The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1908-06-13
IN A FALLING BALLOON
Fearful and Tragic Experience of
Three Aeronauts.
ONE SAVED AS BY A MIRACLE
The Terrific Cold and the Peculiar
Sensations That Eneompassed the
Daring Voyasers at an Altitude Of
Over Five Miles-The Descent.

Daring Voyagers at an Altitude of
Over Five Miles-The Descent.
One Of the most terrific experiences
in the history Of ballooning was that
Of three aeronauts who in 1875 made
an ascension in a large and we'll made
balloon, the Zenith In this voyage
the object was to reach the greatest
possible altitude. The balloon rose to
a height Of $4,000 feet-that is, about
Ave and a half miles from the earth.
At this point something happened
what, no one will ever know, since the
only surviving balloonist, Tissandier,
was ut the time insensble. But tho
balloon began a rapid fall and finally
struck the ground with such fright
full shock that Sivel and Croce-Spin-
nelli were killed instantly, while It's
sanders life was spared by a miracle.
The account of this voyage Is per-
haps best told In Tissandier's own
words:
AT $1,000 feet we were Standing up
In the car Sivel, who had given up
for a moment, was Refrigerated
Croce-Spinnelli was motionless In front
of me. ! felt stupefied and frozen.
wished to put on my fur gloves. But
without being CONSCIOUS of 1t the &C.
ton Of taking them from my pocket
necessltated an effort that l could no
longer make. l copy verbatim the fol-
lowing lines which were written by
me, although have no very distinct
remembrance of doing SO. They are
traced In a hardly legible manner by a
hand trembling with cold:
"'My hands are frozen. am all
right. We are all right. Fog in the
horizon, with little rounded cirrus. We
are ascending. Croce pants. He in
hales oxygen. Sivel closes his eyes.
Croce also closes his eyes, Sivel
throws out ballast Sivel seized his
knife and cut successfully three cords,
and the three bags emptied them
selves, and we assembled rapidly.
when Sivel cut away the bags OF
ballast at the height of about $4,000
| feet I seemed to remember that he was
sitting at the bottom of the car and
nearly in the same position as Croce-
Spinnelli. For my part, was In the
angle of the car, thanks to which sup
| port / was able to hold up. but soon
felt too weak even to turn my head to
look at my companions. This was
about 100 p. m. At POS p. m.
awoke for q moment and found the
balloon rapidly descending. | was able
to cut away bag of ballast to check
the speed and wrote in my notebook
the following words:
1--WE are descending. Temperature,
degrees. throw out ballast Ba-
rometer, 1874 inches. We are descend
ing. Sivel and Croce still In a faint
ing state at the bottom. of the car.
Descending very rapidly
Hardly had l written these lines
when a kind Of trembling seized me,
and fell back weakened again. There
was a violent wind from below up
ward, denoting very rapid descent
After some minutes felt myself
shaken by the arm and recognized
Croce. who had revived. Throw out
ballast he said to me. We are de-
scending.' But could hardly open
my eyes and did not see whether 81
vel was awake. l called to mind that
Croce unfastened the aspirator, which
he then threw overheard. and he threw
out ballast, rugs, etc.
"At $50 p. m. opened my eyes
again. l felt dreadfully giddy and op-
pressed. but gradually came to myself.
The balloon was descending with
frightful speed and making great oscil-
lations. l crept along on my knees
and pulled Sivel and Crocs by the
arm. Swell Grocer exclaimed.
Wake up! My two companions were
huddled up motionless In the car, COW
cred by their cloaks. | collected all my
strength and endeavored to raise them
up. Sivel's face was black. his eyes
dull, and his mouth was open and full
of blood. Croce's eyes were half clos
ed. and his mouth was bloody.
ITO relate what happened afterward
il impossible. felt frightful wind
We were still 9,70O feet high. There
remained In the car two bags of bal
last, which I threw out. | was draw
ing near the earth. / looked for my
knife to cut the small rope which held
J the anchor, but could not find 1t. was
like a mailman and continued to call
! 'Sivel, Sivel! By good fortune l wal
! able to put my hand upon my knife
and detach the anchor at the righ
moment
, 1.-THE shock on coming to the groun(
: was dreadful The balloon seemed n
, II 1t was being flattened. l thought
} was going to remain where II had fall
: en-, but the wind was high, and 1t wa
t dragged across fields. The bodies o
/ my unfortunate friends were shaker
| about In the car, and thought ever.
! moment they would be jerked out. A
length. however. l seized the valv
line, and the gas soon escaped from
the balloon, which lodged against
tree. 1t was then o'clock. On step
!. ping out was seized with feverisl
n attack and sank down and thought 70
a moment that I was going to join m,
!. friends In the next world, but cam
!. to. ] found the bodies of my friend
4 aol6 and sfiff I had them mt unde