Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-26
A BALLoONIsT,s ADVENTURE.
Interesting Account OF the Recent
Voyage OF M. L'Hoste Across the Eng
lish Channel.

A correspondent of the London Telegraph
sends the following from Brussels:
N. LHoste, young man OF engaging man
ners, 1 found to-day looking very pale and
fatigued from the perils to which he had so
recently been exposed. He is suffering most
from giddness, but hopes that days rest will
set him up again. AS soon as his health shall
be quite restored, he assured me with much
earnestness that he will make another attempt
to cross the channel, and expressed himself
confident OF ultimate success. N. L'Hoste said
that after various preliminary trips last week in
company with his friend, NJ. Eloy, he deter
mined to make the attempt to reach England
on Friday evening, having q prediction for
night trims. When the time for starting ap-
preached. however, his companion thought the
weather looked too threatening for aerial navi-
CATION, and theoretically endeavored to dis
suade him from his purpose, but without sue
cess. Even ElOy's refusal to encourage his
rashness by accompanying him had no effect
upon MS obstinate resolution to make the trip.
Accordingly at midnight on Friday the balloon
Pilastre de Roster cast Off and rapidly assembled
Almost Immediately the weather, which had
Deen haZy all the evening, set In very thick, the
result being that L'HOste passed the night in
the midst of q fog, which not only chilled him to
the marrow, but prevented him from obtaining
| the least idea whittier he was drifting or even
| II he were moving at all. However, the weather
Cleared on Saturday morning, when, to his no
small disgust. he found himself out at sea I'm the
neighborhood Of Cape Grisnez. He at once
threw out ballast. in order, If possible to find
| favorable current, and soon rose to q height of
900 metres. at which altitude he suffered
severely, his face being half roasted BY the heat
OF the sun, while his feet were numbed and al
| most frozen. Two hours later he found himself
over town OF some Sort and drawing the valve
| line descended rapidly, and with the assistance
! OF passers-by cast anchor on the esplanade at
Dunkirk. Being determined to persevere he
calmly took breakfast in his Car, surrounded by
store OF ballast Noticing favorable change In
the wind. he ungrappled and rose gradually to q
height of 5 600 metres.
He must have Travelled quickly, for he soon
found himself over the sea, off the coast of Bel
GUM. Far up among the clouds he found a ter
rble difference In the weather, for, almost with
out warning, he sailed into a violent storm wave
Here the beating of the RAIN the heavy gusts of
wind and the loud reverberations Of the thunder
put the stability of the balloon to q fearful and
unforeseen test. The whole fabric was cOnvulsed
with continuous vibrations and tossed and
pitched in manner which made it difficult for
the glddy and benumbed aeronaut to keep his
hold on the car. However, with some difficulty
Ne managed to open the valve and descended at
noon on Saturday to within, as far as he could
calculate, 800 metres of the sea. Unfortunately.
In the lower strata there prevailed thick fog,
which made it impossible for him to ascertain
his exact whereabouts. He made another ascent
IN hopes OF hndingt the elements more propitious,
but the storm was still raging up In the clouds.
and he therefore considered it prudent to keep
nearer the sea. As the afternoon wore on he no.
tlced with alarm that the gas in his balloon was
dangerously decreasing, and he began to realize
his peril.
At O'Clock the ropes dangling from the car
touched the sea, and he knew that the critical
time had come The whole of his ballast of
which the car could hold but a comparatively
limited supply. had by this time become COM
pletely exhausted. He Mt once threw out one
after another, instruments, cases and indeed
every movable article In the car. But the bal
loon responded languidly, and in very few
minutes the car itself touched water, and the
sea broke furiOusly almost every minute clean
over the Car, drenching Its unhappy occupant to
the skin. The ropes and lines, too were dashed
about in bewildering manner and these COM
6lned horrors had almost made NJ. LHoste
despair, when he caught sight of the sails of a
fishing lugger, which turned out to be the NOemi
The captain OF the NOemi almost simultaneously
caught sight OF the balloon. which he for some
time took to be ship on fire. and mannuyered
round and round accordingly. Wnen however,
he ascertalned what the strange craft really
was, he at once launched a boat and with
immense difficulty rescued the aerOnaut from a
tate which, but for his timely appearance, would
not long have been delayed. L'Huste found he
had been rescued within ten miles of the En- plish
coast. Ho and the balloon, which had burst.
were taken aboard the Noemi and landed at Ant
werp shortly after midnight. L'Hoste is full of
gratitude to the captain Of the NOemi