Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-02-27
LANDED IN THE WATER
SANTOS-DUMONT HAS
VERY WET EXPERIENCE
Guy Rope Of Balloon Got Tangled
and AirShip Finally Collapsed
Young Man Not Dis
COuraged,

Monaco. Feb. 14.-Santos-D umont,
the aeronaut, met with a disaster here
today and had narrow escape from
death. His airship is a total wreck
while tonight his motor lies at the
bottom of the bay Of Monaco.
The morning broke gloiously, hut
as there was considcra Die wind San-
tc2. Dumont decided not to attempt q
flight Toward ocloc,; in the after
room. however, the wind dropped anG
| the weather appeared to be perfect.
| Santos-D umont announced that he
would make a trip. A big crowd as-
| sembled at the entrance of the aero
drome. and as the large doors OF the
| building rolled back the alrship
! emerged at 2:40 o'clock. A number II
steam yachts and launches. including
the Prince of Monaco's yacht Princess
! Alice. with several parties on board,
were cruising about the bay with the
intention of following the balloon.
/ Cheers greeted Santos-Dumont as
airship arose and its head pointed for
the middle of the bay. It was soon no.
!
tanning its usual equilibrium the bal
loon rose and pitched in way that
caused considerable anxiety among
the spectators. The aeronaut, how
ever. kept on its flight and pointing
his ship to the left continued to
ascend until the long guide rope was
quite twenty feet out of the water. In
/ 1,I hn IA
caught in the screw, and this with the
erratic working of the airshlp, created
a situation of great danger.
At the same time a squall burst from
Tete de Chen, and Santos-Dumont
! tilted the head of the balloon upward
In order to disengage the guide rope.
: But in doing so, the ballast shifted and
the oil used to run the motor began to
spread. Fearing an explosion, the in
ventor pulled the emergency cord. This
ripped the envelope of the balloon,
which at once began rapidly to de-
scend. 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 slantingly toward
the pigeon shooting ground which bor-
ders the bay.
In the meanwhile the steam
launches In the bay were making to-
wards where 1t was supposed the
balloon would fall. The first to APP
proach was the Princess Alice, belong
\ Ing to the Prince OF Monaco, and those
on board seized the balloons guide
rope, which somehow had became dis
n cntangled. At the moment this was
done a sharp. cracking sound, made by
the motor, could be heard. and the
, screw was seen to revolve. The bal
a loon. which was then almost in the sea
a., rose slowly for a few moments. But
, the motor stopped again and the air.
ship descended second time, until
Santos-Dumont was immersed up tC
:. his armpits in the water. This scene
:. was witnessed with intense excite.
, ment by the onlookers ashore anc
. afoat.
The aeronaut. with the pluck which
= dangerous experiments, could be seen
. standing up in his car, gesticulating
., and shouting directions to those on the
= launch, which was towing him toward
!. the Princess Alice. At 55 O'Clock
the end of the balloon burst and the
! Prince Of Monaco, who was on board
= the launch, then gave orders to rescue
/ tg
, ton. The launch came alongside the
- half-defated balloon of the airship
i, which threatened at any moment to
> smother Santos-Dumont The latter
:, was half pulled and half clambered
y over the gunwale OF the boat.
. The Prince of Monaco took him by
., the hand and urged him to allow him
: self to be taken on board the yacht to
=, dry himself and change his clothes
|, But the aeronaut theoretically refused
= 10 do this until the remnant Of his air.
= ship had been saved. With the sea
. water dripping from his clothes, and
a looking like water rat, the inventor
, stood in the bow of the launch, shout
n. ing directions for the salvage OF his
i'l oHlp' II was lHlDOSSlDlt 10 save
, more than the silken envelope. The
motor had to be left to its fate, and it
sank. The launch, with the inventor.
then made for the shore.
AS Santos-Dumont landed the great
, assemblage which had gathered on
the shore acclaimed him with extreme
enthusiasm, His first words of hur-
, ried interview, obtained as he made
his way toward his residence, were:
. 81 am not discouraged. My trip to
Cape Martin is only postponed. I will
start again as soon as I get ready.
This accident was due to the entangle-
ment of the guide rope with the screw
and wires of the balloon. The balloon
was not fully inflated wien | started.
| Seeing that an accident was inevitable.
2 | pulled the emergency cord. but pull
3 ed 1t harder than | intended. This
made bigger rent than I wanted.
Consequently the alrship collapsed too
nuipkly"