The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-09-09

with the hydrogen reservoir, with
the purpose of using the former
instead of ballast of sand-bags, to regulate
his ascent and descent When he wanted to
ascend he would light his fire of straw and
the hot air would lift him. When he wanted
to descend he would put out his Montgolfier
fire and let some Of his hydrogen escape by
the top valve. The idea was ingenious, and
might have proved successful, if he had
guarded sufficiently against the chances of
contact between the hydrogen and the flame
of his Montgolfier furnace. That was where
the danger and death came in.
He felt little uncertain of the practical
bility of his combination, and was nervous
and uneasy all the time while preparing for
his ascent at Boulogne. His intention was
to ascend alone, but at the moment of I'M
loosing the balloon from its anchorage a
young man named Romano, an enthusiastic
amateur in natural science, threw purse of
fifty louis, about $500. into the basket and in
sisted on sharing the voyage with NJ. Roz-
iere. The latter demonstrated. exhibited all
the points of the passage as far as he knew
them, and begged NJ. ROmaineto wait the re-
suit OF this first experiment. But all in vain,
the enthusiast was resolved to be one of the
first to sail through the air from. France to
England. and NJ Rozier yielded. These par
ticuiars are traditional in Boulogne, where
they were told to an old indianapolis editor,
who lived some months in that residence of
the celebrated leader of the crusade that cap
tured Jerusalem, Godfrey of BOulogne.
The adventurous pair assembled about
half mile and were carried northward par
allel with the Calais road to the conspicuous
headland, Cape Grisnez, or Gray Nose, from
which to the English coast the distance is
but sixteen or seventeen miles, the
shortest line of separation between the
two countries. Here, thinking to reach
an air current that would bear them west
ward, NJ. Roziere lighted his hOt-air furnace
TO ascend some distance AS the balloon
rose the density of the atmosphere dimin-
ished the hydrogen, of course, being less
closely pressed, expanded, and the inham-
mable gas came pouring out of the neck of
the balloon directly upon the blazing straw.
1t took fire as quickly as powder and in an
instant the whole huge mass of the balloon
was ablaze, a most portentious and
fearful sight to the inhabitants
of the little hamlet of VIM
ereux, directly above which the disaster
occurred. They had never heard of a bal
loon, and had no more idea of what that aw-
full fire away up in the sky was than they
had of the portents that should come with
the destruction of the earth.
The balloon and basket capsized, and the
two aronauts fell about a half mile. striking
the earth just at the edge of the village, and
directly in front of the village church. NJ.
Roziere was dead when the villagers reached
him. NJ Romano breathed for few mo-
ments. A small stone obelisk stands on the
spot where they fell, and an inscription tells
briefly of the calamity. That was the first
balloon accident, and the first attempt to
cross from France to England. feat which,
we believe, has never yet been accomplished.