Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-13
DARING FLIGHTS
OF A BALL00hIST
Count de la Vaulx's Thrilling
Experiences In the Clouds.
CARRIED OVER BLAZING FURNACES
Famous French Aeronaut's Graphic
Description of an Escape From "A
Burning NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Night
Trip In q Furious stOrm-He Hopes
TO Cross American Continent and
Reach south Pole by Balloon.

10 Cross American Continent and
Reach south Pole by Balloon.
Ballooning Is an old story for Count
Henri de Ia Taulx, the famous French
baIIoonist, who recently came to the
United States from Paris TO give Amer
leans the benefit of his experience III
promenading through or, rather, above
the clouds and who has been making
ascensions for the Aero Club of Amer
lea, says the New York Herald But,
though he has made almost 200 as
cents, he Is more than ever fascinated
by the sport and looks forward TO the
time in the not distant future when 1t
will take its place beside yachting and
automobiling as an attraction for men
and women of wealth and courage.
BY virtue of having traversed the
greatest distance in Il balloon and re-
manning aloft the greatest number or
hours Count de la VaulX is the worlds
premier aeronaut. His record, made
more than five years ago, when he
sailed from Paris TO the province of
Kiev, In Little Russia, a distance of
1850 miles. is still supreme, although
another was the victor in Il similar
contest last October.
AS Count de Ia Vaulx views it. bal
looming is a sport with only just
enough danger involved in il to give it
Il spice of excitement. In all OF his
ascents. many of which were made In
the company of men of great prorni-
nence in France, he has met with not
single accident, although he has had
several narrow escapes. He was the
first TO cross the English channel i'll 4
balloon from France northward, tray
cling from Paris to Hull, $50 miles. in
seventeen and three-quarter hours
Twice he has essayed to cross the
Mediterranean. and, though he was
driven back by head winds, he proved
the feasibility of divertin2 the course
of a balloon more than thirty degrees
by means of Il deviator dragged
through the sea behind the airship-
Count de la Vaulx's most notable eX-
perience was when he made new rec
ord, which still stands, IL the first
great balloon race from Paris in 1910.
but he has had more exciting expert
ences on other trips.
"One of my most thrilling adven-
lures" he says, was in one OF my
earliest flights when in company with
NJ. MaIlet sailed directly over the
blazing furnaces OF Liege. We had
thousand meters of highly intiamm2ble
gas in the balloon, and until we finally
passed over the city at a dangerously
near height we could not be sure that
the next instant there would not be en-
explosion over our heads which would
leave us at the mercy of gravitation.
Every preparation had been made
for Il long journey, as l was anxious TO
90 as far as possible. We left Paris
with a favorable northeast wind at q
o'clock one evening i'll the autumn OF
1898. Before us few gray clouds
hoated, and soon we saw the lights
twinkIing out in the villages beyond
St. Denis. y little later the moon rose.
and the faiFylike glamour 1T shed on
the sweep of country made the most
beautiful picture had seen up to that
time. Scarcely 200 meters above the
ground, we passed over hills, plain and
forest. We could hear the dogs bark
ing in the villages, and even the sound
Of mems voices fioated up to us now
and then. The tramp of horses hoofs
on the pavements and the rolling OF the
wheels of carriages came up TO US as
vague whisperings. Then Il little far
Their along the Mouse spread across our
Path in silvery streak just as we
passed. ottlof little fog
Nothing more beautiful and peace
full could be imagined or more in con-
trast with the scene which flashed up
on us out of this calm few minutes
later. We first espied blaze of light
on the horizon. and as we sailed near
er the lurid light became stronger IN
ill the whole sky seemed to be on fire.
As the flames shot up from hundreds
of furnaces the scene seemed to me to
be nothing less than DanteSque. The
inferno itself seemed to be directly
ahead OF us, and we could well sympa-
thize with those whose eyes were fas-
cinated by the inscription, Abandon
hope all We who enter here
For q few minutes as we were
driven nearer and nearer toward the
flames we were so fascinated that we
did not realize our peril, but suddenly
1t flashed upon US that we must on the
instant mount higher in the air If we
did not want to be roasted. We threw
out some ballast, and the balloon rose
about 400 meters, but it was none too
high, as We found few minutes later.
Every instant the confiagration seemed
to gain in power, the fire belching
from the great tunnels and roaring
with noise that was indeed sinister
for us as 1t shot upward. Karefied by
the heat, the air threatened to suck us
into that burning whirlpool.
I'm a dim sort Of way we realized the
tremendous activity of the pygmies.
who seemed to us to be working right
IL the heart of the flames. Hammers
were rebounding on enormous anvils.
steam drills were kissing, and men
were shouting orders here and there.
From our height it looked to US as II.
the very world were afire- But need
not tell you that we passed over the
furnaces safely, and short time later
we made landing In pine forest