Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-09
BALLOONS IN WAR.
Novel Battle in CIoudland Nearly
Thirty Years Ago.
From the Baltimore Sun.


The announcement that the balloon is
with Spain recalls the aeronautic expert
ments made by the French during the great
war in 1910 and 1871. AS early as 1892 bal
looms 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 the Frenchmen to
communicate with those inside the beleag-
ured city, and TO dispatch men and matter
from the capital by means of balloons. In
Paris itself, under the direction of Post
master Ramport, j balloon post and trans
port service was Established Tor carrying
persons and governmental as well pri-
vate mail matter from the besieged cap
ital Among the public men leaving the
city in this way Nj Gambetta will ever be
remembered. Homing pigeons were also
sent by this route to carry news back to
Paris. A total of sixty-six balloons ac-
cording to Tissandiers' En- Ballon Pendant
lie Siege de Paris" left the besieged city,
and los persons. 01g4 kilograms of postal
matter, including 3,000000 letters 1853 hon.
ers, five dogs and two boxes of dynamite
were dispatched by The aerial route or
the balloons, fifty-two descended in France
nVe In Belgium, four in Holland, two In
Germany and one in Norway. Only five of
them were captured by the Germans and
TWO We're never heard of, having been lost
in the ocean.
OF all the voyages of that time however,
none could compare for exciting and peril
Gus incidents with that of the wefI-known
&eronauf, NJ Nadar, who left Tours for
Farls with important government dis
patches at o'clock one fine December
morning. At II he was in view of the can
itaI on the Seine. While floating about 600
meters above Fort Charenton. Nadar s1d-
denly observed a second balloon on the
horizon Thinking 1t to be one leaving Paris
the french aeronaut at once DISPLAYED the
tlcolor OF his country, and the other bal
loon RESPONDED by exhibiting the same nag.
dfaduaiiy the two balloons approached one
another, being drawn in the same direction
by the same current of air When thew
were separated by only short distance
several explosions were heard The stranger
nae commenced to fire shots at Madras
Dalioon-the "1ntrepide' began to
descend rapidly. The French flag had by
THIS time been replaced in the other balloon
by the Prussian colors The Parisians VIC
were watching the affair from the forts rs
low, ana VINO now realized the true char
Ter ana object of the last arrival cried ont
mat their plucky compatriot was lost. Rut
they We're mistaken.
Nadar had scrambled from the car nm
me network Of his airship after the first
shot from the enemy to stop hole pada
IN the tissue. Presently he descended ~
the car as the balloon righted itself and
throwing out a quantity of ballast cause3
- y 10 Use nlSher and higher. Then SELLING
ms rlle. ne fired shots with rapid succes
sion into the Prussian, which suddaniy
spht ana sunk to the earth On reacbino
the ground detachment of Uhlans who
itad been watching the combat from the
pain picked up the German aeronauts and
i .pae OH 10 the Prussian outposts. Nadar
men anghted in safety within the grille
OF the Paris forts. meeting with an enfhnst-
astic ovation for his victory in the 6rsr
balloon duel AZ '"e iiiS'