The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1901-12-28
AN ADVENTURE IN MID-AIR.
rhe Trip Around the Einel Tewer
That Almost Cost the Gallant
Aeronaut His Life.

The story of the almost fatal bal
loon Journey of NJ. Santos-Dumont
around the Eiffel tower, last August,
is told in the inventors own words in
Century.
"You know what the end of my No.
was. In the early morning of Au-
gust s 190D having called together
the technical committee of the
Deutsch foundation, nayigated
from st. Cloud to the Eiffel tower in
eight minutes and so seconds, turned
around the tower in 40 seconds more,
and was just reaching the Bois on the
good, when the catastrophe hap
pened. The balloon had already be-
gun losing gas before ! reached the
tower.
Had not been making kind of
official trial, l should have returned
to the shed to examine the balloon.
Going round the tower il was mani
testify Debated; but / had made such
good speed that l risked continuing.
| had not been four minutes on the
home stretch, however, when the ball
loon began swinging like an ele-
phant'S trunk, it. was so fiabby. | felt
myself falling. and was about to
switch the motor-power to the air
pump to stiffen it out again, and so
come to earth as gently as possible,
when the aft ropes, losing their rigid
ity, caught in the propeller. L stopped
the propeller instantly. The rapidly
emptying balloon now obeyed moth
ing but the vagrant winds. / came
down, without much of a shock, be-
tween the roofs of the Trocadero
hotels, the balloon ripping up with
the noise of an explosion. The new
keel saved my life. Its two extrem-
tiles rested on the two roofs, one low
er than the other; and there I hung,
sustained by the keel. until could be
pulled up to the higher roof by means
of a rope"
do you know the cause Of the ac-
cident?" | asked.
II am not certain of ii yet" he an
swered, Though l suspect the auto
matte valves, whose reacting on each
other is a very delicate affair. Or il
may have been the interior air-Lal-
loon that refused to fill out properly.
Yesterday Lachambre's man came
to me for the plans of the air-balloon
for my No. 6. From something he
said / gathered that the air-balloon
of No. 8, not having been given time
for its yarnish to dry before being ad-
iusted, might have stuck together or
to the side of the outer balloon. Next
time we shall be more careful, ar
though with so many things TO think
of, and all new, it is scarcely human
not to overlook something"
''In what will No. 6 differ from its
predecessors" / asked.
ut viii be longer. thicker and con-
sequently of considerably greater
gas-capacity than No. 5. and more
closely cllipsoidal in form. In II ]
shall try to take advantage Of all past
experience. even the most unpleasant
which is not always the least valu-
able"
$50 far you have done everything
alone" I said. "Shall you be pre-
pared 10 take up passenger IN
No. 6?"
II want more weight-carrying pow
er in order to take up more petroleum
and a passenger-fhat is to say. an
aid. There is a great deal Of work.
really too much for one man. and up
in the air. whatever must be done
must be done promptly. But
shall not want a nervous pas
senger. a fearful passenger or
even useless passenger. Also
want more motive power for
my propeller: for when / have OBJ
tanned a more complete mastery Of
the air-ship I shall wish TO begin the
great battle with the wind. But. az a
model. ] consider my Nos. 5 and al
ready perfect. The rudder, which was
the iast part 70 persist ia giving
-.