A BALLOON VOYAGE ACROSS THE NORTH SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6817, 22 September 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

A BALLOON VOYAGE ACROSS THE NORTH SEA.

Mb. Simmons, the aeronaut, has given the following interesting narrative of his recent balloon v.yage across the North Sea from lialdon in Kent, iu company with Sir Claude de Crespig-'Y :—" We had a desire to cross the German Ocean; therefore every ounce of bnllast and every foot of gis had to lie cautiously used. Wo had not. much time to enjoy the glorious panorama ere we found it necessary promptly to iiiscus3 the propriety of attempting to reach Holland or Be'gium. Fortunately the atmosphere over England ■was clear. The start was made at eleven o'clock a.m., and wo eoon crossed the Thames, near the Nore. Taking our bearings we were going sharp for Rotterdam. The bottom of the sea was clearly seen iu every direction. We Fee the man-of-war a , ; Harwich very distinctly. Six steamers beneath us appear to be almost in collision. We are at an altitude of 9003 ftet. The lightship east of tho Blackwater is about the size of a flaa, but is very distinct. Although the bell is constantly ringing we can now and again hear shouts from decks. We throw out sheets of paper and find them being left a little to our north. This satisfies us that we are making still a trifle south of eastward, and our safety and the attainment of our object depend upon being able to continue it. Two o'clock.—l have not yet spent an ounce ci bailast or touch' d any valve. Altitude at this moment 10,000 ft. Our feet are cold. We appear to be overhauling a mist to the southeast. 2.50 p.m.—Wo are enshrouded in it. end can see nought but ourselves and our balloon reflected iu t.h-s atmosphere. Our ghosts .'•-re dummi-s. Wo u>"ke them spenk by shou'.ing ourselves, and even in this they oxacly imitate us. The grappling cable which I have let out is distinctly reproduced in reflection or shadow running to the phantom car. I call Sir Claude de Crespigny's: attention to this apparent negative. He cannot seo ic where l>e is sitting, hut immediately on coming to my side he sees the ropo as distinctly as I do. My blue serge suit Links uo.v quits preeu, and continues so for many minutes. The atmosphere is a very deep blue above us. The gas up through the'eantre of the balloon is perfectly clear, ami tho great dome with its gores and diauio'.iJs has a very solid and assuring appoaiance. Everything is in perfect tranquillity. We can h.-ar the beating of our distinctly. Our e:irs are occasionally blocked, imt we remedy this little evil by wide y opening our mouths. At 4.30 wo both thiuk there ia a slight sound as of surf. We are very slowly descending and at 4.40 emerge on ihe under side of tho clouds and C2.H SL-e something looking like a cojst line to tho south-cast. "We are still on the same coarse we started with. At 4.50 we have approached near enough to tiud that our iraigimry const line is a lom» sweep of ehoal, but it encourages us to thiuk that we have passed mid-acean. Ano'her long line of shoal now appears behind to the ea*t*arJ. As if by ma'jic, we are in full view of six steamers, a3 we suppose. These are all coming from tho east. On nearer approach we see they are sailing vessels. They appear to expect we shall require their services, for they are t.ickiug and dodging U3. 5.10.—Tw0 steamers are distinctly visible, both going westward. 5.59.—5ir Claude cries, 'Look there. Is that another shoal?' We discuss this matter with much intcest. Sir Claude cannot believe it is anything hut mainland. I soon begin to think the same, but it continue' for a long time very indistinct, and as I look very fixedly at it for some miuutej it appeas to alter its shap- , , and I conclude it can bj nothing but a stres'iy cloud. Instead of incr-asiug in distinctness this long sweep now j;ro\vs more dim, and at '.he same time we have other indications which make us think we have changed our courea and that there is a point of north in it. Now for some manoeuvring to try an I find out, wh-'ther a sudden increase of altitude has changed our course. Sir C.aude saya two or three tiiiiß3 that he does not despair of the streak turning out to be land. Hie distant vieion wa3 more distinct th:m usuil." At • ten Minutes past six Mr. Simmons was J perfectly satisfied that ho was within a short j distance of the coast. "The sun had been • for soma minutes deeply shrouded, but he j p?ep.?! between the cloud, and und-.;r the ! inflj-jnees i't his rays the balloon instantly j , ahot upwards with fearful rapidity. Sir ■ Claude said, ' Do you not smell gas escaping ?' but I did not, and had it not been for this oa'eguard of his the consequences might have been serious. In a few seconds we were over a vast area of what looked like mountains of siiotv solid enough to walk on. The gr.m !eur i-f this scene it would be utter folly for me tD attempt to describe. Not the slightest movement could be detected in any part of this vast cloudland, every mountain pea!; seemed to s':acd there fix :d for ever. The "emptation v/is too great to so down Mid leave f:is grandeur until the greater tempta tion, the positive sound of the surf immediately beneath us. I now opened the vave and we rushed dov/nwarda with great rapidity. A few seconds were suSioi-nt to briua us down from our hghest position. IY.OOOft., low enough to spread b fore our dolighted vision the beach of Walcher<n Island, on the n.irth side of the Scheldt river, and toe mainland of Holland, shutting us in ou the sou h. We had alreidy passed the mouth of the Scheldt. I considered we Wi-ro safe ea.ugh, and I sketched Walcheren, with the town of Flushing beneath us. Tho people w<re now hailing lustily from all points. Th-' balloon was brouehfc down splendidly at Flushing, the grappling iron taking a firm grip in a ditch surrounding a whealfield. 'Vina ditch acted as well as a round the balloon to keep oil the great When wa had emptied and packed tho balloon the streets were thronged with people all the way to thu Hotel Wellington, where we were entertained f.r a short time. After getting some refreshments we proceeded to the laud-iug-sta;;.! and there procured berths on b ;ard the tnuil-ateamer Princess Mary, for Queen : borough. I had almost forgo'.ten to mention that t!ie cold was iut-;use over the mouth of the Wc3t Scheldt, at the altitude of 17,000 ft 1 ha I 40001b. of ballast left; when we came down, ind our jouruey c iuld have been »r->-lonyed but for our having promised Lady de that we would do our best to descend on reaching the coast. We landed at seven o'clock."