Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-05
FRENCH AERoNAUT DEAD.
He Evidently Landed Safely Last Night, His Balloon Being Found by Coast Guard, but Death
 Came In Muddy Swamp.

Night, His Balloon Being Found
 by Coast Guard, but Death
 Came In Muddy Swamp.
 NEW YORK, April 5.-The body of Nocquet, the missing balloonist, was found last night in Bass creek, New York.
 Death in the waters of small stream winding through the meadows along the south shore of Long Island, be- tween Jones' Beach and Amityyille, ended the daring balloon ascent of Paul Nocquet, French sculptor of note and an enthusiastic amateur aero naut. The body was found on the muddy shore of the creek, where the tide had left it. and not great dis tance from where Nocquet's collapsed balloon was discovered by the life savers of Jones' Beach. The discovery of the body put an end to a search which had included ocean, land and marshes and which had been begun under the direction of Nocquet's associates of the Aero Club of New York as soon as word was received that the balloon had been found with no trace of its missing occupant.
 Nocquet evidently landed safely with his car and in fighting his way out of the meadows in the darkness had traversed about two-fifths of the dis tance from Jones' Beach to Amityville when he died. He had crossed thirteen or fourteen different islands and had swan or waded through the runlets between them. Up to almost the last he wore his overcoat, which must have been water soaked from the time he took the first channel. He stopped on the next to the last island he reached and removed the life preseryer and the overcoat and then resumed the pre- server.
 He must have felt that his strength was giving out. and the lights of Am | ityville must have seemed almost as far away as when he started. The overcoat, still sodden, was found near the edge of the island just where he had cast it off before making the last swim.
 He crossed the runlet and climbed on to the boggy, shaking mass of mud, sand and dead rushes known as Cats island. He crossed 1t a distance of perhaps 100 feet and apparently ss he reached the near bank he must have stumbled and fallen exhausted into the shallow creek. He may have died from sheer exhaustion or heart disease before falling. When the body was found 1t lay face down in the bog.
 That Nocquet travelled ss far as he did is considered wonderful. He must have struggled the last mile of the two he travelled under fearful difficul- ties. He esssyed e trip that a strong man could not possibly complete in daylight.
 Within a mile of him on the smooth beach was the life saving station. but he was unaware of this, and. though he shouted loudly for help and his cries were heard in the night. no one came to his aid.
 When NOcauet started on his flight the wind was blowing out to sea. This meant that unless he should consent to come down after being up but a short time. having started from the Bronx. he would surely be blown across Long Island and out over the ocean A life preserver was carefully strapped in side the basket, and the word to let go was given.
 The biz bag scared into the air. how cred over Long Island City a few min utes and then began it's flight aerOss Long Island IL passed over Jamaica. Garden City. westbury. Jericho and Cold Spring HarDOr. then darkness came and shut it from view.
 Captain George smith of AmItyyIIle. who had joined in the search. found the body.
 At sbout the time the balloon vss frst dIsc0vsred by the beseh patrol cries were heard o1t on the tsy in the directtsn sf the islands by Hesry PHr- dy. yko lives Ia . house boat He sup posed the calls night he tho~e of nisht ssOotsrs CT hshsr1en sh01tinz to each esher ssd paid no great sttensioa to then-
 Paul NorQust wss bs-n ia Brussels fin IsTT and had b@en in AErricz two years. Ibssgh he had wo1 high r~c- oznif5sa b Francs- the hozse of his sr1. he czns kere vfth the defer1i-z- tSoa of hecszfzz an Ansr5rza- and se made fsrm1I s@cizrztsoa sf hls p1r- pose. fh1s h@z@g to sH intezfs . cstl- sez og th5s eszatry-