AERONAUT S THRILLING STORY OF A RESCUE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 442, 3 December 1908, Page 4

AERONAUT S THRILLING STORY OF A RESCUE.

Dr Niemeyer and Herr Heidemann, the occupants of a German balloon, on reaching London told the story of their rescue as follows : “ Not till we were fifty miles over the sea past Heligoland did we realise our position. We had gas enough to remain in the air from twelve to fifteen hours more. What was the good of this since we were driving north with hundreds of miles of sea in front and no land ? Every moment as we sped northward our chances of sighting boats or steamers was growing less and less and less. We felt we were lost.

“ Suddenly we saw a light in the distance. It grew and grew. It came nearer. We made signals of distress, and at last the vessel (which afterwards proved to be the collier Prinz Wilhelm, of Leith) answered us through the darkness with its fog-horn. “ ‘ We are saved !” Heidemann shouted. We little knew that the worst was yet to come. I realised that the wind was powerful, and that it suddenly dawned on me that although the vessel was coming after us, we were travelling much faster than it was, and that unless I opened the valve and dropped into the sea all chance of rescue was gone.

” I opened the valve. With a crash the balloon and car struck the waves with tremendous force. The car sunk. There we were, up to our armpits in the water, and in darkness. We climbed up the ropes and held on to the extension ring. There was gas enough still left in the balloon to keep it above water. ”We could see the light of the Prinz Wilhelm, which was still in pursuit; but that light soon began to grow dimmer and dimmer. The car and balloon were driven flopping through the waves, which buffeted us in the darkness.

‘‘The ship’s light had almost disappeared. What were we to do ? I thought I saw safety for a time at least. I hesitated, and then pulled the ‘ ripping ’ valve with all the strength I had left in my numbed arms. We had been in the water perhaps a quarter of an hour. It seemed an age.

‘‘ The envelope of the balloon collapsed on tbe water. The car had sunk. We held on for life. This was the most terrible moment of all. The vessel’s light was a speck in the darkness now. Had they forsaken us ? Together we shouted, ‘ Meuschen ! Menschen ! wie konnt Ihr uns verlassen ?’ (‘Men, men, how can you forsake us ?’)

” The vessel disappeared, and we thought all was over. Only a miracle could save us now. We were exhausted. The waves played with us, I said to Heidemann, T shan’t be able to hold on much longer,’ and he quietly replied, ‘ Nor shall I,’ We gripped the netting hard. Our hands touched. We gripped each other’s wrists through the netting and said — ‘ Good-bye! ’ “ I closed my eyes. A few moments passed. “ Then out of the darkness I heard voices, the sweetest sounds T ever heard. They came from a boat which the Prinz Wilhelm had sent out to search in the darkness. “We had been in the water fully an hour now. They came alongside and extended one of the oars, and eventually, more dead than alive, we were got into the boat almost without clothing.”