American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-01-08
Terrific Fall OF Party Of French
AerOnautS.

THE military committee of aeronaut.
made an ascent from the gas works at La
Villete On the Sth of December, in the
Univers, under the guidance of NJ. God
| ard. The party consisted of eight-COl
Laussedat; COmmandant Mangln; two
Captains in the Engineers; a Lieutenant OF
cuirassiers; and NM. Teresc and Tissan
dier, the latter being the survivor in the
terrible accident of the Zenith. The bal
loon was driven in the direction of Vim
cennes, and whilst floating over the vine
yards of MOntreul, at the height of about
200 yards, it suddenly collapsed and fell
to the earth like shot. Five of the occu-
pants of the car were wounded, whilst
three remained unhurt. The balloon fell
on grass plot in garden surrounded
by high walls in the Rue de Lagny. As
sistance was soon rendered 1t was found
that Col. Laussedat had his right leg
broken, and Commandant Mangin his
left, whilst Capt. Renard, of the Engi-
neers, had the fibula fractured, having
had the presence of mind, when he felt the
balloon was falling, to cling to the cord
age, by which the shock was lightened.
MN. GODDARD and Terese were also in
jured, the former having the right knee
fractured, but his companion only re-
ceived some Commissions without gravity
When NJ. Tissandier perceived the danger
escape valve, and was in that position
when the balloon reached the ground, and
he escaped unhurt. NJ. GODDARD opinion
is that the valve had become frozen and
would not work; but this is merely sup
position.
The following additional particulars
concerning the accident are not without
interest: At the moment of starting,
fifty minutes past ten, the barometer stood
fA1x H.,
Col. Laussedat. who had undertaken the
reading of it, had marked the last at
thirty-two minutes past eleven; it was
7441a Mullins CO.'S inches), SO that the
exact minute at which the fall occurred
is known. NJ. Eugene GODDARD, who had
become conscious that the balloon was
descending, but did not know why, threw
out bag of ballast, soAieh fell back into
tie cdr-a circumstance well calculated to
give an idea of the rapidity of the de-
scent. At the same moment NJ. Albert
Tissandier called his companions atten-
ton to the state of the balloon, the lower
part of which had become fiabby They
all began to throw out ballast, the novices
in their bewilderment ejecting the philo-
sOphical instruments as well. 1tmattered
little, however, for in few seconds more
the balloon struck with such violence that
the bottom of the car penetrated into the
soil, having fallen from an altitude of 600
feet. NJ. GODDARD had called to his com
paniOns to cling to the cordage, but un-
was not obeyed, or perhaps
not heard at all. MN. GODDARD and Terese
were enabled to get out of the car at once.
As for the real cause of the accident it is
still matter of conjecture. There was a
rent of four or five meters in the stuff; one
Of the valves was open, the other was
found closed after the fall. The balloon
had been exposed to the air at La Villette
during all the late cold weather, so that
the silk was frozen, as we'll as the india
rubber springs, which therefore could not
act The aeronauts would infallibly have |
been killed had it not been for the para
chute, which, though only calculated for
he weight of two persons, nevertheless |
diminished the speed of the descent.
the appendix of the balloon |
having been attached to the car formed, |
n falling, sort of "cotton nightcap,'
IS NJ. Goddard had it, and also contributed |
o break the fall.-Galignani's Messenger.