The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-02-08

Dueling in balloons has already been
tried by two Frenchmen, and with re-
suits that should commend it to duelists.
M. M. DeCourcy and Remonin fought
duel in this wise near Paris few years
ago with satisfaction to both principals
and seconds. The quarrel was about the
famous danseuse Henriette, and as there
was some difficulty during the prelimin.
ary negotiations about selecting spot
for the encounter, somebody suggested
that the fight should come of-in air
A piquant suggestion of this kind was
sure to take with Frenchmen,. and
it was at once adopted. Nadir furnished
the balloons of about thirty thousand
cubic feet each-that is, of q capacity
for carrying each three persons. when
all was ready the aerostats were con-
veyed to a secluded spot near the
capital, when they were expeditiousiy
inflated by a secret chemical process. M.
DeCourcy, with his second and physician,
entered one car; M. Remonin, General
Nebel and surgeon occupied the other,
and preparations were made for the
start. The circumstances were altogether
favorable for the singular experiment.
It was delightful morning in the mid
die of September; the sky was cloudless; {;
scarcely breath of wind stirred the
foliage; the affair had been so carefully
concealed that nobody was present but
the friends of the parties, and the aeron-
autical assistants employed to superin-
tend the arrangements. A brief code OF
signals had been devised by the seconds
for the management of the aerial COM
bat. When all was in readiness, the
word Let go" was given, and instantly
the two aerostats shot into the air. M.
DeCourcy's balloon was made OF blue
and white spindles of silk; that OF nj.
Remonin was white silk, painted with
diagonal stripes of purple and green. AT
the height of one thousand feet, by
barometer, while the balloons were yet
very pear together, the seconds ex.
changed rapid signals, and agreed that
the conditions were favorable for the
contest. "Ready pa pause" Fire! !!
nobody hit. "Reload and repeat.
quick |" Bang! When the smoke cleared
away, M. RemOnin looked over the side
of the car and saw his opponents balloon
rushing doward with frightful rapidity.
His shot had pierced the gas-bag, and
the violent out-rush of gas had torn open
the whole side of the fabric and gen.
eral smash of the occupants of the car
seemed inevitable. However, the bag,
suddenly loosing itself from below,
gathered upward in the netting like a
parachute, the terrific descent Of the
machine was arrested, and M. DeCourcy
and his friends reached the earth with
no further damage than a sousing in a
small brook. They landed within a
kilometer of the place of ascension. M.
Remonin and his friends, however, were
waited in the direction of Tours, and
freshening of the wind made their dtteroge
somewhat more difficult and perilous'
However, they managed at length to
anchor, and got out of the car with nothing
worse than few bruises. The affair was
the talk of Paris for week afterwar !
Both principals and seconds declared
themselves satisfied, and there was no re
newal of hostilities. Aeronautical duel!
have the advantage of removing the at
fair from every body's jurisdiction to
region, in fact, where writs are inopera
tive and Sheriffs harmless.