ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. LN A BALLOON.

Auckland Star, Issue XXXVI, 21 October 1905, Page 13

ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. LN A BALLOON.

AN ADVEXTTJROTJS TRIP. Mr Spencer and bis party of aeronauts had a very adventurous trip across the English Channel in *heir stucst for the eclipse of the sun. Giving an account of, this interesting trip across the Channel, Mr Spencer said the balloon was the "Vera," of 45,000 cubic feet capacity—one of the fleet of eighteen which are in readiness at Messrs Spencer's balloon factory at Highbury—and the wind was northerly. "Shortly after noon, when, according to. calculation, the eclipse had commenced," continued the aeronaut, "the sky was, leaden with a profusion of Clouds, and not a glimpse of the sun. The wind was wild; and fitful. But at five minutes to one we were 4500 feet high, saw the eclipse weU, and took our first photographs of it. From one o'clock to twenty minutes past we had a continual and uninterrupted view, and proceeded to take photographs at regular intervals, until at half-past pne we Had reached 6000 feet high. Kpw'so much cloud had been,, left underneath, and we found the light so strong, that the view could not be obtained with our obscured glasses. The sun's rays were too powerful. We overcame this by using two glasses, and thus we not only continued to view the .increasing rays, but continued ed take photographs, with our fumed glasses in front of the lens. The eclipse finished at fonr minutes past two, and one minute later the balloon descended, bnt of course continued a horizontal course. As we passed the clouds, snowflakes descended round us. At a quarter past two, having dropped to 3000 feet, we were out at sea, and photographs of the departing Albion were taken. The coast view was grand, thdragh the air was distinctly cold after our experience in the hot sun above. « By means of the statq-scope—-a delicate instrument for snowing the rise .and fall-—we. endeavoured to maintain out equilibrium at about 3000 feet