News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-09-06
I TERRIBLE ADVENTURE.

! 4 TERRIBLE AD\EAIJ RE.
The story I am about to relate hap
pened during the FrancO-Pruasian war,
in which the art of ballooning played so
important a part The city of Paris
was formerly invested on the 25th Of
/ September, and the imprisoned inhahi-
/ tants had no means of communication
with the outside world, save by means
of carrier pigeons and balloons. SO
complete. however, was the system car
ried ont that every event which hap
pcned in Paris was duly chronicled at
/ Tours. the seat of the governing powers,
/ dispatch balloons iourneyinS to and fro
daily.
1t Is six o'clock a. m. The morning
is extremely fine, considering that it Is
| late in Octob2r. On an immense open
space in front of the large hall at Tours,
a space set apart for the accommodation
Of the numerous experienced aoronauts
then employed in the government ser
{ Nt4hS
Nadar. one Of the most celebrated pro
fessors Of aarostation. Occasionally he
locks up at the heavens. as ii taking a
critical survey, and anon he turns his
gaze in the direction of a huge balloon,
then in course of being filled, ut Il short
distance from him. Anyone could see
that Monsieur Nadar was getting impa-
tient He is awaiting the arrival Of the
private secretary Of the minister with
important dispatches which he IS to
convey that day to Paris. 1t is a ser
vice Of great danger. The intrepid voy-
aGer viii have 10 pass over the Prussia.
lines. where tilo''7"a"s "I men engage"
~ - IIlI-' "''i ''' ,
..,a. n;- ,.al1oau toe ..Gatr,rrla /,
s'"E7 about n'"l"7'ir'lly.' a. tl,""sfn ehat-
my 11'l''L S,l, -, HI,i, T,,,.
+l,a sccro+a,.,, arnca,s cor,,vino, wifi
bir, q nacI,e+ Of documents neatly
tied rn. and. presenting them to Mon
.,,.77r Ea7or eDaal-s y farv words If
canton and exuIanatiop. The 2ero0aut
t,kcs the racket and. in company with
the secretary, hurries TO the balloon.
Nadar lightly springs into the car: he
stoons and places the precious docu-
mcn+s in a kind of secret pocket. artfullv
coaceaIcd under the draperv. Having
| dome tbiS. he looked around thouohtfuIIv
If the necessary paraphernalia placed
raa6y to hand. as though mentally as
s,7rino himself that lis assistants had
omitted nothing toward the means Of
| carving out his perilous voyage in
| safety. Finally, he tightened a strong
| belt which he wore round his waist from
which could be plainly seen pair of
hrioht-Iooking six-cLambcred revoIvers.
In a quiet but firm tone he called to the
men. "Nake ready" Then. shak-
inc hands hurriedIy with Monsieur
Barre, who wished him success" " the
men grasping the ropes had eased the
huge machine up some ten or fifteen
feet, when directly came the sharp com
mand, LET go"
Away the lntrepide rises-straighta aud
swift as the arrow from bow. For the
| first ten minutes the balloon, although
checked III speed. seemed as if it had
not swcrved a yard from a direct up-
ward course. Soon the current Of air
necessary, and calculated upon by the
aeronaut, was felt, and she drifted swiftly
off in the direction Of Paris. SteaGuIy
and quickly was the Journey being ac-
compIished. Eleven o'clock had AZ
rived. Monsieur Nadar was three thou
sand metres in the air. and over the Oh
posinp forces of the Prussians which
appeared as though a liliputian host had
taken to the field, so minute did they
appear by distance. Fort Chmenlou
was reached. and Paris could plainly he
Observed Monsieur Nadar quiatlvcon-
graduated himself upon the ease with
which he acc mpIished Lis tourney. He
was taking but little heed of the sur
| roundiro prcsnect his ewes beipa fixed
| mtaDtIv mon tn distant ca,itaI
SpddenIv an exclamation If SUNRISE
came from him. On his RIGHT hand ap-
| peared q huge balloon. He shades his
eyes with his right hand to oain a clear
! er view, for the suns ravs were Lriglf
and strong in Illuminating the atmos-
phere around him. A second one came
o view on his left hand Monsieur
Nadar became alarmed. although long
before he had mentally resolved to de