Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-05-21
Fatal BaIloOning.

Fatal BaIIoonIng.
Full particulars have been received by
mail of the terrible ballooning disaster in
France, last month, which was briefly re-
ported by teleg raph. The story is intense
ly interesting, and the matter is likely TO be
much talked over in scientific circles. The
party consisted of NJ Tissandier, Croce-
Spinelil and Sivel, all of them experienced
balloonists. NJ. Sivel was of the party
simply TO manage the balloon, he having
already made I5l ascents. The start was
made in the balloon Zenith from the gas
works of La Villette, near Paris, on the
18th Of April, at half past eleven. As the as
cent was made for scientific purposes and
as ii was intended to reach great altitude,
the party was provided amply with instru-
ments and with bags of oxygen TO he
breathed when the air should become too
rare TO support life. The incidents Of the
voyage have been graphically described by
the sole survivor of the expedition, NJ Tis-
sander, in minutes kept by him during
the ascent, aud in a report made TO the
French erouautical society. At one o'clock
the balloon had reached height ofI5000 me
tres, or something more than three miles.
The balloonists "felt happy" and actively
occupied themselves in making scientific
observations. They continued to ascend,
and at twenty minutes sfter one we're at =
height of 1000 metres. Although pallid
and weak they agreed TO throw out more
ballast aud ascend still further. But al
ready they had passed The point whore they
could pursue their scientific inquiries. The
following extract from NJ. Tissander's
notes, the last he was able 10 write, shows
that it was already time for them to de-
scend:
Now the height is $500 metres. A little
oppressive. Hands slightly frozen. -.
We are better. -. Hands frozen. Croce
pants. We inhaie the oxygen in the bag.
Sivel and Croce shut their eyes. -. They
are pale. -. A little better, even gay.
Croce says TO me laughing, "YOu blow like
a porpOise." l.20. We are 1000 metres
Sivel seems druwsy. Sivel and Croce
are pale. -. 74OO. Sleepy. 1909. Sivel
throws out ballast.
As they rose after this last emptying of
the bags, the narrator became powerless.
He could not turn his head to look OF his
companions. He could not raise his arm
remained fixed on the barometer, and he
tried TO say that the height reached was 5000
metres, but his tongue refused to move,
and he fell senseless. This was at half past
one. Consciousness returned for a moment
about forty minutes later. The balloon
was rapidly descending, and Tissandier
had strength to cut Off one of the bags of
ballast 10 stay the descent, to observe that
the height was about 1900 metres, TO notice
that his companions were lying in a faint
at the bottom of the ear, and to write
brief note OF the situation. Then he faint
ed again. Soon after he was awakened by
Croce shaking his arm, and noticed that he
was throwing out ballast, but again fell in
to trance. Not until quarter past three
did lie become conscious again. Then he
awoke TO find the balloon descending with
frightful rapidity. Sivel and Croce were
huddled up in the car, their faces black,
their mouths covered with blood. He tried
to rouse them, but il was not possible.
Gathering his strength he threw out two
bags Of ballast, as the balloon was rapidly
nearing the earth. BY last effort he sue
ceed In finding his knife and cut loose the
anchor. The shock when the earth was
touched was very violent, but the anchor
did not hold, and the balloon glided along
on the earth, the car touching the ground,
aud the bodies of Croce aud Sivel were
shaken from side to side. At last Tissan-
dier managed to seize the rope of the es-
cape valve and let out the gas, the balloon
| crashed up against tree and came to a
stop, and at -four o'clock one only of the
three came alive out of the car. Croce and
Sivel were dead.
1t cannot, of course be known what
height was reached by the Zenith, no one
being conscious at a greater distance from
the earth than 5000 metres. Still il is not
probable that the extreme altitude exceed
ed $500 metres, or say q 900 feet. Although
this seems great hight, being over five
miles, It is not so great as many other sero-
nauts have reached and returned safely.
An ascent was made in 1862 10 the hight
$1,000 feet, on which occasion the persons
In the balloon suffered from similar symp-
toms as those described by NJ. Tissandier,
but IN less degree. This has led some
persons TO doubt whether it was the rare
faction of the air that caused the death oil
NM Croce-Splnelli and Sivel. Mr.. Sim
mons, who last year made the ascent with
"the flying man." M de Groof, who lost his
life In the descent, believes they were suf-
focated by gas. It Is a little curious that
the survivor of this expedition had the
weakest constitution of tho three. Wheth-
or the cause of science demands the risk
OF life involved in ascents to the higher al
tltudes is a question that will be revived
by this latest casualty.