A HOME-MADE BALLOON.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 25, 30 January 1908, Page 7

A HOME-MADE BALLOON.

ASSISTANT'S NARROW ESCAPE. [BY TELSGIUPH. — rBISS ASSOOIATIOV.] IXVERCARGILL, 29th January. Invercargill people have , been ' looking forward with curiosity to a projected balloon areont by Mr. R. Murie, a wollknown cycle dealer of this town, whiok was to have taken placo td-^y, Mt. Murio has had rom« experience in ball&oniiig in tho Old Country, he made .a balloon, and was having it filled tfith coal gas, preparatory to ascending in the afternoon, when the feed pipo from tho gas \vork3 leaked. In .endeavouring td repair tho defect, a man named GUchrirt was .partially asphyxiated, Stnd liad id go to tho hospital, where he is roc-oVcr-ing. A further attempt to inflate it -r». suited in the splitting of- tho balloon, and the abandonment of the* O3cent." A Mr. Murie, however, is preparod to try again. Southland papers record that tho balloon is 34- feet in diameter, "and was 'made by Mr. Murio. It is 60 feet in height /abovo the car and whon inflated with" "gas was expeoted to lift Bcwt. There are'over three miles of stitching ift the' balloon, and the net which covers it weighs 2cwt. Mr. Murie mado the balloon in his leisure time. The material for it was specially imported, and tho design is one adopted by tho British War Office.