Perils of Ballooning'

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 2, Issue 348, 19 May 1881, Page 2

Perils of Ballooning'

(Some News).

M. Alliotli, the editor of the Phare du Littoial has aroused the interest of Parisians by his account of an adventure in the ballon Gabriel, in company with Capt. Jovis and Lieut. Vivier. The balloon, which started on March 6 from Nice in the morning, rapidly rose to a height of 6,000 ft. The view at first was magnificent. The Alps and a great part of Switzerland were distinctly visible, and the air was warm. But the clouds and a thick mist soon hid everything from view, and when by degrees, and in spite of every effort to prevent, it, the balloon descended, the party found to their horror that they were about nine miles out at sea, when they had all along believed themselves , to be going steadily in a north-easterly direction. Once or twice the Gabriel was induced to rise again for a short time, but it soon returned to the water; and, although anchor, ballast, bags, boots, and every article of any weight were thrown from the car, it remained obstinately wedded to its new element At times the balloon scudded along at a great rate, though the lower portion of the car was submerged, the water, which had at first only been ankle deep, finally rising sufficiently high {q stop M. Allioth’s watch in his waistcoat pocket, at 5.35 in the afternoon. found the unfortunate traveller? in even a worse plight; and, to add' to^thei?

difficulties, the car began to rock u.i. he waves, and, although numbed with the bitter cold, they were compelled to held on tightly for bare life. At intervals they shouted together, but it was labor lost, and no answer was returned. At last, to their great delight, they espied the sail of an Italian craft bearing . down upon them. A boat was speedily launched, and they were soon on board, in dry clothes, and making a hearty supper. The ship proved to be the Morosini, bound from Naples to Cette. The captain had, it appears, perceived the balloon during the afternoon, and had actually gone out of his course for several hours in the hope of rescuing its passengers. But the balloon sped along much faster than he, and Signor Penielli was obliged to give up the chase. The meeting in the dark was thus a pure accident. The balloon had drifted about, while the ship had held to its course. The unlucky occupants of the Gabriel were picked up about half-way between the mainland and Corsica, and but for the timely appearance of the Morosini they must inevitably have been lost. As it was, M.M. Jovis and Allioth were terribly exhausted by all they had gone through. The party were landed at Villafranca at half-past nine on the following morning, and their reappearance at Nice was the signal for a general ovation, their friends having despaired of ever beholding them again. As for the balloon, as soon as they had quitted the car it shot once more into the air with lightning speed, and may be careering still for all anyone knows to the contrary.