THE BALLOON ASCENT FROM GIBRALTAR.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 450, 1 March 1890, Page 3

THE BALLOON ASCENT FROM GIBRALTAR.

A Perilous Adventure. A Gibraltar correspondent sends particulars of the balloon ascent which was made there lately. ,The party consisted of Professor Gale, Captain Kirkpatrick, Lieut. Greenfield, and Lieut. Webb, of the South Staffordshire Regiment, and Lieut. Fowler, Black Watch. The affair caused great local excitement, as only once previously had a balloon ascent been attempted from the Rock, and upon that occasion the aeronaut losthis life. The balloon, on being released, rose rapidly, and soon passed through the cloud which overhangs the Rock whenever aneast wind is blowing. At an altitude of 5,900 feet the heat became intense —greater, in fact, than any of the party had ever experienced previously—and there was in conse. qffence a rapid loss of gas. The balloon remained at this altitude for about twenty minutes, almost stationary as it was thought, but it was suddenly discovered that it was travelling in a south-easterly direction, and had already passed the, most southerly headland' of Spain. The position of the party was decidedly an unenviable, not to say dangerous, one, as there was only suffi eient gas in the balloon to last for two hours. The probabilities seemed to point to a drop into the Straits, and even if it reached the African coast, the party would have found themselves among the treacherous Riff Arabs. Fortunately, however, Professor Dale noticed beneath a westerly drift of cloud, and dropping down to 4,000 feet, the balloon hit on a necessary air,current and was soon travelling at the rate of about eight miles an hour towards Tarifa. The sea was perfectly calm and the panorama most imposing. To the north could be seen the hills about Rouela, with the Sierra Nevada in the background ,; to the south lay Africa, while immediately below the balloon were the pillars of Hercules, The balloon had left Gibraltar at a quarterpast one, and about twenty minutes to three tbe aeronauts saw below them what appeared to be a gradual slope, upon which it was determined to descend. The car struck the ground upon the slopes of a mountain, and then, rebounding, cleared a few trees, and landed 200 yards higher up, finally anchoring about 1,000 feet above tbe precipitous side of a mountain two miles or So from the Tarifa road. The greatest difficulty was experienced in bringing the balloon down the rugged and precipitous side of tbe mountain, as it weighed 7cwt. exclusive of the car ; but with the assistance of some peasants, it was finally packed on mules. The party proceeded to Tarifa on horseback, and returned to Gibraltar the following morning.