CHANNEL BALLOON VOYAGE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1021, 10 December 1883, Page 4

CHANNEL BALLOON VOYAGE.

Mr Simmons, the mronant, has given i the following account of his recent balloon voyage across the Channel. He ascended from Hastings on Thursday, the 13th, in the balloon Colonel, accompanied by Mr Small, and descended at midnight of the same day at Cape La Hogue, near Cherbourg. Mr Simmons says:—“We started from Hastings under somewhat unfavorable auspices, the wind being north-easterly at the time. At 3.30 o’clock we bad a long v range of coast line, Eastbourne Pier being exceedingly distinct. I thought we were a trifle too near Beachy Head ever to make any point of land this side of the Atlantic, but when we attained an altitude 017,500 feet we southed a trifle more. Appearances were, however, much against our ever reaching land, and I must acknowledge that I was sorely tempted to come down off Beachy Head and get picked up. But this would have been rather too ignominious, and I decided to keep on our course. We had ; the satisfaction a few minutes later to find Beachy Head receding north of us and we quickly settled our minds to * make a night of it,’ if necessary. At 4.30 o’clock we were over a magnificent cloud scene; here and there patches of the coast line could be descried far away to the west, while at a vast distance there was a gap, through which we got a patch of sea, with three or four ships very distinct. A moment later and the great curtain of clouds had.shut out our last landmark. Mr Small got his apparatus ready to secure a cloud effect, but his shutter missed fire two or three times, and this suggested some little improvements for such experiments in future. From 4.30 to nearly sunset (to the people on earth) our altitude ranged between eight and nine thousand feet. During this interval we got peeps at the sea many times, but no land was seen. We could see the sun’s rays two hours after he had withdrawn from the earth and sea. The shawdow of the balloon on a cloud looked very much like a shuttle-cock, the car forming the butt•end, and the balloon and cords forming the feathers. The transition from day to night was very slow and gradual, and as daylight departed the moon’s rays from dead gold gradually changed to bright silver. Mr Small said, ‘ Did you see that shooting star ?’ I said, 4 Wait a minute, and I will show you another.’ The balloon had commenced to revolve, and this motion made it appear as though a bright star was darting through the air. It was of course an optical delusion. A remarkable appearance was caused by the reflection of the balloon in the focussing screen of the camera. When we surrounded with a black cloth the frame round the glass we could see sky, sun mdb.l and stars, inverted, and the balloon cleaving its headlong downward course through illimitable space, the effect being most extraordinary. Soon after seven o’clock we began to get cold, and set to work to don flannels, etc- Our large wrapper got tightly jammed, ,jn the rigging, but the Tsard pulling necessary to get it loose soon made us feel warm, and, having once got up a good" circulation, we did not during the entire voyage again feel cold The cork jackets contributed greatly to warmth. During the night for more than an hour, our altitude did hot vary 20 feet. This was exceedingly encouraging, for upon our power of poising so nicely depended our chance v of.;floating aloft .all- night. When the balloon did take a slight downward turn I carefully noted how much ballast it would take to' ‘ stop her.’ The temperature of the air was very regular, and ■ I found that seven or eight pounds was sufficient At 10.15 we saw a vessel . almost under us, and came down low enough to hail her. This we did as lustily as we could, but at first got no response, • only a remarkably distinct / echo ' , from our own voices. At last a voice was heard on deck,‘Voilk! balloon, balloon ! Are you English ? With all our French we could not ascertain our ; whereabouts;* and whether we were over tHei English Channel or the Atlantic. . At 10.25 something slightly darker than thiEf/normal horizon could be faintly discerned.We kept, ourselves absolutely motionless, and listening intently, we . seemed to hear in the same direction a sound as. bf a far distant rolling surf. T looked long and eagerly, until I exclaimed, 4 .It’s; nothing but a mist,’ for it seemed to change its form, and at last .to vanish into thin air. I passed nearly another hour intently watching for lights, until. a similar dark portion of horizon was brought under our view. We could not possibly bring ourselves to believe it was land, because no lights could be seen up to this time ; but at )ast there was an unmistakable flicker in thejekact direction I was gazing. 4 Look along my finger as atelescope. What do you call that ?’ ‘ A lighthouse !’ exclaimed.Mr Small. I said, ‘ I believe that dark strip before us is land, with sea just beyond it again. If it turns out to be so, be prompt in doing everything, for it will be sharp work to land on that strip.’ The sound of surf was now unmistakable, and in about the same time as I am taking to tell this the line of coast Was presented distinctly to out view, every minute getting more distinct. The sea now began to ripple -. lip sharply. Ten minntes longer and we* were passing the coast line, and sharply darting towards the other sea beyond. ‘What sort of ground are tye coming down on ?’ said Mr Small. * Rugged rocks and stone walls, I believe,’ I said. ‘ Hold on firm. Out goes the grappling iron.’ At first it would not hold, but soon it got wedged into a crevice in the rocks, giving us just tether enough lo pass over the precipice and down on to the beach. These wa&just room for us between the receding tide and the rocks and none to spare. Had we gone ten yards further, -an ■ half a ’second longer we should have been in the sea. We heard whispering near us, and in a few nmchfimts a man and woman t appeared, blxt 'Would not at first approach" us, fearing, I suppose, that we were some bye they gained conand then they told us we were on the Cape La .Hogue, the extreme north-west point of France. We found a,that; our informants were M. Auguste lifyhtn; pJfntfan de Beaumont, Ar--tondi&wffifeht ’ Manche, and his wife. to empty f, thtßf|lp,OA of! its?.contents, and gave us supper and shelter for the night. Next morning itV'to’dlocl we Went ; to yieythe Sfcceiieofdur J desdenf. We afterwards! proceeded to Cherbourg and thence home.*’