AIRSHIP ACROSS THE ALPS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LI, Issue 9153, 27 July 1906, Page 2

AIRSHIP ACROSS THE ALPS.

For the first time, says the Neve Zeitung, of Zurich, a balloon has crossed the Alps from Switzerland to Italy. It -was an unoccupied aerostat sent up from Zurich on December 7 last, -with the object of obtaining scientific data, for which purpose it carried self registering instruments. The wind was due north when the balloon ascended, and there were fair prospects of an uninterrupted journey over t^e eternal snows of the Alpine regions. Nothing more was heard of the balloon, and it was given up for lost until the other day a shepherd of the Val Maggia, on the Tiedno, discovered, at an altitude of over 4000 ft, the remains of the airship. Most of the records were intact, and from them it was shown that a few hours had sufficed to carry the balloon across tie mountains. The instruments registered a marimnm altitude attained of 36,330 ft above eea level and a lowest temperature of minus 58 degree* Celsius.