The San Francisco call., 1906-04-05
.A[RONAUT
DROWNED
IN A CREEK
Searchers Recover
the Body Of
Nocquet.
Balloonist Perishes At
ter Making a Safe
Descent.
Yields to Exhaustion While
Threading Way Through
Yields to Exhaustion While
Threading Way Through
a Marsh.


NEW YORK, April 4-Death in the
waters of Bass Creek, small stream
| winding through the meadows TO the
shore of Long Island, between Jones
Beach and Amityville, ended the daring
balloon ascent yesterday afternoon of
Paul Nocquet, a French sculptor of note
and an enthusiastic amateur aeronaut
The body was found fought on the mud
dy shore of the creek, efiere the tide had
! left it, and not great distance from
where Nocquet's collapsed balloon was
discovered late last night blythe life-sav-
ers of Jones Beach
The discovery of the body put an end to
search, which had Included ocean, land
and marshes and which had been begun
under the direction of Nocquets asso-
ciates of the Aero Club of New York as
soon as word was received early today
that the balloon had been found swith no
trace of it's missing occupant.
Nocquet apparently landed safely with
his car and in fighting his way out Of the
meadows in the darkness had traversed
about two-fifths sSf the distance from
Jones Beach 10 Anstzs. .klte. &eseral ir1iies
when he died He had crossed thirteen or
fourteen different islands and had swan
or waded through the runlets between
them before he gave way to complete ex-
haustion.
That Nocquet Travelled as far as he did
is considered wonderful. He must have
struggled the last mile of the two he
Travelled under fearful difficulties He es-
sayed trip that few men could possibly
have completed in daylight.
AERONAUT,s FATEFUL VOYAGE.
The valve controlling the ropes of the
balloon when found indicated that the de-
scent had been started by Nocquets ac-
ton, and it must have been gradual.
When Nocquet started on his fight yes
terday afternoon the wind was blowing
out to sea. This meant that unless he
should come down after being up but
short time-having started from the
Bronx-he would surely be blown across
Long Island and out over the ocean. A
life-preserver was strapped inside the
basket and the word to let go was given.
The balloon in its flight passed over ia
maica, Garden City, Westbury, Jericho
and Cold Springs Harbor. Then darkness
came and shut it from view.
What its course was after passing
over Huntington at about S:15 o'clock
there is no means of knowing Nothing
further was heard of ii until its dis
covery on Jones Beach was announced
today. Captain Austin of the Jones
Beach Life-Saving Station who found the
balloon, reported this morning that 1t
apparently had been dragged along some
distance in the sand. Tracks about the
balloon seemed to indicate that the aero
naut had survived his flight This fact
gave the searchers courage throughout
the day.
Captain George Smith of Amityville,
who had Joined in the search early in the
day, located the body tonight on the
muddy bank of Bass Creek and made it
fast to a stake. 1t will be taken to
Amityville tomorrow, after having been
viewed BIZ the Coroner.
AUTHOR, SCULPTOR AND ARTIST.
Paul Nocquet had made many daringly
successful attempts at aerial navigation.
1t was not as an aeronaut alone that he
attained distinction, however. He was
almost equally well known as author,
sculptor and artist. Wide attention re-
Gently was attracted to. his work as
sculptor by bronze figure Of President
Roosevelt entitled, "A Presidential Va
cation" This figure represents the Presi-
dent dragging a bear by the ear, while
in his right hand he holds aloft a cub.
Comment upon the figure was diversified,
but the efforts of the artist pleased the
President. who sent him a complimentary
letter.
Nocouet was born in Brussels in 1877,
and at the age of II studied painting un-
der Jean Portaels. Soon afterward he
turned to sculpture and at the age of 20
won the grand prize of Belgium. which
gave him three years fellowship in Paris
and before he came to this country was
considered one of the most daring MEM
hers of the Aero Club OF France Two
years ago he planned TO attempt TO cross
the Atlantic Ocean in balloon, but was
deferred bv friends