The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-08-23
ght trips. When the time for starting

night trips. When the time for starting
approached, however, his companion
thought the weather looked too threaten
ing for arial navigation and theoretically
endeavored to dissuade him from his pur-
pose, but without success. Even Eloyls
refusal to accompany him had no effect
upon his obstinate resolution to make
the trip. Accordingly OF midnight ON
Friday the balloon Pilastre de
Roster cast of and rapidly assembled,
almost Immediately the weather,
which had been bazy all the evening, set
in very thick, the result being that
L'Hoste passed the night in fog, which
not only chilled him to the marrow, but
prevented him from obtaining the least
idea whether he was drifting or even If
he were moving ut all. However, the
weather cleared on Saturday morning,
he fonnd himself out at sea in the neigh
borhood of Cape Grienz He at once
threw out ballast in order. ii possible, to
find favorable current, and soon rose
to hight of 1000 metres, at which alti-
tude he suffered severely, his face being
half roasted by the heat of the sun, while
his feet were numbed and almost 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 de.
termined to persevere, he calmly took
breakfast in his Car surrounded by
gaping crown, and afterwards increased
his store of ballast. Noticing favora-
BILE change in the wind, he ungrappled
aud rose gradually to the hight of 5000
metres.
"He must have travelled quickly, for
he soon found himself over the sea, of
the coast of Belgium. Far up among
the clouds he found terrible difference
in the weather, for, almost without warn
ing he sailed into a violent storm wave.
Here the beating OF the rain, the heavy
gusts of wind and the loul reverbera-
tons of the thunder put the stability of
the balloon to fearful and unforeseen
test. The whole fabric was convulsed
with continuous vibrations and tossed
and pitched in manner which made it
difficult for the giddy and benumbed
aeronant to keep his hold on the car.
However, with some difficulty he
managed to open the val 7e and descended
at noon on Saturday to within, as far as
he could calculate, eight hundred
metres of the sea. Unfortunately, in
tho lower strata there prevailed thick
fog, witch made it impossible for him to
ascertain his exact whereabouts. He
made another ascent in hopes of finding
the elements more propitious, but the
storm was still raging mp in the clouds,
and he therefore considered it prudent
to keep nearer the sea. As the afternoon
wore on he noticed with alarm that the
gas in his balloon was dangerously de-
creasing, and he began to realize his
peril.
SAT four 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 limited supply, was
by this time completely exhausted. He
at once threw out, one after another, in
struments, cases and indeed every nova
BILE article in the car. But the balloon
responded but languidly, and in q very
few minutes the car itself touched the
water, and the seq broke furiously al
most eve. y minute clean over the car,
drenching the unhappy occupant to the
skin. The ropes and lines too were
dashed about in bewildering manner,
and these com bined horrors had almost
made NJ. L'Hoste despair, when he
he caught sight of the sails of y fishing
lugger, which turned out to be the
Noemi. The captain Of ths Noemi al
most sin ultaneously caught sight OF the
balloon, which he took to be o ship on
fire and maneuversd round and round
accordingly. When, however. he ascer-
tanned what the strange craft really was,
he at once launched boat and with i'm
mense difficulty rescued the aergonaut
from fate which, for his timely appear
ance, would not have been long delayed.
L'Bosts found that he had been rescued
within ten miles OF the English coast.
He and the balloon, which had bust,
were taken aboard the Noemi and
landed at Antwerp shortly after mid
night. L'Hosie is full of gratitude to
the captain of the Noemi.
fhano wn>s Nahla Ears.