Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-14

tiley SaZed upon the victorious balloon thew saw
the French flag removed and black and Yellow low
standard f1oated in its place
The cry went up: Treason! It is Prus
s stan na1on The Prussian baloonist has de-
however, was not destroyed. AS it descended
rapidly toward the earth, the aeronaut climbing
INTO the network, quietly repaired the rents
MADE by his adversarys well aimed bullets.
and casting out ballast rose again to renew
the contest. He fired many times at the Prus
sian balloon, making several large rents in the
S ;nea; Dag; inc gas escaped rapidly, and the
invading balloon sank with terrific velocity
toward the earth, the wind carving it be-
yond the city walls. detachment of Uhlans
who had been following the course of the contest
were on the plain and at once rushed forward
and surrounded the Prussan balloonist He
was carried OFT by them; but, although evidently
severely injured no particulars regarding him
were ever learned"
Captain Arnaud Charbonnet, French mill
tary man, and enthusiastic and skilful
aeronaut, had IN the fall of 1893 more exciting
ana Per1ious honeymoon journey than falls to
the lot OF most men: Captain Charbonnet and
his bride agreed to take their wedding tour in
balloon The start was to be made from,
TURN; and it was the Captains plan to find a
current, either higher or lower, which would
convey the balloon over the Alps, SO as to
reach French territory.
The start was made with perfect success as
was also the first landing at little village ten
miles from Turin. Here halt was made for
the night. The next morning the weather was
unproptious for a start, as it seemed that a
storm was brewing. Captain Charbonnet, how
eyer, decided to make an ascension, and did So
The balloon rose to height of ten thousand
feet; and being far beyond the clouds the
aerial voyagers had no idea of their situation.
Inc currents encountered seemed to be variable
and contrary, and, all in all, Captain Charbonnet
deemed 1T best to descend nearer to the earth
On going down, however, he found himself
dangerously close to the towering Alpine peaks
On this he cast out ballast reckless1y; and the
balloon thus improvidentlv lightened shot IN
into the until reached bauL of
twenty thousand feet, or about four miles At
this point, coming in contact with the colder
upper air, the gas in the balloon chilled,
gas bag contracted, and the balloon began to
k with alarming rapidity. In vain did the fool
rdy aeronaut throw out the remainder of his
last. The balloons descent did not abate. All
while the earth remained obscured below the
penetrable layer of clouds through which the
loon was sinking. About them, below them
hing was to be seen but Dense opaqus fog.
Stranded on High Ledge
JDDENLY the struck the side of a mountain
with terrific force, and then, rebounding there
n, 1t caromed across wide valley striking again
again, falling and rebounding until it settled
Vn at last upon steep snow covered ledge And
the couple, on their honeymoon without food or
tier, waited through long Alpine night for the
e which dawn might bring. But the coming of
light brought them only dismav for it showed
n that they were perched on ledge iutting out
n the side of cliff, ten thousand feet above
level; After a consultation, the party, consist
OF oaptaln Sharbonnet, his bride, and two
'nauts who had accompanied them, decided to
,e an attempt to climb down the cliff
short time thereafter the Captain, who was in
exhausted state, fell through a crevasse, and. /:
1ng on the rocks seventy feet below, fractured
skull The three survivors struggled on all
ugh that day, and at last, without food or shell
passed another night the mountains On
third day they met shepherd who managed
great difficulty to get them to the little village
alme
urlng the siege OF Paris large number of bal
5 I'm all lxty-four), most of them specially made
he occasion, were sent up; and in this way there
ped from the beleaguered city not less than one
lied ana ntty-hve people There were also sent