TRAGIC BALLOON VOYAGE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9182, 5 April 1910, Page 5

TRAGIC BALLOON VOYAGE.

THREE PERSONS KILLED

AWFUL EXPERIENCE OF GER

MAN AERONAUT

(Br Electric Telegraph— copyright.) (Pee Press Association.) BERLIN, April 4. A terrible tragedy occurred oil Saturday afternoon in connection with a special flight by the balloon Pommorn.

The balloon was making the ascent from Stettin, . seventy-nine miles nortli-north-east of Berlin and near the mouth of the river Oder, with four passengers on board, including Dr Dellbrueck, Deputy for Stettin in the Reichstag. Thousands of spectators were watching, and as the balloon cleared the ground it was caught by the wind and driven against some telegraph wires and a factory chimney. The netting outside the envelope was torn, and the balloon threatened every moment to j tear itself away from the car. the Pommern got free again, and then the terrified onlookers watched it rise suddenly to a height of about 2800 feet and vanish ' seawards, with the car hanging by a few strands and tilted at an angle that caused sickening fears for the welfare of the occupants. The balloon was next sighted eighty miles away, at a height of 1500 feet. Then it was seen to fall, with terrible speed, into the Baltic Sea. Three of the occupants, including Dr Delbrueck, were killed, and the survivor was badly injured. He gave a thrilling narrative of the progress of the voyage, which lasted three hours. During the whole of that time each member of the party expected death at every moment. Received April 5, 10.55 a.m. BERLIN, April 4. Professor A. Begg was killed while ballooning in Pomerania.