The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-02-18
SANTOS DUMONT HAS NARROW
ESCAPE FROM DROWNING.
LIT IN SHALLOW WATER
Rope FouIed Propeller and Flying Ma
chine and Aeronaut Light
In Bay.

the areonaut, met with a disaster here
today and had a narrow escape from
death. His airship is a tattered
wreck while tonight his motor lies at
the bottom of the bay Of Monaco.
The morning broke gloriously but
as there was considerable wind Santos
Dumont decided not to attempt a
flight. Towards 2 o'clock in the af-
%ternoon, however, the wind dropped
and the weather appeared to be per-
feet. With the exception of an omin-
Gus little cloud hanging over the hill
called Tete de Chen, which overlooks
the bay, the sky was clear and blue.
At this hour Santos Dumont announc-
ed that he would make a trip in his
airship. A big crowd assembled at
the entrance of the Aerodrome, and
as the large doors of the building roll
ed back, the airship emerged at 2:40.
A number of steam yachts and
launches, including the Prince of
Mancos' yacht, Princess Alice, and
a launch belonging to Eugene Hig-
gins. with parties on board were
cruising about the bay with the inten-
ton of following the balloon. Cheers
greeted Santos Dumont as his airship
rose and it's head pointed for the mid
die of the bay.
1t was soon noticed, however, that
instead OF maintaining it's usual equi-
liberium the balloon rose and pitched
in a way that created considerable
anxiety among the spectators. The
areOnaut, however, kept on his flight
and pointing his ship to the left, con-
tinued to ascend until the long guide
rope was quite 20 feet out of the
water. In turing the balloon the guide
rope caught in the screw and this with
the cratic working of the airship,
created a situation of great danger.
At the same time a squall burst from
Tete de Chen and Santos Dumont
tilted the head of his balloon upward
in order to ~disengage the guide rope,
but IN SO doing the ballast shifted and
the oil used to run the motor began
to spread. Fearing an explosion, the
inventor pulled the emergency cord.
This ripped the envelope of the bal
loon, which at once began rapidly to
descend.
Santos Dumont did not lose his
head. He could easily be seen from
the shore watching the various parts
of the airship. At this time the bal
loon had slightly righted itself and
the lower part, having become empty
the airship dropped slanting1y to-
ward the pigeon shooting ground
which borders the bay.
In front of the grounds there lies a
reef of sharp rocks and the excite
ment on shore became intense as ap-
~prehensiCns arose that Santos Du-
mont would drift on these rocks and
be dashed to pieces. In the mean
while the steam launches in the bay
were making toward the spot where
it was supposed the balloon would fall.
The first to approach was, the Primo
ess Alice, and those on board sliced
the balloons guide rope, which some
how had become disentangled. At the
moment this was done, a sharp crack
ling sound, made by the motor. could
be heard and the screw was seer again
to revolve. The balloon, which was
then almost in the sea, rose slowly for
a few moments, but the motor stop
ped again and the airship descended
a second time until Santos Dumont
was immersed up to his armpits in the
water.
This scene was witnessed with in
tense excitement by the onlookers
ashore and afloat. The aeronaut. with
the pluck which has characterized him
throughout his dangerous experiments,
could be seen standing up in his car
gestulating and shouting directions to
those on the launches who were tow
ing him toward the Princess Alice.
At 2:55 the end of the balloon burst
and the %aeronaut was hauled on board
the yacht.