THE LOST AIRSHIP.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9057, 23 January 1908, Page 3

THE LOST AIRSHIP.

HOW IT HAPPENED. Writing on December Ist a Paris correspondent tells bow the French airship La Patrie was lost. He I says:— i The Patrie left Yerdnn on Friday i for a short voyage to the east, when j an accident occurred, cansing her j to descend at Souhesmes. The cause of the accident was as follows: — There were seven persons on the deck, and it was practically impossible for so many 1 to move about. A quarter of an hour after the airship had started its voyage the mechanician, who was standing in front of the motor, and who was wearing a pair of wide blue trousers, moved a step or two to oil the machinery. The wind set his trousers flapping, and the cloth was cauhgt in the machinery, causing the ignition spark to be immediately cut off. The ’.mechanician thought |he would be able to repair the damage on the spot, and so allowed the airship to run before the wind in the direction of Bar-le-Duc. As night came on, and the motor was still not working, the officers on the platform I decided to come down near the little I railway station at Souhesmes. The | grounding was facilitated by two I officers of Hussars who were followI ing on horseback. These, aided by I the local gendarmerie, who had been I telegraphed to from Verdun to watch I the airship, helped to pull it down, I aqd during the night of Friday to Saturday relays of soldiers from the fort of Lauterout kept it down. Work was immediately begun on repairing the motor. The repairs lasted all day, and at the time she escaped the airship was being held with her head to the wind by four squads of 20 men each. Only a quarter of an hour before three mechanicians were engaged in repairing the machinery and had climbed down, having put the motor in order. Immediately the ariship began to drag a hundred extra men caught hold of the ropes and tried to hold her. Seeing her dangerous position. Lieutenant Lenoir .attempted to pull the emergency cord, so as to tear ■open the envelope. At the risk of his life he got up on to the stepping board and tried to enter the platform, but the high winds had mixed up the cordage in an inextricable mass. His attempts were in vain, and he had barely time to climb off. Following on a tremendous gust at 8 p.m. the balloon was thrown from its upright position a few feet above I the ground on to its side, emptying I the piatform of its ballast and dragg- || ing with such force as to pull the Rmen holdug the ropes over the ■ground for a distance of 40 or 50 Hyards, and compelling all to let go Hfor fear of being hauled into the ■ air - yh o airship immediately ■bounded up and went off at express ■speed in a westerly direction. The iliorce of the wind was about 50 miles Han hour. cal 9 u LdGd that the Patrie ngaqsL have risen at once to a height __ about 6000 feet. The automatic ■ptety valves work very slowly, so Miat deflation takes a long time. It . m P rQ dent not to have her on Saturday morning : strong a wind was blowing.

Major Bouttianx stated that if no accidental rent took place in the envelope he thought she would remain in the air for from 16 to 18 hours. Two sister airships of the Patrie are now in course of construction at Meessrs ? Lebandy Brothers’ works for the French Government. One of them, the Repnblique, is well advanced, and will be ready for use in February.