Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-05


tie with death following his wild ride
through the air and midnight descent on
a narrow lonely strip of land. it is appar-
ent that he succumbed to exhaustion only
after siX-hour battle with water and mud
and treacherous moTass between the village
OF Amityville and the open sea.
The whole story of the balloons descent
FIVE hours after it rose from its platform
IN the yard of the Central Unions gas plant
at 13Sth street and Walnut avenue, New
York city. was told on the beach The wet
and bedgaggled basket and the cash in the
side OF the gas bag where the ripping rope
had been used told that the aeronaut had
been carr ed out to sea some little dis
tancc. The wind. which had blown him
south straight across Long Island, favored
him when he rapidly descended, and came
within the path of the northeasterIy breeze
from the ocean.
The aeronaut had cleared the water. or,
perhaps. tossed along the combers until he
came back to the beach, where the balloon
rose in response to the unloading of the
sand ballast. The red sand the aeronaut
carried shows plainly against the white
strip of Jones beach.
The anchor rope tra1Ied through the sand
like a great snake and it's outline on the
beach shows a groove 2p0 yards diagonally
from the water TO within fifty yards of the
place OF landing. These fifty yards the bal
loon bumped along the sand, leaving. its i'm
preston as clear as gravers tool on "a
wax plate
When he found he was nearing the wa
ter. NOcquet undoubtedly fastened the cork
life presc.ver carried in the balloon around
his body. and when ne started for the
lights Of Amityville apparently ore-half
mile. actually full four miles. away, he
tained 1t, fearing to meet a creei in the
darkness that he could not see That Noe
quet shouted again and again Cor assist
EUc6 Is vodched for by Amityville boae-
men.
Had Lost His Graphing Hook
The aeronaut even before he was en-
veloped In darkness and was being driven
toward the ocean. had begun to be dis
tressed. As early as 6:33 o'clock Tuesday
evening he implored assistance from the
boys of ST. Paurs School at Garden city,
when lie was passing over that place
\ man in Garden City was In his yard
with a telescope when he saw the balloon
He said II was less than 800 feet In the air
and was proceeding at the rate OF forty
Eiiles an hour. Rope to the length OF $50
feet was dangling from the basket Many
OF ST PauEs students were on the lookout
for the HerOnaut and he was close enough
TO them 10 talk and be heard.
! have lost my graphing hook. l want
10 make landing" cried Nocquet The
students could do nothing but stare help
less!y at the flying car, which soon passed
out OF their sight. 1t drifted northeast TO-
ward oyster bay and then veered toward
When Nocquet landed in the darkness
his balloon was partially Debated. but the
tnteen-foot streaner which he hal bought
just before the ascension huttered from the
netting. On this he had written IN ink his
nHue aud address. Paul Nocquet, No. -
East J9th street"
Seeking Human Habitation.
lie left few pounds of sand ballast,
bundle OF old newspapers and an empty
wine bottle IN the basket and took up his
last journey in the direction of the gieam-
Ing lights Of the village four miles away
He wore the life preserver under his
heavy overcoat and in his pocket was q
pint flask of whiskey and "A camera
The lights of the village attracted the
baliooRst, stranded in the darkness on a
sand-pit and barely saved from = descent
In the ocean, and he started on a Journey
which the most experienced OF the native
baymea would scarcely have undertaken.
Within Il mile of him the smooth
beach was the lfe-sayipg station. but he
was unaware OF this. and though lie shout
ed loudly for help and his cries were heard
IN the night. no one came TO guide him.
Ills tragic journey across creeks and
through marsh and mud, often Striking to
his knees, and again swimming across
broad pools must have lasted from 10
o'clock Tuesday night until 4 0 clock yes
terday morning.
The horrors of that desperate battle to
reach human habltation can only be
guessed. lie walked and swan and strug
gled directly north from the narrow beach
For quarter OF A mile his feet sank in the
soft ooZe of a marshy meadow. Then ne
Raded across countless tiny pools, often UP
10 his breast in water and mud. Bass
creek, $50 feet wide, is too deep for wading.
lie houndered In and must have swan
across that.
Then came more meadows. more Islands
and more creeks. Walking. wadIng. ioun-
dertng and crawling. he got through them
somehow, TIL he came to the fourteenth