AN INTREPID AERONAUT.

Kumara Times, Issue 1155, 11 June 1880, Page 3

AN INTREPID AERONAUT.

Jin aeronaut named Banmgarten very nearly met wit!', his death at Loipsic recently, while making a trial ! of nc.v balloon which lie has invented. The apparatus consists of a balloon from which are suspended three cars, to each of which arc attached ton or twelve wings, set in motion by a lever. The ihveutor placed himself in the central car, and his assistants, who were to work the machinery, in the two others. The balloon was started in the presence of a large crowd, but just as it gob above the mofs of the houses it began to sway about, and Heir Baumgarten’s assistants seized an opportunity for jumping out of the cars before it began to rise with frightful velocity. In a very short time the balloon bad reached an attitude of 4000 feet, and the spectators saw the unfortunate aeronaut making fruitless efforts to steady it. All at once the balloon began to descend as rapidly as •it had risen, and as the car neared the ground it was apparent that the balloon bad burst, and that all the gas had escaped. Rapid as was the descent, Herr Baumgarten was not much hurt, and he is so far from been discouraged by his failure that he intends to repeat his experiment outside Leipsic, as he asserts that hut for the balloon having come in contact with the roofs of tire houses the problem of aerial navigation would already be solved.