The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1898-10-22
BALLOONS IN WAR.
A Novel Battle in clOud1and Nearly
Thirty Years Ago.

~
Thirty Years Ago.
The announcement that the balloon
is destined to play role in the present
war with Spain recalls the aeronautie
experiments made by the French dur
ing the great war In 1870 and 1871. As
early as 1892 balloons were used for
military signalling in France. But, In
our times, during the siege of Paris by
the German troops frequent attempts
were made by Frenchmen 10 commu-
nicate with those inside the beleaguer-
ed city aud TO dispatch men and mat
ter from the capital by means of bal
Ions. In Paris itself, under the dlrec-
ton of Postmaster Ramport, a balloon
post and transport service WAS estab-
lished for carrying persons and govern
mental as well as private mail matter
from the besieged capital. Among the
public men leaving the city in this way,
NJ. Gambetta will ever he remembered.
Homing pigeons were also SEM by this
route to carry news back To Paris \
total of sixty-slx balloons, according to
Tissander's EN- Ballon Pendant lie
Siege de Paris" left the besieged city,
and 16S persons, 10l94 Kilograms of
postal matter. including 3.0O000o let
ters. 363 homers. five dogs. and two
boxes of dynamite. were dispatched by
the aerial route OF the balloons. nifty
two descended in France five In Bel
GUM. four In Holland two in Germany,
and one In Norway. Only five of them
were captured by the Germans, and
two were never heard of having been
lost In the ocean.
OF all the voyages of that time, how
ever, none could compare for exciting
and perilous incident with that of the
well-known aeronaut, NJ. Nadar. who
left Tours for Paris with important
government dispatches ut o'clock one
fine December morning. At II he was
in view of the capital on the Seine.
While floating about 5000 meters above
Fort Gharenton. Nadar suddenly OBJ
served second balloon on the hori-
zon. Thinking il to be one leaving
Paris. the French aeronaut at once dis
played the tricolor of his country. and
the other balloon responded by exhib-
iting the same flag Gradually the two
balloons approached one another being
drawn In the same direction by the
same current of air When they We're
separated by only short distance sew
eral explosions were heard. The stran-
ger had commenced to fire shots nj Ma
dar's balloon-the "Intrepde"
began TO descend rapidly. The French
flag had by this time been replaced in
the other balloon by the Prussian col
ors The Parsians. who were watch
ing the affair from the forts below. and
who now realized the true character
and object of the last arrival, cried out
that their plucky compatriot was lost.
But they were mistaken.
Nadar had scrambled from the car up
the network of his airship after the
first shot from the enemy. TO stop a
hole made In the tissue. Presently he
descended 10 the car as the balloon
righted itself. and throwing out guam
tity of ballast. caused 1t To rise higher
and higher. Then, selling his rifle, he
fired shots with rapid succession into
the Prussan, which suddenly split and
sunk to the earth. On reaching the
ground a detachment of Uhlans, who
had been watching the combat from
the plain, picked up the German aero
nauts and rode off TO the Prussian out
posts. Nadar then alighted in safety
within the girdle of the Paris forts.
meeting with an enthusiastic ovation
for his victory in the first balloon duel.
Baltimore Sun.