Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-05
Paul NocQuet Found Dead
on Long Island.
Descended in Wild Spot and
Tried to Reach Safety.
Evidently Overcome by Exhaustion and Fonnd
Face Down in Greek.

water of Bass creek, a small stream
winding through the meadows along
the south shore of Long Island near
AmitvNllle. ended the daring balloon
ascent yesterday afternoon of Paul
NOcquct, daring sculptor of note and
an enthusiastic amateur aeronaut. The
body was found tonight on the muddy
shore of the creek where the tide had
left il ana not Il great distance from
where NocquetS collapsed balloon was
discovered late last night by the life
savers Of Jones beach. The discovery
of the body put an end to Il search
which had included ocean, land and
marshes and which had been begun
under the direction Of Nocquct's asso-
CiatCs of the Aero Club of New York
as soon as word was received early to-
day that the balloon had been found
with no trace of its missing occupant.
Nocquet evidently landed safely with
bis car and in fighting his way out Of
the meadows in the darkness. had
travcrScd about two-fifthS of the dis
t;tnCc from Jones beach to AmityvilIc
when he died. He had crossed T. or Il
different islands and had swan or
Waded through the runlctS between
them. Up IT, almost the last he wore his
ovcrcoat 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
lif" preScrver and the overcoat and
then resumed the journey.
He must have felt that his strength
was giving out and the lights Of Amity-
Vile must have seemed almost as far
away as when he started. The over
coat still soaked WAS found near the
cdS" of the island where he had cast
Ii OFF before making the last swim.
lie crossed the runlct and climbed onto
the bogGy. shaking mass of mud. SAM
and dead rusheS known as Cats Island"
He crossed it, distance of perhaps 100
feet and apparently as he reached the
near bank lie must have stumbled au,,
fallen exhausted into the shallow creek.
He may have died from sheer exhaustion
or heart disease before falling When
the body was found it lay face down il,
the bog.
That NOcTuet Travelled as far as he did
is considered wonderful He made a trip
that strong man could not possibly ac-
compl;Sn in daylight.
The Valve-controllinE ropes Of the bal
loon when found indicated that the de-
scent had Econ started by Nocqunts ac-
tion and that it must have been gradual
When Nocquet started on his flight yes
tcrdaN afternoon the wind was blowinn
out 10 sea. This meant that unless h,.
should consent to come down after being
up but a short tmc-having started from
the FronX-Ee would surely be blown
across Long Island ana out over tha
ocean A life prcscrvcr was carefully
strapped in the basket and the word to
let go was given.
Tile big bag scared into the air hover
ing over Long Island CITY few minutc,
and then began its Sight across Long Is
land. 1t passed over Jamaica, Gardcl.
City Wcsthury Jericho and Cola Spring
Earbor: then darkness came ANA shut it
from view.
What its course Was after passing over
huntington at about H.l5 +. NJ. there IS
no means of knowing. Nothing further
WIS heard Of it until its discovery on
Jones beach WAS announced today.
Cartain Austin of til" Jones Beach life
saving station, who found the balloon. re
ported this morning that it had been ap-
parcntIy dragged along som" diStrnc" IL
tho sand. Tracks about tie balloon SEEM
cd to IN iicatc that the acrnn"ut lad sur
vivcd his fight. This fact give tn.
scrrchors courage throughout The day.
Captain George Smith of Amityvill",
Who had Joined in the search today, To-
Gated The body At niGhtfall he entered
BASS creek for Il last effort 1T findinc
either tn" man or his body.
He found the body in the mud and mad"
il fast to a stakc. 1t will bc taken to|
Amitvvile tomorrow after having beer
viewed by the coroner
At about the time the balloon was first
discovered by the beach patrol. cries weI"
heard out in llir bay in the direction Of
the islands by Henry Purdy who liv"s
in a house BOAT HI supposed tho CALI
might be those Of shooters or fishermen
shouting "a each other and paid 10 great
attention 10 them.
raul Nocuuet had made many daring
" s,jccpesful attempts at aerial naVi-
CATION. He was almost equally we'll
known as an author. sculptor and ar
tist. Wide attention recently was at
traced to his work as a sculptor ny q
bronze figure of President Roosevelt.