The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-06-06

IN the battle willie d'Orleans," passed
safely over the German investing lines.
ana the Following morning found them
selves FAR out at sea, in imminent peril
OF drowning, and suffering SO intensely
from the cold and wet that they at
length resolved to end their misery bv
ulscharging the gas. but fortunately
, found the valve frozen fast. Throwing
out bag of mail, the balloon was light
ened suhlciently to rise again, and at
al, ;'' p m: they landed on the summit of
mount Lifjeld, in Norway, having trav
eled $50 miles in fourteen hours and
iLts-iiNe minutes, a speed of more than
nifty miles an hour.
In landing, one of them Jumped out
safely. but the other, in attempting to
DO so. was caught by THE netting. and
came near being carried away by the
lish'eH1ng balloon. but was rescued by
MIS- companion, who seized a rope lust in
time to save him. They did not know
where they were and were I'm freezing
condition, I'm light clothing on this bleak
northern mou tain; but descending. they
roud a barn with plenty of hay, into
which they crept and We're soon snug
and warm and slept there soundly till
late next day, when they found a herds
mans hut near by, where they were
most Hospitality entertained, and dscov-
cred that they were in Norway
Iine balloon was one of SXty-fve
winch left Paris during the siege. carry
ing 100 passengers and about 4, 900 900 let
ters. Fifty-e.ght of these landed safely
while live We're captured and two lost.
ABOUT eleven per cent. of the entire num-
Der, comparatively small percentage
OF loss thus giving q successful, pracs-
cal demonstration of the value of the
balloon for military purposes.
THE HIGHEST BALLOON ASCENT
fNb.. 1.a1
was by DIR. a. BerSon, a German aero
haut. near KEEL in Germany, December
iih, 1884. in the Phoenix" a spherical
balloon Inflated With 10000 cubic feet of
| hydrogen. and supporting a guide rope
300 Feet long. The ascension was begun
at l02S a. m. and the balloon reached O.
height of $500 feet IN the first fifteen
minutes, vertical velocity of 433jk feet
per minute, after which ii assembled more
| slowly, and finally attained it's high
est altitude. 10000 feet, or $500 miles
Inc teanpera ture Increased at first yis-
| ing 10 Al degrees Fahrenheit at an alti-
| lude OF 1900 feet; after which 1t began
| railing. and at 16,400 feet was at zero.
AT 10000 feet, the greatest attitude a
hao faiien TO 81 degrees below zero. and
the barometTfc pressure TO 91k innhes
less than one-third the average pressure.
| ri the earth's surface; and the AIN. wa 9
very dry.
| LAT an altitude of 1880 feet. DIR
| Serson began TO experience the FIRST
weakness of heart action; and at 10 zoo
ieet' he mad slight palpitation and men
IA! confusion. At 22.l5 feet he began "a
shnale oxygen. supply of which he ha a
with him; and at &c. go feet this inhaIa-
ton was increased TO one inspira ton ne-
| second, with beneficial results. AT 81
800 feet he swooned, but soon recovered
and was able to ascend to the neigh, al
| ready mentioned. Not deemina n sa,sa
| 10 ascend higher, me descended, landinf-
at S:45 p. m: having Travelled lSG ,niias
In five hours and forty-fae minutes a
| speed of about thirty-five miles an hou,.
Investigation of the atmospheric ca,.
dh!ons prevailing in the upper regions If
| the atmosphere is one oS the impor,an
things to be accomplished with the hal.
loon, and extremely high ascenstnne
Ike the one just described. give nc
valuable. practical information abo,t
atmospheric temperature pressure and
humidity az those high attitudes ana
the rate OF increase or decrease in tbs,
conditions with increase OF altitude
lwnae1 otherwise can be only theoret!cal.
~ calculated.