GAMBETTA'LS BALOON ESCAPE FROM PARIS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue II, 13 December 1889, Page 4

GAMBETTA'LS BALOON ESCAPE FROM PARIS.

M. Spu'ler, Gara'e'ta'scompanian j in his escape by bulloon from Paris, has jnst given, on, the occasion . of the unyeiling of a monument at the village of Epineuse where the balloonists alighted, an interesting Recount o£ the historic incident. The professional aeronaut, M. Frichet, said the French Foreign Minister had one failing. As soon as the balloon bad^oif]goirwetf tip be* he wanted to go .down,- .and when they approached Chantilly a first descent was made. The country people told them that, they must ascend again, as the Germans were very near them, and co they started afresh, but soon M. Fvichet elected to ? descend, and would have landed them in a farm crammed., with the enemy's troops had they not been fired at and tUus'-wcrhe'd off. Ballast had to be thrown' out in profusion, and M. Spuller helped to lighten the balloon by the sacrifice of his overcoat. At last - the * gas with which the balloon was inflated was visibly escaping the -travellers had no alternative but j>p decide o.n descending somewhwe. They perceived a small river, but soon they • heard the ' sound of the Prussian drnnj and 1 Gamb.etta told M. Frichet that they must at least make their way to the other side ■where there was a wood. This was done w : tbnut nnv rwirlent, nnd they alighted on^the fringe of , the. Bois de Ferritres,-a,tEpineiii. Ninth bers of peasantl'-went to meet them,' and they were "received, hospitably by the Mayor, .^iDrebus, whose dntvgbter was »npw^ tp sta,rt one of the pigeons which' they had brought with them to convey to Paris th* news of v s-tfe, .arrival. Tlie Mayor drove^th.epj^ Tricot, whence aschoolma^ioojc.them.to Montdipier. They arrived at 11 p.m., slept at the snb^Brff ptnre, nnd took the train next morning, for Amiens* The oak grippletlby. the balloon for making the descent attracted many visitoi-3, till the own M*. n'Boyalist, cnt it down, refuaing.a ff«-;8 K o( pur-; chase. ""'*'! '* | N - ■ i