The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-02-15

Entangled With the Screw and Wire,
 of the Balloon.
 Monaco, Feb. 14.-Santos- Dumont, the
 aeronaut met with disaster here to-
 day, and himself 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 flight.
 But towards 3 o'clock in the afternoon
 the wind dropped and the weather ap-
 peared to be perfect. With the eXcep-
 ton of an ominous little cloud hanging
 over the hill called Tste de Chien, which
 overlooks the bay, the sky was clear
 and blue At this hour Santos-Dumont
 announced that he would make a trip
 in his airship. A big crowd assembled
 at the entrance of the aerodrom, the big doors of the building rolled back and
 the airship emerged at twenty minutes of three. A number of steam yachts and launches, including the Prince of
 Monaco's yacht Princess Alice and a
 launch belonging to Eugene Higgins, with parties on board, were cruising about the bay With the intention of fol- | lowing the balloon. Cheers greeted | Santos-Dumont as his airship rose and l it's head pointed for the middle of the bay.
 It was soon noticed, however, that in stead of maintaining it's usual equil- ibrium the balloon rose and pitched in
 way that created considerable anxiety among the spectators The aeronaut
 however, continued hls flight and, pointing his ship to the left, continued to ascend until the long guide rope was twenty feet out of the water. In turn ing the balloon the guide rope caught in the screw and this with the cratic working of the airship, created a situa- ton of great danger. At the same time a squall burst from Tste de Chien and Santos-Dumont tilted the head of his balloon upwards in order to disengage the guide rope. But in so ding the bal last shifted and the oil used to run the IlOlOI UGSdl lO SJlCSSd SNtt HIS Gb NEN plosion. the inventor pulled the emer- gency cord This rips the envelope of the balloon, which at once began rap idly to descend. Santos Dumont did not lose his head. He could distinctly be seen from the shore watching the various parts of the airship At this time the balloon had slightly righted itself, and, the lower part having be- come empty, the airship dropped slant | ingly towards the pigeon shooting grounds which border the bay, In front of these grounds there lies reef of sharp rocks, and the excitement on shore became intense as apprehensions arose that Santos Dumont would drift | on these rocks and be dashed to pieces. [
 In the meantime the steam launches in the bay were making toward the | spot where 1t was supposed the balloon would fall. The first to approach was the Princess Alice, belonging to the Prince of Monaco. Those on board Of her seized the balloons guide rope, which somehow had become disentan- eled. At this moment sharp crack ling sound made by the motor, could be heard and the screw was seen again to revolve. The balloon, which was then almost in the sea. rose slowly for few moments. But it stopped 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 intense excitement by the onlookers ashore and afoat. The aeronaut, with the pluck which has characterized him through
 ,la, ,i,11nr fC be seen standing up in his car, gesticu- ating and shouting directions to those ,n launches which were towing him to- wards the Princess Alice. At five min- ltes of three the end of the balloon burst, and the Prince of Monaco, who was on board the launch then gave or lers to rescue Santos Dumont from his 1erilous position. The launch then came alongside the half def1ated balloon of he airship, which threatened at any moment to smother Santos Dumont. The latter was half pulled and half ,lambered over the gunwale into the boat The Prince of Monaco took him ,y the hand and urged him to allow , himself to be taken on board the yacht , O dry himself and change his clothes. ( But the aeronaut energetically refused , o do this until the remnants of his air i hip had been saved. With the sea I water dripping from his clothes, and ooking like a water' rat, the inventor , tood in the bow of the launch shouting | directions for the salvage of his air hip. It was impossible to save more T han the silken envelope and the motor lad to be left to its fate. It sank be- eath the waves. The launch on which,i vas the inventor then made for the hore. escorted by a fotila of other aunches and boats.
 As Santos Dumont landed the im- ! lense assemblage which had gathered I Il the shore acclaimed him with fran q ic enthusiasm His first words of $ urred interview obtained as he made is way toward his residence were; T n m not discouraged. My trip to Cape " Iartin is only postponed. I will start n gain as soon as I can get ready. This n cctdent was due to the entanglement o the guide rope with the screw and e .ires of the balloon. The balloon was ot fully inflated when I started. See lg that an accident was inevitable I C uled the emergency cord. but pulled g harder than I intended. This made tt igger rent than I wanted. Conse- le uently the airship collapsed too quick b