The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-02-01
nTELLING II 5LLLOBSS.
4 French Way or settling Affairs or
HoDor-A Thrilling Adventure.

Due.ling in balloons has already
been tried by two Frencnmen, aRC
With results that should commend II
% duellists. NM. De Courey ard
Remonin fought duel in this Wise
near Paris few years ago, with salts
faction to both principals aud seconds.
The quarrel was about the famous
dauseuse Henriette, and as thsre was
some difficulty during the preliminary
negotiations about selecting . spot
for the encounter, somebody suggest
ed that the fight should come Of-in
air A pIqusAt suggestion Of this
Kind was sure to take with French
men, and 1t was At once adopted.
Nadir furnished two balloons of about
1900 cubic feet each-that is, o. q
capacity of carrying each three per-
sons. When all was ready the
aerostzts were conveyed to q secluded
spot near the capital, where they
were expeditiously inflated by secret
chemical process. NJ. De COurey,
with his second and q physician, en-
tered one car; NJ. Rsmonin, General
Nebel, and q surgeon occupied the
other and preparations were made
for the start. The circumstances
were altogether favorable for the
singular experiment. It was q de-
lightful morning in the middle of
September the sky was clop5Iess !;
scarcely q breath of wind stirred the
foliage the affair had been so care
fully concealed that nobody was pres
ent but the friends of the parties, and
the Rronautical assistants employed
to superintend the arrangements. A
brief code of signals had been devised
by the seconds for the management
of the aerial combat. When all was
in readiness, the word "let go" was
given, and instantly the two aeros-
tats shot into the air. NJ. De Courcy'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 1000 feet, by barometer,
while the balloons were yet very near
the seconds exchanged rapid
signals, and agreed that the eondi-
tiOns were favorable for the contest.
"Ready "a pause--"Fire p'-nobody
hit. "Reload and repeat-quick 20
Bang When the smoke cleared
away, NJ. RemOnin looked over the
side of the car aud saw his opponents
balloon rushing downward with
frightful rapidity. His shot had
pierced the gss-bag, aud the violent
Outrush Of gas had torn open the
whole side of the fabric and q general
smash of the occupants OF the car
seemed inevitable. However, the
bag, suddenly looseniDg itself from
below, gathered upward in the netting
like q parachute, the terrific descent
Of the machine was arrested, and NJ.
De Courcy and his friends reachsd the
earth with no further damage than q
sousing in q small brook. They land
ed within q kilometer of the place of
NJ. Remonin and his
however, were waited in the
direction of Tours, and a freshening
Of the wind made their atterrRge
more difficult and perilous.
they managed at length to
anchor, and got out OF the car with
nothing worse than q few bruises.
The affair was the talk OF Paris for q
week afterRard Both principals and
seconds declared themselves satisfied,
and there was no renewal of hOstili-
ties. Aeronautical duels have the ad-
vantage Of removing the affair from
jurisdiction to q region,
In fact, where writs are imperative
and sherifs harm less.