The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1900-10-31
NAVIGATING UPPER AIR.
Facts About the Balloon
ing Fad In France
,rrs eoDARD's NOVEL SCHEME

o Famous AerOnaut TO
Jon educational BnIloons-Prac-
Bui-N sous VIII BE Given by
Osily Ascensions-Resuit 0, ~
Da"' poirr Contests In Paris.
n,orine has become a fad IN
p1. where it has always been IN
fan'e' or and the international con-
eI az If aeronauts has recommended
Co. ,.srirg of certificates of competen-
' - III nersons before they are per-
..oa 70 make ascensions, writes Nj.
li, na-.no in the Chicago Times-Herald.
-, hoinc a highly important scien-
go nastime the balloon ascension mas
fashionable function, ana
e' 1r4hr parisians conduct parties or
@s"l,r, through the air by aerial naVl-
s''o, &C an after dinner amusement.
sTon,on manage these pleasure pal-
ond within recent date 20 falr
l0V -,-ionnns have applied for Sertlh-
ai'9' oftor = course of lessons. Louis
i a 'sord the son of the aerOnaut VINO
"O famous during the siege OF
noris is building some educational pal
and the novelty of schoolrooms
+bo air will soon attract attention.
A. scheme being to give practlcal les
ua 70 the students by daily ascen-
oions fee of 5000 is mentioned as
preliminary to the tuition.
women in France are fond of aerial
travel. Many years ago noted aero
naut suggested .
"If YOU wish ballooning to become
,onrar in France, begin by taking up
I%i u,omen. Men will be sure to fol
low"
L 1ndaod the first woman to make
balloon ascension was Nine. Thible. a
Frencbvoman, and her example was
soon followed By others. And the first
roman to meet death in a balloon was
also Frenchwoman, Nine. Blanchard.
# would seem as If the time had
come when it must be decided whether
the balloon is to be q sensational toy
or nractical navigator of the upper
mir for scientific service. So far 1t Is
incapable of sailing from one point to
another in a direct line and under con-
trol II is still a monster Of the sky,
TO be gazed at with apprehensive eyes,
s but little more than a century has
passed since its inception. When Luz
IL 10 HVcf o.
) land 100000 spectators watched him,
and when in passing over London he
dropDed an oar from his aerial ship
s. young woman-whO believed it was
Iunard himself falling-died of fright.
Lunaydi in giving an account of bis
sensations declared that fear was not
among them. He was enthusiastic
over the magniticence of the venture.
The motion of the balloon among the
Islands Of the sky he described as pro-
y ducng an ecstasy, there being no re-
siStanCe or restraint, so that 1t was
OH easier and more delightful than the
81 bF0omstick feat Of witches, AriOsto' S
flying horse or Mlton's sunbeam carry
ing the angel to earth.
Camille Flammarion treats the bal
S. loon with the tender sentiment of a
# lover and has the aerOnaut talk to it as
3 the Arab does to his rose. He is an
i enthusiast on the subject, but so are
all lovers OF sky navigation, and In
# many cases the enthusiasm borders on
llnacy, and the yoyagers of the air
give no thought to the terrible form of
~ oanser which must be encountered.
mat man should be willing to throw
8 away his life in the cause Of science
VI humanity we can readily under
S stand but that he should sacrifice it for
'le gaping crowd of county fair, for
lew dollars and a cheap heroism
seems Incredible.
Every autumn at the time of the
county fair or the street harvest festi-
Val The announcement is made In the
Ie%Spapers in big headlines, Fatal
.ai OF an Aeronaut." One such notice
uuFlhS September adds piquancy to its
"'a'ement by a closing two line men
HOn mat the young man was the
lOuFlh brother to fall from a balloon
anu meet his death. He was not, as in
Si"ula'or days, "butchered to make a
.'V,ilah holiday" He was only allowed
" AlA himself legally for the amuse-
'-- TI ol the American people.
mat the art of ballooning is in it's in
ny Is easily understood. Electricity
Icy increase its value, but there must
" departure from old methods and a
cb os,''uuon of new ones, aided by me-
r ~~alca' inventions. before much of i'm
han lalee can be accomplished. If the
AL vn IN which the polar aeronaut
covnn1 went out on that voyage of dis
had IRON which it never returned
loon 9 &c attended by a feet of bal
miobt Instead n of solitary voyager, we
mo- nave learned ere this some frag-
u It's fate. The young Italian,