A NIGHT ASCENT IN A MILITARY BALLOON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVI, Issue 71, 28 March 1892, Page 4

A NIGHT ASCENT IN A MILITARY BALLOON.

Tho " Neu Militarists Batter " contains an account of a highly interesting and perilous night balloon ascent from Vienna, mado recently by Lieutenants Hoernes and Eckert, of the RaUway And Telegraph Regiment. The orders given to these officers were that thoy should leave about 9 p.m., and should remain up as long as gas and ballast could bo made to last. Tho balloon in which the accent was mado had a capacity of 1100 cubic metres aud carried 12| Backs of ballast, each weighing 441 b. Tho gas, which was put in afc a temperature of 46deg. to 54deg., warmed up to that of the outer air 75deg., and it watr'this fact which eventually rendered the ascent so full of peril. Shortly after starting, tho balloon was caught in a torriffic thunderstorm, which caused it to travel between Vienna and Mah-risch-Ostrua — a distanco of 149 miles —in two hours ; that is to say, at a mean speed of about 108 feet a second. At times the hurricano blew ■with such force that tlie speed of the balloon coiild not havo beon loss than from 148 to 164 feet a second. Within an hour ai:-' a half tho temperature fell 30£deg., and tho sudden cold and wet acting on the gas made it necessary to throw out 8^ sacks of ballast. Two wholo sacks had to bo sacrificed to clear tho Carpathians whon tho storm was at its height, and had it but lasted a short timo longer tho ballast woeld have been completely exhauuted. As soon as tho storm lulled the balloon became enveloped in a thick fog and dense clouds, and for seven long hours but ono short glimpse of the earth, or rather of the sea, was caught. At this time tho balloon was steering north and appeared to bo over the Baltic, near the Island of Bornholm, risiug higher and higher. It had now attained a height of 10,000 feet without a glimpse of the sun having been seen, ancl ifc became clear that if tho sun managed to break through the clouds an instant descent would havo to be made in order to avoid a catastrophe. Fortunately a fresh current of air was met with, which blew tho balloon due south. About eight a.m. the gun shone out in full splendour and tho oxpansion of the gas was so rapid thero was imminent danger of tho balloon bursting. When at last tho escape of gas began to make iteeif felt, so much had been oxpended that tho balloon, on reentering a donse stratum of clouds at a height of 9840 feet, fell in ten minutes within 4200 feet of the earth, and another precious sack of of ballast had to be sacrificed bofore ita fall could be checked at 1600 feet from tho ground. The small Btock of ballast now remaining mado it necessary to prepare for an immediate descent which was safely effected at Wojciechow r o in Posen (273 "miles from Vienna, after a 'journey of oloven and a half hours. Lieutenant Hoernes estimates that the total distance travelled was equal to tho famous journey from Paris to Sweden made by two French sai low iv 1870.