BALLOONIST'S TRIP ACROSS THE CHANNEL IN THUNDERSTORM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13235, 21 July 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

BALLOONIST'S TRIP ACROSS THE CHANNEL IN THUNDERSTORM.

■ ■ ■■.■.'■■.r.:-J::: Lieutenant von Koewin, chief aeronaut of the Austrian array, who started from "V Earl's Court. on, a balloon voyage to Austria, descended iv mile and a-half /rom Dieppe, after a most thrilling experience 1 He encountered a terrific thunderstorm in the Channel, and was carried 210 miles out ; | of his course; his ballast was exhausted, and he had to throve out his heavy overcoat, ■ bottles of champagne, and other articles, in S order to prevent his balloon from dropping ' into the sea, and he narrowly missed striking Cherbourg lighthouse in a fog. Lieu* ' tenant von Korwin outlined his remarkable ','.■}■;'■ experience to a press representative. "The wind was rather slow at first," ho wild, ■/ "and it was nearly seven o'clock before I sighted Dover. Up to that time I had been '■ compelled, to throw out three of my ballast »; bags to keep high; enough, and I had only eight bags left with which to attempti the :;;v||| Channel. I was at a low altitude evcft>jrf||| then, as the carrying power of the jjau was very poor. The wind was still taking me in a south-easterly direction as dark- ' . ness shut out the smudge of smoke that hung over Dover,- I thought I was !Uk> ""'-' near the water, and I threw out two more ! bags. It seemed to me that the balloon rose very little, but I was determined to husband my ballast. Presently the wind rose, and rain (fell heavily. Then the s storm increased to a gale, accompanied by blinding flashes of zig-zag lightning. The rain fell in suds torrents that the balloon ~ netting was soon soaked, and the additional , -'> weight of water compelled mc to throw out the remainder of jury ballast. Then I. .begat' " _. to descend, when suddenly a cross current "*M» of air. carried me in a south-westerly direction " .r*

"TOWARDS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. ' .-.•.:■ '--, -, ■■ ■ I confess that things 'looked ..pretty gloomy* and.l began to feel that my balloon-ex* , periences would shortly be ended for all , • time. After travelling south-westerly for about an hour and three-quarters at a tv ' ■ rifio: speed, I found that 1 was near the - Channel Islands, which were about SIC . miles out of my course. Bv that tioie 1 " : was racking my brain to think of something to throw out 'in an effort, to ascend 1 was wet to the skin, and I took off. my | heavy fur coat and threw it into th« sea. But the balloon failed to rise. Then I resigned myself to what seemed to bo the prospect of death out at sea. and smoked ■■: my last three cigarettes. Suddenly a hippy thought struck me. In the bottom 01. the l -,[r basket I had provisions for forly-mg** s .hours and a number of bottles of champagne. I drank one bottle and threw out i 'the provisions and the remainder of the champagne. I also threw out my anchor, after cutting it loose from the rope, and was just on the point of throwing my electric battery overboard when a current of air took me to the north-cut. I shouted with delight, and in order to lighten the balloon further I threw out mv shoes. Then I smoked my pipe. It waV now about eleven o'clock* at night. The wind was very strong at first, but after a time it moderated, and I entered'a. fog, belt. Soon afterwards, to my great joy, I saw lights. * was veiy close' to the' water now, and 1 made out the form of a French war»Lij?. - which rushed beneath me with such {-'•<•■** speed that I knew I must be making con- M siderable headway. But I was too eh>t to the water, and* l feared disaster. A>»m' half an hour after passing the ship 1 In'.* l '* the shrill hound of a siren, and in anotlwi moment I found my basket gliding past KAAm lighthouse so close' 1 that 1 could h»« , • '; touched it.' A few minutes later I saw the ~ -> ; ; lights of Cherbourg. Then I continue* , j; j,« north-north-east over the Mater fur •>>■■•>"> ' hour, when I saw- the. lights of Diew*; , 1 descended a few minutes later in a field* , |_s Lieutenant von Korwut made arrangements ',' /-\' for his balloon to in- sent to Paris fur re- *'"&:4 pairs, and returned to London , '.■>'?-.? > * \'' j f stlllN

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