The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-05-19
DYING ABOVE THE CLOUDS.
Terrible Fate Of Daring French
Eronauts.
From the New York Sun

|
From the New York sun
Mr.. CASTOR Tissandier, in letter
to the president of the Aerial Navi-
CATION Society, thus describes the
voyage in which the experienced
eronauts, Capt. Sivel and BIr. Croce.
Spinelll, lost their lives. One OF
their objects was to try experiments
of the effect upon human lungs OF
an extremely high atmosphere. NJ.
Croce-Spinelli @ also proposed to con-
time those spectroscopic observa-
tions by which he has already proved
that no watery vapors exist in che
SUMS atmosphere. NJ. Tissandier
was to analyze the upper air, while
Capt. Sivel attended TO the balloon !:
CIRoN Qndre) April 16.
MONSIEUR = A telegram, sent
officially, will have informed you Of
the sad misfortune which has befall-
en- us, Sivel and Croce Spinelli are
no more. They succumhed to as
phyxia in the high regions of the air
to which we had ascended. l will
relate to you, what / know Of this
sad drama, for, during two consecu-
tive hours, | was in a state of COM
plete Inconsistencies. The ascen-
sion from the gas works at La
Villette was accomplished favorably.
/ At one in the afternoon we were al
ready at more than 5000 yards of
altitude. (pressure 4.000) We had
passed air into the potassium tubes,
felt our pulses, measured the interior
temperature of the balloon, which
was more than 20 c. (68 Fair while
the exterior air was less than c.
al Fahr) Sivel had trimmed the
car, Croce had used his spectroscope.
and we were all in high spirits.
Sivel threw out ballast and we
assembled, breathing oxygen, which
produced an excellent effect.
At In. 20m. the barometer marked
$50 mm.; we were over 1000 yards
high, and the temperature was less
than 10 c. go Fahr) My compan-
ions were pale; / felt weak, but /
inhaled little of. the gas, which
somewhat revived me. sWe still as
cend. SiveI turned toward me and
said: ''We have a large quantity
of ballast; shall | throw some out ?''
] replied, ''Do as You please" He
put the same question to our friend,
who nodded energetically in token
of approval. We had five sacks WITH
us, each weighing twenty-five lzilos,
and at least four more were hung
outside the car.
Sivel took his knife and success
lively cut three cords. The bags
were emptied. and we mounted rapid
ly. All at once | found myself so
feeble that I coald not even turn my
head to look at my companions. who
l believe. were seated. | desired TO
obtain the oxygen tube. but could
not lift my arm, though my mind
was still quite lucid. / had my eyes
on the barometer, and l saw the
needle pass over the figure of press
nre 290 mm., then 280, which it went
beyond. | wanted to exclaim, ave
are at 5000 yards but my tongue
seemed paralyzed. All at once my
eyes closed and I felt inert, entirely
losing all recollection. The time
was then about 80.
At 80 | revived for q 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:
We are descending. Temperature
8 G. Q7.6 Fahrenheit.) | am throw
ing ont ballast. Elevation 315.
Sivel and Croce still insensible at
the bottom of the car. Descending
very rapidly.
| had scarcely written these lines
when a sort of trembling ft seized
me. and sank down fainting for the
second time. was conscious of a
violent wind, indicating a very rapid |
descent. A few moments later
felt myself shaken by the arms. and |
recognized Croce. who had revived. |
Throw out ballast" said he, .'we
are going down." But | could hard
ly open my eyes. and / did not
notice whether Sivel was aroused | /
remember that Croce, unfastened |
the aspirator and threw it out, as
we'll as some ballast. extra wraps, |
and the like. Alt this is an extreme
ly confused recollection, which was
quickly extinguished, for l relapsed |
into insensibility more thoroughly |
than before, and / felt as if / was |
going off into eternal slumber. What
happened then? | supposed that
the balloon being lightened, imper-
meahle as it was, and very warm. |
shot mp once more into the upper
regions. At about 3:15 o'clock I |
reopened my eyes. feeling giddy and
weak. but my consciouness 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 arm. ''Sivel, Croce - / cried,
''rouse yourselves" They were
both crouched down in the car, with
their heads concealed in their cloaks.
| summoned up all my strength. and
endeayored to lift them up. Sivel's
face was black. his eyes dull, mouth
wide open and full of blood. Croce-
Spenelli had his eyes closed, and his
mouth blood-stained also.
To relate what occurred then is
quite beyond my power. I noticed
a tremendous wind from below MP
ward. We we're still at an altitude
of 5000 metres. There were still
In the car two bags OF ballast, which
| cast out. Soon we neared the
earth, and | sought for my knife in
order to cnt the attachment Of the
anchor, but / could not find It.