The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-07-30
BALLOONS IN WAR.
Thirty Years Ago between
France and Germany.


The announcement that the balloon
10 destined TO play role in the present
war with Spain recalls the aeronautic
experiment made by the French during
the great war of 1870 and 1871. AS early
as 1792 balloons were used for military
signaling in France. But. in our times,
during the siege of Paris by the Ger
man troops frequent attempts were
made by Frenchmen TO communicate
with those inside the beleaguered city,
and to dispatch men and matter from
the capital by means of balloons. In
Paris itself, under the direction OF
Postmaster Rapport. balloon post
and transport service was established
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 M. Gambetta will ever be re-
membered. Homing pigeons were also
sent by this route TO carry news back
to Paris. A total OF &C balloons, ac-
cording to Tissandier's "En Balloon
Pendant lie Siege de Paris" left the
besieged city, and 1913 persons. 1914
Kilograms of postal matter, including
100000 letters, 363 homers, five dogs,
and two boxes of dynamite, were dis
patched by the aerial route. OF the
balloons, SO descended in France, five
in Belgium, four in Holland, two In
Germany and one in Norway. Only
five of them were captured by the Ger
mans, and two were never heard OF.
having been lost in the ocean.
OF all voyages of that time, how
ever, none could compare for exciting
and perilous incidents with that of the
weil-known aeronaut, M. Nndar, who
left Tours for Paris with important
government dispatches at six o'clock
one fine December morning. At IL
he was in view of the capital on the
Seine. While floating about 5000
! metres above Fort Clarendon, Nadar
suddenly observed n second balloon
on the horizon. Thinking il to be one
! leaving Paris, the French aeronaut
at once displayed the tricolor of his
country. and the other balloon re-
sponded by exhibiting the same flag.
Gradually the two balloons approached
| one another, being drawn in the same
| direction by the same current of air.
When they were separated by only a
short distance several explosions were
heard. The stranger had commenced
to fire shots at Madras balloon-thc
pid-which began to descend
rapidly. The French flag had by this
time been replaced in the other bal
loon by the Prussian colors. The
Parisians, who were watching the af-
fair 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
hole made in the tissue. Presently
he descended to the car of the balloon
righted itself, and threw out guam
tity of ballast, causing IL TO rise higher
and higher. Then, selling his rifle, he
fired shots with rapid succession into
the Prussian, which suddenly split
and sunk TO the earth. On reaching
the ground detachment of Uhlans,
who had been watching the combat
from the plain, picked up the German
aeronaut and rode off to the Prussian
outposts. Nadar then alighted in
safety within the glrdle of the Paris
forts. meeting with an enthusiastic
ovation for his victory in the first
balloon duel-Bnltimore Sun.
/