Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-14
BALLOONISTS KILLED
By FALL OF THEIR CAR.
Crushed Under the Heavy Airship-
Wife of the Chief Acronaut
Present.

PARIS, October l3.-De Bradsky, the
balloonist, and M. NORM, his engineer,
were killed by falling from a dirigible
balloon to-day. The balloon started
from the Aerostatic station at Waugh
rard, suburb Of this city, at 1855
A. NJ, on a trial trip. After preliminary
manoeuvring with a rope attachment, De
Bradsky released the balloon and proceed
ed southwest at height of 800 or 400
feet The propellers of the machine ap-
peared to work we'll. The rudder, how
ever, was not quite successful. At about
800 the balloon had returned to above
the point of departure, and then it grad
ually mounted higher and higher until it
disappeared in the clouds.
The project of police later received q
dispatch announcing the fall of the bal
loon near ST. Denis. five and half miles
from the centre Of Paris. and adding that
its two occupants were killed.
The accident occurred at about $3.50.
When the balloon was above ST. Aines,
near st. Denis. the ropes attaching the
car to the balloon broke from some I'M
known cause and the car, with occupants,
DeBradsky and NORM, was dashed to the
ground. and the men met instant death.
The balloon itself disappeared in the
clouds.
When the balloon arrived over st.
Aines, the aeronauts called to some
worknen in the fields, asking the direc-
We're seen above the car. Then suddenly
the ropes seemed to part, and the heavy
car dashed to the ground burying the
bones were broken. and their faces ter
PARIs HoRRIFIED.
The catastrophe sent thrill of horror
through Paris. following the disaster to
Severe. the Brazilian aeronaut, who was
killed May Sth. and whose balloon start
ed from the same shed in a southern
balloon. The principle. of the latters
ship had been warmly discussed. and it's
ascent was awaited with the keenest in
tereSt.
A number of aeronaut friends Of De
Bradsky's and the latter's wife were
present at the start. His wife, though
anxious that her husband should demon
strate the success Of his Invention, wit
messed his departure with considerable
emotion, especially as the conversation
of the spectators turned on the fatal
Bradsly first tried the ascensional screw,
situated below the car, and the air
ship. held by ropes. rose easily, and
maintained It's equilibrium: De Bradsky
noeuvre over the drilling-grounds. A
whistle was blown, men released the
ropes, the propelling screw. behind was
set in motion, and the airship was point
ed in the proper direction, when sud-
denly a southwest wind sprang up. and
the airship swerved to the northeast, in
stead of to the northwest.
Crossing the main boulevards. the
aerial craft executed d number Of evo-
lutions. but continued northward with
the wind, eventually. disappearing, over
the great white bascilica of the Church
of the Sacred Heart, on top of the hill
of Montmartre. The aeronauts wife and
their friends waited at the shed from s
till 10 o'clock. and grew anxious at his
prolonged absence. When the balloon
was perceived at an immense height.
this increased the anxiety, as it was
known the airship was not intended to
rise to such point. It was. however
merely the inflated envelope. which drift
ed back over Paris after the acct
dent had relieved it of the weight of
the car A few minutes later telegram
arrived with the news Of the disaster.
A WEALTHY BARON.
De Bradsky was Hungarian baron.
s6 years Of age. rich, and clever. and had
been in the diplomatic. service He
made his first ascension in 1901. NORM
was his engineer. He leaves widow
and three children.
La Chambre the constructor of the
airshfp. says he had no confidence If,
the mechanical part of the airship but
saws the balloon had perfect stability.
and illustrated real progress. inasmuch
as there was no pitching or sudden
shocks The defects were that the car
was too light and that the motor and
guiding screws were too weak.