The Newtown bee., 1880-11-17
Balloon Accidents.

4 frightful accident at Paris is report ed, says New York paper. August Navarro was performing on trapeze suspended from balloon when, at the height of l ,0O0 yards, or over half a mile, he missed his hold. The shocked spec tators, it is said, could clearly follow the poor fellows body in it's descent, and when at length it struck the earth it made hole two feet deep. and rebounded twice the height of a mans head. Freed from his weight, the balloon shot up- ward until it burst, and then, it too, fell. Deaths from balloon accidents are fre- quent enough, but sheer fall from such height has, perhaps, never before been recorded. Thus in 1876 balloon took fire, when 2,000 feet high in the air, and it's occupant WAS killed, but, as is usual y the case, he stuck to his air-ship till it grounded. A fearful dive is, however, far from being the only danger balloon ists" have to dread. That it is quite as dangerous to go too high as to come down too fast is shown by the voyage of which is, perhaps, inc most remarkable on record. They started on April Is, 1875. to rival the highest altitude ever reached by man. At 5000 yards lis sander fell in faint just as his com panions, who were in a scarcely better condition, tossed out some ballast in a last desperate effort to surpass Glaisher s record of II ,000 yards. The balloon flew up, how high it is impossible to say, but when Tissandier came to himself his companions lay dead beside him with black faces and bloody nostrils. They had been suffocated by the rarefaction of the atmosphere. Glaisher's record is. therefore, discredited, for it seems be- yond dispute that human life cannot be sustained much above 5000 yards. M. Godard's perilous experience in 1S7S- which happily resulted rather amusingly than otherwise-ilustrates another danger which should not be forgotten by those who take passengers sailing in the air. At ,000, at LOGO, at 1000 feet high he successively asked his companion how he felt, and was as often amazed that the amateur declared his feelings to be quite as usual. Finally Goddard declared that he would go no higher, when suddenly his companion grasped his throat ard demanded still another emotion in return for his S200 fare. The man was clearly lunatic. At that fear ful height he clambered out of the basket and around the swaying globe with the skill and Carelessness of a monkey. Then he clasped Goddard by the DOuy duu hC Woulo bhloW LitI over. Finally, he drew knife and said he would seek his emotions by fall. say of halt mile. But Goddard did not lose his head He declared himself charmed with the idea, and wondered that ii. had never before occurred ID ntS tS nm. Eu6 Ho poluteu cut bfltO, uoWeFei pleasing the fall might be, it would be disagreeab'e to be mutilated, and he suggested going 2,OOO or 5000 feet higher in order that when his companion cut the gas bag their deaths would be certain They were then both of Q mind, and as Goddard threw out the ballast the balloon darted still further above the clouds His cheerful companions spirit rost with the balloon, and once more b' climbed out on the bellying sphere, bui | this time with rope about him, II order, as Goddard explained. that ht might not tumble before he was higf enou gh for thoroughly good fall. A
 length he perched himself just over tho eseape-valve, when Goddard pulled the cord which opened it, the escaping ga: stupefied the madman, and-the crisis
 was over. Lest any one should doub
 the story we hasten to add that 1t come
 from France.