THRILLING BALLOON VOYAGE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9104, 25 March 1908, Page 7

THRILLING BALLOON VOYAGE.

The Hon. Mrs Assheton Harbord made her third balloon voyage across the English Channel a few weeks ago, and met with an exciting descent. She. was accompanied by Mr O. P. Pollock as pilot, and her balloon was the Valkyrie. Provisions were carried for 34 or 30 hours The start was made from Battersea gasworks at a quarter to ten on the Priclay night.. The coast was sighted an hour later.Tand at seven minutes past eleven the balloon was over the sea, at a height .of 3700 ft. The Prenoh coast, near Le Touquet, was reached at two minutes to twelve, the crossing having taken fifty-one minutes. “At half-past one a. m. on the Saturday,” says Mrs Harbord, “we experienced strong vertical currents, which made the shoot up very rapidly, and when it encountered a downward vertical current it fell with great speed, making a continuous discharge of ballast necessary. There was a good deal of sheet lightning, and the atmospheric conditions were very curious. The car hoop and neck of the balloon seemed illuminated as if by electric light, which when I rubbed it made my glove appear alight. At two o’clock we encountered a terrific snowstorm, which covered us and half filled the car, “ “ The discharge of'five bags of ballast in four minutes had no effect in checking the descent, and suddenly the bottom of the car crashed down on something with great force. The tail-rope then began catching in everything it could find, giving the car very violent jerks. We were dashing along at a terrific speed through the darkness. “As the last bag of ballast had not the slightest effect, we realised there was no alternative but to make a descent. Mr Pollock opened the valve while I crouched low down in the car, feeling rather thrilled at what might happen. Down we crabbed with great force straight into some trees. Mr Pollock ripped at once, but tlie wind carried us np again, and down we came with the basket overturned. After we had collected our senses we got out, and found wo were in a dense forest, far away from any habitation. ” They waited until dawn, and after half an hour’s walk emerged from the forest, to discover they had descended in the department of the Meuse, about seven miles from Verdun. They had travelled about 800 miles.