The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-11-05
A Balloon Accident.

A Balloon Accident.
An ascension Of the balloon Patrie took
place from the Avenue de Ia Defence de
Paris, at Courbevoie, at 4 O'Clock on the
afternoon Of Saturday, August Slst- Mr.
Paul Leprince, the aronaut, and Mr.. Geo.
Dumuit, one OF hls friends, both Of the
age of 10 years, were in the ear. The as
cent was very rapid. The spectators who
were present saw the balloon assume
suddenly peculiar shape. First it fiat
tened oat, then it assumed the shape of
a spindle, then that of ball. They sup
posed at first the balloon was dirig'oie
air ship but the real facts became ap-
parent by the swaying Of the balloon,
and then!by the dreadful drop which
followed.
The balloon has burst, and the poor
unfortunates are lost ~ cried the spects-
tors. This is what took place, as nara
ted by Mr.. Paul Leprinee, who has been
good enough to give Us the facts Of the
I case.
There was nothing unusual about the
initiating operations For 3 moment
however, the balloon was carried by the
wind against the branch Of an acacia
tree by the side of the road, but only
heard the rustIing of the branches. and !
did not think of the incident again. My
/ friend and / embarked, and in short
time reached an elevation Of l,5tO feet,
when we began 10 hear . peculiar whist
/ ling sound. looked in the space about,
I bat seeing nothing, / climbed on TO the
ring. and then discovered a tear of a few
inches in length, partially filed by a
branch of acacia, which had penetrated
the interior Of the balloon At this mo-
ment the sun dispelled the clouds and
shone with all its lustre upon the bal
loon. This produced such an expansion
as the gases within that the gas was not
able to escape sufficiently rapidly from
the valve. The fabric was stretched to
its utmost, with a dry, cracking sound,
and Immediately knew what would fol-
low.
a George" I cried, the balloon is
torn, and will not be able to bear the
strain of the expansion, and viii surely
explode -
/ had scarcely uttered the words be-
fore the tearing Of the fabric ike the
rustling of leaves could be heard. and
blue cloud appeared about the opening,
where the gas was pouring through in
great volumes.
"We are lost :" cried George.
"The BALLAST cried, the ballast ~
Fortunately ne did not lose his head,
and in an instant two bags were thrown
out. I glanced at the barometer, and saw
that We were 4.74O feet from ground, and
the fell began.
Without losing an instant, without re-
lying at all upon my equipment, l cut of
the anchor, l threw out the rope and my
overcoat, in fact everything Of any
weight, and we prepared to throw off our
clothes and to cling, at the moment of
I 6IIlklIlr- IL kHt lcllAllk ABOhE-
J noticed that, fortunately, there was q
strong wind blowing, which was carry
ing US along in an oblique line at the
rate of IS or 10 miles an hour. We were
falling at an angle, and this, perhaps,
would break the fall somewhat
, The balloon was violently shaken in
"a. All. - I-a,,s .s..-; r,r,;, avJ su-a Z
: ing in i horrible manner, but it was this
; that saved US. During one Of the most
violent of these swinging movements the
r lower part Of the balloon was thrown 10
the upper part Of the netting and rested
: there against the valve in the form Of a
: dome, forming an immense improvised
( parachute. At once the fall was arrest
5 ed sensibly. Still we were only about
I one hundred yards from the earth.
cried to Dumuit throw out more ballast
I and about $50 more pounds more ballast
I in the form of sand, was passed over the
/, side. Now for our clothes. But there wa:
{ no time. Scarcely had we reached the
TODcc ~ NAAC AtA- NSAA a
bic shock was felt, and we, and the bas
ket, and the balloon, and all, were roll
: ed over on the ground together. We
f were not injured, nor did We even los'
/ consciousness. This fall of nearly a mile
was accomplished in less than four min
5 utes, during which period, as may b
= I oaar, No fir,a v.-as urqEfa1
| believe that our safety is due tn
' fact that neither of as lost our presenc'
! Of mind. The conclusion TO be drawn
!, that, even in an accident as Sc jous as tn
e bursting Of balloon in mid-air. the stu
; out of which the balloon is N ade is ike
i w 10 he formed into sort OF paIehut
+ by the upward current of air during th
: downward fight Of the bllIo IN The 9th
a er lesson is that however ne AZ death an
one may be, it is always necessary I
e keep ones courAge.-Pul Lepri.,ee, 4er1
nalst, ia L'IEHsnGiiOH..