The Sunday globe., 1901-08-04
And the Fatalities of BalOOning
Recalled by The Globe.
UP IN A BALLOON STILL RISKY
Business, but Getting Comparatively Safe
Except Among The Professionals Who EH-
RbIt for Gain and Fool with Their Lives
on ParaOhuteS and Trapsl9 Bars The River.
side Exhibit and Woman Nerve.

America has had some chapters of
this kind in its history, but for the
most part they have had to do with
professional aerouauts who made bal
loon ascensions for exhibition. The
scientific aeronaut has hourished prin.
Cipally in Europe and some notable
instances Of fatal asCensiOns among
his class are of record. Graphic ac-
counts of some of these follow, hay-
ing been taken from foreign publ.
cations, and made up from an article
written by MalCom spencer of the
Aeronautical Society Of London.
1t was a bright day in July; the
morning was yet early, but thousands
Of persons We're vending their way to
the famous Nauyhau Gardens in Lon
don. Gsssips were busy with their
tongues. something great was on the
tapis to produce SO much excitement,
and well before o'clock the vast gard
ems We're thronged with an eager eX-
pectant crowd
I'm the middle of the grounds the
bulk Of a huge balloon swayed grace
fully from side TO side, and here was
the center OF excitement, for IL was
known that one daring man, Robert
Cooking by name was about to attempt
something never before achieved--no
less I'm fact than TO descend from the
clouds by means of q parachute.
A hoarse cry rose on the air as at
given signal the ropes We're severed
and the huge balloon scared toward
the ornament The car was occupied
by Mr. Green and a fellow aerOnaut
and the spectators below perceived that
Cooking. the intrepid parachutist, was
AnHlI|lr REIFRF hl-
meath. with his parachute beside him,
Up and up the monster balloon sailed,
-uaying from side TO side and moving
with the summer breeze In a westerly
direction Thousands of people, aware
of Cockings adyart sed attempt, had
assembled ina various parts Of Lon
don to watch the descent To these
the balloon looked but a tiny ball and
the cars and their occupants We're al
most invisible Now the leyiathan Of
the alr was over Remington Common.
Up iu the clouds AN was silent; but
al length Mr. Green heard COcking's
voice.
How high are we. Arr. Greene
About 1000 feet
Good. let w. ..." when .. are
1900 feet and r.0. every 500 .. We
reach 5000 feet ".Ia the .. ght
from which w.. .. descend
AT length .. r.r..u. words Five
thousand fec. wen. announced Let
90 cried Cooking and Mr. Green sew
cred the ropes which kept the para
chuust fast 20 the car
Down below the spectators We're
grau.ul Jheig le.a-. They saw the
balloon shoot suddenly upwards and
a tiny speck come hurting down with
terrible Tapidity. they knew 80 was
Cooking and O. thrill ran through ev
cry nerve Curiosity gave way to bor
rOr. and as the unfortunate man came
into palmer view 30 was seen that his
parachute instead of being inflated had
collapsed and folded around his body
Nearer and nearer. laundering tC
earth, came the doomed man. Moth
ing could save him. and strong men
shuddered and women tainted. Then
all was over, Smashed 10 a jelly
poor Cooking was the victim of his
own intrepidity. lay dead on the stones
of the street.
The scene changes 10 suulit Naples
in Italy. Crowds of people We're gath
cred in the grounds of the exhibition
of Hygiene TO witness the ascent of
the monster balloon Napoli. Captain
Venni. of the Italian army, was to
manage the balloon, and he was to De
accompanied by Count MOnteCupo and
Signor Pellzoue.
Shouts of admiration arose as the
balloon gracefully scared into the air
trending silently westward toward the
.opeu sea. The serOuauts all amateurs
were enchanted at the views they OBJ
tanned from their height of over 400.
81 F.f
fact that they would soon Doe over the
waters Of the great Mediterranean II
was not until the coast was reached
that they thoroughly realized their po
sitiou and decided upon a descent II
was then that a sudden gust oI wind
caught the baliOn and carried TT ont
TO sea. They had no life belts. and tho
bay of Naples was destitute of craft
Night was coming on. and already they
were invisible 90 those on shore.
The valve line was pulled, and rha
balloon sank gradually. BY some
miraculous means they hoped 10 de-
srend on the island of Capri toward
which they were drifting 10 wa.
their only hope If they missed Capr
There was nothing hUt the OneFn be-
fore them. The balloon would not
keen on going indefinitely AS the bal
loon descended different currents OF
air we're encountered and the balloon
drifted this way and that until at last
fine car was only q few feet from tn.
water Then suddenly the balloon
ahmed the car was under water, The
vova gers were mp 20 their necks witt
cries of dismay they scrambled into
tbe ropes and hung ON for dear life
Down and down and down. Tn.
rorderOus silkeu bag now rested ON
the waves. and rolled over and over %.
fha wind caught It Night had come
ON and the situation 0. the three men
was desperate They climbed higher
inro the netting hu- with the rolling
of the balloon they were frequently
under water. How long would tho sa.
Iast2 That was the great mOmcntDu
question. When the balloon collapsed
nothing but a miserable death aWalte,
Them. Three hours were passed ln ag
ouv They saw lhe lights Of the Pal
ermo mail boat stalWlug along The
horizon. but shout as loud as they
mipht their voices could not attraC
attention, and meanwhile the balloon
was getting lower aud lower In the wa
ter Suddenly there was "a great lurct
ing roll. AIN three men We're hurle
into the water and sank Count Nor
reauDo had tied himself 10 "a part o
the netting and half drowned man
aged once again 10 reach the sIlko
fabric Painfully he dragged himse.
into tine netting He looked ar0W
for his companions They had disaT
rearad he heard their mournfu
haartbreaking cries for help as the
battIed with the remorsa,es5 sea. The
aII was silent
Morning dawned, and the occupant
- = n-LL-n amnnk n------n q sLrang