daring French ARrnnnmfA.

The Terrible Fnt0 of Daring French
 AerOnauts.
 MT. Gasten Tissandier, the survivor of the scientific party which went up in the balloon Zenith, et Paris, in q letter to the president of the Aerial Navigation Society, thus describes the voyage in which the experienced aeronauts, Capt. Sivel and Mir. Croce-Spineli, lost their lives. One of their objects was to try experiments of the effect upon human lungs of an extremely high atmosphere. MT. Croce-Spineli also proposed to con tlnue those spectroscopic observations by which he has already proved that no watery vapors exist in the suns atmos- phere. M. Tissandier was to analyze the upper air, while Capt. Sivel attend ed to the balloon:
 The ascension from the gas works at La Villette was accomplished favorably. At one ill the afternoon we were already at more than 5000 yards of altitude Cpressure four hundred). We had passed air into the potassium tubes, felt our pulses, measured the interior tempera- ture of the balloon, which was more than 20 c. (68 Fahr. ), while the exterior air was less than c. (41 Fahr.). Sivel had trimmed the car Croce had used his spectroscope, and we were all ill high spirits.
 Sivel threw out ballast and we as- cended, breathing oxygen, which pro duced an excellent effect. -.
 At 1h. 2Om. the barometer marked 32O mm.; we were over 1000 yards high, and the temperature was less than 10 c. (50 Fahr.). My companions were pale felt weak, but inhaled little of the gas, which somewhat revived me. We still ascended. Sivel turned toward me and said: "We have a large quantity of ballast shall I throw some out?" I replied: "Do as you please" He put the same question to our friend, who nodded energetically in token of ap- proval. We had five sacks with us, each weighing twenty-five kilos, and at least four more were hung outside the car.
 Sivel took his knife and successively cut three cords. The bags were emptied, and we mounted rapidly. All at once I 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 I saw the needle pass over the figure of pressure 29O mm., then 280, which it went beyond. I wanted to exclaim: "We are at 1000 yards p but my tongue seemed para lyzed. All at once my eyes closed and l fell inert, entirely losing all recollection. The time was then about half-past one.
 At 1 :52 I revived for moment. The balloon was descending rapidly. I was able to cut sack of ballast to slacken the speed, and to write on my. register the following lines, which copy: Y. !
 We are descending. Temperature, 8 c. 07.6 Fahrenheit). I am throwing out ballast. Elevation 315. Sivel and Croce still insensible at the bottom of the car. Descending very rapidly.
 l had scarcely written these lines when a sort of trembling fit seized me, and sank down fainting for the second l time. was conscious of violent wind, indicating very rapid descent. A few moments later I felt myself shaken by the arms, andrecognized Croce, who had revived. 'Throw out ballast" said he, "we are going down." But I could hardly open my eyes, and did not no- tice whether Sivel was aroused. l re- member that Croce unfastened tho as pirator and threw it out, as we'll as some ballast, extra wraps, and the like. All this IS an extremely confused recollec- tion, which was quickly extinguished, for I relapsed into insensibility more thoroughly than before, and I felt as if I was going off into an eternal slumber. What happened then7 I suppose that the balloon being frightened, impermea- ble as 1t was, and very warm, shot up once more into the upper regions. At about 3:15 o'clock reopened my eyes, feeling giddy and weak, but my con sciousness returned. The balloon was rushing downward with frightful ve- locity
 The car swayed violently from side to side, and described great oscillations. I raised myself on my knees, and pulled my companions by the arm. Y" Sivel, Croce ]" I cried, Grouse yourselves l" They were both crouched down in the car, with their heads concealed in their cloaks. I summoned upall my strength, and endeavored to lift them up. Sivel's face was black, his eyes dull, mouth wide open and full of blood. Croce- Splnelh had his eyes closed, and his mouth blood stained also.
 To relate what occurred then is quite beyond my power. I noticed tre- mendous wind from below upward. We were still at an altitude of 5000 metres There were still in the car two bags of ballast, which cast out. Soon weneared 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 Sivell l" 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 fatten itself out completely, and thought it would so remain. But there was strong wind, which carried 1t along. The grapnel did not hold firmly, and the car was dragged across the fields. The dead bodies of my un- fortunate friends were jerked about, and l feared at each moment that they would fall out of the car. Meanwhile I suc- ceeded in grasping the cord of the valve, and the balloon was qnickly emptied and was finally exhausted against 8 tree. This was about four o'clock.
 On getting out of the car I was attack ed by feverish excitement of the most violent kind, and very soon fell exhaust. ed, and became livid. thought that ] was about to join my companions in tho next world.
 Nevertheless, I gradually recovered my senses. I examined my poor com rades, and found them cold and stiff had their corpses transported to the shelter of eighboring farm. sobbet to sufocation, and even yet have not re covered.
 M. Tissandier's notes, as long as ht was able to write, were as follows:
 ''I take the place of Croce-Spinell while he makes his spectral observations My pulse beats no to the minute. w, are ata height of 3, ,OOOmetres. Our ther mometer placed inside the balloon in