Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-06-26
UP IN A BALLOON.
A Foolish Asronaut's Curious Ex,
psriences.
Thrilling Adventures Of u. lhoste on the
North Sea-His Narrow Escape
From Death.

In accordance with your t~elegraphic
instructions, | proceeded to-day from
Brussels to this city with the view Of
gaining some information, if possible
from himself, of the adventures of the
intrepid French 9ronaut, NJ. Lhoste.
l had little difficulty in finding him, for
the whole city was ringing with the
various versions of his adventures. NJ.
LhOste, q young man of engaging man
ners, l found to-day looking very pale
and fatigued from the perils to which
he had so recently been exposed. He
is suffering most from giddiness, but
hopes that a days rest will set him up
again. AS Don as his health shall be
quite restored he assures me with much
]earnestness that he will make another
attempt to cross the channel, and eX-
pressed himself confident of ultimate
success.
NJ. LhOste said hat after various pre-
liminary trips last week, in company
with his friend NJ. ElOy, he
DtttrnhIneo 10 make the AtteNnpt
to reach England on Friday evening,
having q prediction for night trips.
When the time for starting approached,
how ever, his companion thought the
weather looked too threatening for
aerial navigation, and energetically en-
deavOred to disSuade him from his pur-
pose, but without success. Even Eloy's
refusal to encourage his rashuess by ac-
companying him had 10 effect upon
his obstinate resolution to make the
trip. Accordingly at midnight on Fri
day the balloon Pilastre de ROZier cast
off and rapidly assembled.
Almost Immediately the Weather,
which had been hay all the evening,
set in very thick, the result being that
Lhoste passed the night in the midst of
q fog, which not only chilled him to the
marrow, but prevented him from OBJ
tanning the least idea whittier he was
drifting, or even if he were moving ut
all.
However, the weather cleared on
Saturday morning, when, to his no
small disgust, he found himself ou to
sea in the neighbOrhoOd of Cape Girls
nee. He al once
Threw 0ut Ballast
in or3er, if possible, to find Il favorable
current, and q a. rose To 4 height OF
1000 metres, at which altitude he suf-
fered severely, his face being half roast
ed by the heat Of the sun, whilst his
feet were numbed and almost frozen.
Two hours later he found himself over
a town Of some sort, and, drawing the
valve line, descended rapidly, and with
the assistance OF pasSerS by east anchor
on the esplanade of Dunkirk. Being
determined to persevere, he Camly took
breakfast in his ear, surrounded by a
gaping crowd, and afterwards increased
his store of ballast.
Noticing a favorable change in the
wind, he ungrappled, and rose gradual
ly to aheight of 5000 metres. He must
have travelled quickly, for he soon
found himself over the sea, off the coast
of Belgium.
Far up among the clouds he found a
terrible difference in the weather, for,
almost without warning, he sailed into
a violent stOrm-wave.
Here the beating of the rain, the
heavy gusts of wind and the loud re-
verberations ofthe thunder put the
Stability OF the Balloon
to a fearful and unforeseen test. The
whole fabric was cOnyulsed with con-
tinuOus vibrations, and tossed and
tossed, and pitched in a manner which
made it difficult for the giddy and be-
numbed aerOnaut to keep his hold on
the ear. However, with some ditf1cul.
'ty he managed to open the valve, and
descended at Dol or Saturday to with
in, as far as he could calculate, 500
metres of the sea.
Unfortunately, in the lower strata
there prevailed a thick fog, which made
il impossible for him to ascertain his
exact whereabouts. He made another
ascent i'm hopes Of finding 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 Oh he noticed
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 completely ex-
hausted.
He at once threw out IL after
another instruments, cases, and indeed
every movable article in the car. But
the balloon responded ~languidly, and
in 8 very few minutes the car itself
touched water, and the sea broke
furiouSly almost every inmate clear over
thecar, ~drenching its unhappy occupant
to the skin.
The ropes and lines too were dashed
about in q bewildering manner, and
these
Combined Horrors
had almost made M. LhOste despair,
whed he caught sight Of the sails of a
fishing lugger, which turned out to be
the Noemi.
The captain of the Noemi almost SIM
| UNANIMOUSLY caught sight Of the balloon,
| which he for some time took to be q
ship on fire, and maneuyred round and
round accordingly.
When, however, he ascertained what
the strange craft really was he at once
launched a boat, and with immense
difficulty rescued the aeronaut from a
fate which, but for his timely appear
ance, wouldnot long have been delayed.
! Lhoste found he had been rescued with
in ten miles of the English coast.
He and the balloon, which had burst,
were taken aboard the Noemi and land
ell at Antwerp shortly after midnight.
Lhoste is full OF gratitude to the cap
tain of the neutrality-suspicious.
| JBOHOp TcI0OrnOh