The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-07-20
TO FRANCE BIZ BALLOON
~, simmons .Erial Voyage Across the
English Channel

~, simmons .Erial Voyage Across the
English Channel
Mr.. Joseph Simmons gives the following
description of his recent voyage in the bal
loon Colonel across the English channel.
He says:
1.-THE difficulty in making the ascent was
almost insurmountable. When the men
made rush to seize the balloon after We
came in collision with the brickwork, they
tound il almost impossible to hold on
against such wind, and ! am glad that
their en,reaties for me to get out of the car
were not responded to. / was too much
Knocked about 10 be Of any service to Sir
Claude de Crespig0y, and 1t was not until
was lust entering the dense clouds that
found myself in an almost helpless state.
NY arm was very painful and my side
seemed to be 'caved in
when Sir Claude de Crespigny was out
of the car, had to replace ballast equal to
his weight, for had allowed very great
margin for ascending power-in fact, when
Sir Claude de Crespigny and got in, had
1000 pounds of ballast to make sure of
clearing everything; but it was almost i'm
possible to battle with such squalls. 1t is
always unsafe to start with too much up
day, as the clouds were very low. | was
anxious to see which way l was going, but
this was not possible all the way. In few
minutes after ! started | began to listen for
the breakers and heard them. This salts
fled me that the wind was q true wind from
the earth's surface to q great altitude. At
1905 p. m. came down and had peep at
the sea; the sound Of the breakers | had
now left behind me, There was in a few
minutes another similar sound, and again
concluded 1 was right for France, for
could just perceive sandy coast line be.
fore me. presume l must have at this
moment been about midway over tho sea
between Canterbury and Maldon, whence
j started, | did not remain too long shut
out OF sight ofland and water. for it was
o NY surmise concerning the true wind.
Wlel again
DIPPED BELOW THE CLOUDS,
was over land, and, of course, guessed I
must be Kent. A few minutes laler and
was Just to the west OF Deal, every house in
it was very distlnct-Dover Just to the
right of nv couIse-shouts coming up from
Deal. 1t WAS exceedingly difficult to keep
low enough to be under the clouds with the
object of seeing around me the coast line
and, at the same time, being high enough
to get good sweep Of it.
AT about Ids / was over the chalk cliff,
between Dover and Deal; very few min
utes later | was over the Calais Douvre;
steamer, and could see the passengers wav
ing to us. Twelve minutes only was occu
pied in passing from the English chalf
cliff, to the French coast. | was neal
enough to Calais to see all its streets ant
objects of interest. | now took off my cori
jacket. and at this moment | remembered
that | had not money enough TO return
from long distance, | believe, by what
afterward experienced, that the kindhearteC
French people would have passed me bacl
from any distance in their power, but di,
not know so much about them when / wa
up, so began to look out for u suitabl
landing place. There was nothing in IN,
track that could fix my grapnel TO, so
went on looking out for hedges or bitches
till found was nearly 100, miles int
France. Nothing was passed but field
merely divided by the crops. | now Ina
alarge city just before me, and came 10y
enough to get hearty greeting from tn
people, who rushed into the principa
place or quadrangle. Some Of them tol
me the place was called Arras. | passe
over to the other side OF the town. and dc
termined to descend shortly after, it wa
no use waiting for hedges or bitches. Tn
grnpnel began to tug away at the standin
crops, aud went bounding over Their
about two mile9, while was crippling th
balloon, and at last the car had pushed il
way enough to collect a mound in front {
1t sufficient to put stop to the trip.
The rustics soon came up to help mt
NJ. Dubus, butcher Of Auburt street, ARA,
Pas de Calais, was kind enough to conve
me back to Arras, where the car was il
stantly recognized us that which had loa
cd over the town so shortly before. The
being Hospitality entertained by man
kind people an buffet dc la care toe
train too Calais. via Hazebrouck, steam,
follower, and hore am at home safe az
nearly sound at 6 q, m.