The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-04

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lowed and when its line tautened the
balloon began 10 slacken speed and
descend, The steamer was then more
than mile away, and Andree could see
mat with her furnace fires extinguish-
ed she was unable to approach him.
Fastening two empty ballast sacks 70 a
third rope he threw them down into the
water The balloon now came 10 q
standstlll, bringing up 20 suddenly
about twe9ty meters from the sea as 20
almost pitch Andree of his feet.
The balloon remained stationary for
ten minutes or so, and, finding that the
people OF the steamer made no attempt
10 lower boat or use other efforts 10
save him, Andree abandoned all hope In
this direction and determined to try to
reach Finland. With this resolve came
the speculation as to how he would lift
his ropes from the water. He took
haul an the heaviest and managed to
get IT'S lower end little above the sur
face Of the water, The balloon became
heavier under the dead weight OF the
rope and sank down.
II was clear that ne could not save the
ropes IL he wished 70 remain atloat, So
whipping out a navy knife, he speedily
cut the rope that had the empty sand
bags at its end, This made the balloon
more steady. and,released from It's moor
ings, 1t Immediately began 70 travel
down the wind at the rate OF about four
teen miles an hour
The balloon Travelled about ten miles
after leaving the steamer when Andree
sighted a Norwegian bark which he az
forwards discovered to be the Kalewa,
from Finland. He descended 10 Within
shouting distance of the wind Jammer,
which was rolling and plunging like a
Central Park sea Hon. The people of the
bark hailed the ballOonlst and offered 70
save him, but Andree realized that II he
attempted to so down while the bark lay
in his way the balloon would rebound
from the water with a jump Of 200 to 300
meters, and then he would be thrown out
and. In all probability, killed,
His only salvation was In reaching
Finland. Two hours later the engineer
was compelled TO do one Of the boldest
tasks In the history OF ballooning. He
must cut the line holding the anchor or
be spilled into the sea, because the strain
OF the bower was making the balloon
wabhlG and yaw like Il drunken sailor
lodging lamp posts.
Relieved OF the anchor the aeronaut
and his charge dashed down the lee at the
rate Of eighteen miles an hour with the
wind, picking up courage all the time.
The balloon kept at height of about
sixty feet from the sea and. Andrea said,
often sinking down very near TO 1t, but
never dipped. "As far as | know" he
once remarked, In speaking of the trip.
nobody has ever sailed In balloon over
such a course with the hold line all the
time down In the water"
Towards . o'clock the wind grew to
thirty miles an hour In velocity and an
hour later the thermometer registered
forty miles. 1t was savage In its blasts,
too, and presently began TO rain Pitch
forks, and Andree understood that the
worst was to follow. Az the vague
thought of a shocking death racked his
brain, but, determined to die like man,
he gathered together the'many valuable
closed them In an alr-tlght tin box, scrlb-
bling on piece of paper directions as TO
where to send them II found, AT any
rate, have discovered something" he
remarked aloud to himself, and his voice
seemed so hollow and far away.
THE scientific world may profit by this
trip, even II do not" Az 5:25 o'clock,
with the aid OF his glasses he picked
up" the first cliff on the coast of Finland.
and fourteen minutes later, when he
passed safely over this cliff. Il was so
dark that he could scarcely read his
compass All Of sudden 1t occurred 10
him that the land breeze was not nearly
go fresh as that on the sea, which he had
left behind and, while specializing on
this. he discovered, as he thought, that
the air had canted into the southwark.
This would drive him back 20 the open
sea, with all its terrors and pltchy dark
ness, instead OF into Finland. But he
was mistaken In the wind The latter
held true to original principles, but had
fallen away to zen miles m hour
Taking up position on the edge OF the
gondola, with ballast in hand ready to
throw out In the event of prospective
collision with cliff, ARdrec stood for
one and onc-half hours. when suddenly
he saw a sharp light dead ahead ut
Is lighthouse on an island" he said
under his breath; but there appeared two
lights and finally three. "Nor one mo-
ment I lost my presence Of mind" he
said and failed to grapple the rope to
the ventllator and hold onto It with all
my powers.
II was too late when he finally did pull
with all his might and main on the rope.
The balloon had sped over the island, on
which was high building. and the great
spherical body came down In the water
with a mighty roar. Andiee was then
lying In the bottom Of the gondola, and
the sea rushed in with such force that he
could not move. Still the balloon drag
ged on. Another island doomed up ahead
and most of the way to Il Aadree was I'M
der water. He succeeded finally In get
ting his legs over the edge OF the gondola
Just as the balloon rushed like a wh!rl-
wind over another cliff.
In lecture as to what happened after
that Andrec says:
II tried now different positions, but as
the gondola often turned somcrsaults
was never safe But fell | could not
endure II much longer. felt myself So
feeble that Il would have been an lmpos-
slbllity for me to try to hold the balloon.
had only one course now TO pursue-to
try saving my life Passing over the
next cliff / jumped down. The balloon
Shot up into the air and disappeared.
was saved. But. alas! in what condition.
and for how long time had hurt my
left leg falling down and could not stand
up. crcpt round the cliff but no shell
ter was to be fOund-threa small trees,
that was all II was now between and
8 O'Clock y. IN, My watch had stopped az
7:1S For couple OF hours / shouted
aloud. hoping II could be heard by some
4. - t. IL .,s