BALOON VOYAGE FROM PARIS TO NORWAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1005, 4 March 1871, Page 6

BALOON VOYAGE FROM PARIS TO NORWAY.

(The Times.)

We have been favoured with the following narrative, dated Ohristiania, December 5 : —

" On the 25th November it was reported by the telegraph that several papers, including a protocol in French, together with some copies of the Gazette de France of the same date, had been found on an island about a quarter of a (Norwegian) mile from Mandal (a seaport on the southernmost extremity of Norway), and it was also reported that a balloon had been seen in the forenoon passing over the place in a northerly direction. The day after (or 26th), a telegram announced that a balloon had descended in the afternoon of the 25th at a place or townoalledNone,tobe found on the map of Norway six Norwegian miles due west from Honefoss (or the railway station where the Indian Commissioners separated the last day). The balloon was found to contain six live pigeons in good condition, three mail ba<?s, of which one of them, containing principally newspapers, was much torn, and part of its contents gone, one knapsack, a military cap, a revolver, some bottles of claret partly emptied, one of water, and a surgical instrument ; but no people. On the 27th another telegram arrived from Konys berg— the Bilver mines — three Norwegian miles due west of Drammen, saying that two Frenchmen, the persons that had escaped from a balloon two days before, had appeared. You may easily fancy these marvellous occurrences created great wonder and excitement. The tale is thus related by the balloon passengers themselves.

" They went up from Paris in the balloon at 11.45 p.m. on the 24th of November, with the intention of going south towards Tours. They passed the Prussian lines at a height of 800 metres, but kept still rising in order to get into a different current of air. After the lapse of some time, having again descended, they heard a noise as of many locomotives, but soon found out, to their utter dismay, that they were drifting over the ocean.

"They saw several ships, and endeavoured by letting out a long rope touching the sea, to check the speed of the balloon, and also hoping, possibly, to get help from some vessel if they in their sight let themselves into the sea ; but they soon found this attempt to be fruitless, and they had to cut the line and rise again. " They now let out a pigeon with a message of their distress, but with no hope of being saved. About 12 o'clock they say they seemed to perceive some fixed outlines looking like land covered with snow, but were not certain, and it soon vanished in the fog and clouds. Fancying again they heard the sea they pulled open one of the mail bags and threw out some newspapers in order to rise higher up (these were the Gazettes de France found near Mandal), but a couple of hours after (or about 3 in the afternoon) they felt as if something touched the car of the balloon, and on looking out theyfound themselves moving over and skirting the trees. At once they made up their minds to try and escape, and coming within a few metres of the ground they let themselves out, and thanks to the deep snow they were not much injured, although one of them got rather badly torn in his hasd. " Tired and exhausted both in body and mind, one of them fainted, and had to be carried by the other under a fallen tree for shelter ; the other then roamed about, but the dark soon setting in they remained here during the night, and slept without any covering except their rather thin clothes. The temperature was sdeg. freezing (Reaumur), or 20deg. Fahrenheit. Next morning, after light broke, they commenced roaming about in the snow, not knowing the least where they were, but supposed it to be Iceland. At length, they found to their joy a dilapidated house, in which they kindled a fire, in order, they said, to attract attention. This succeeded, and some people felling timber in the forest came and brought them home, and, of course, cared for them as best they could, but yet, not knowing the least of the language, they remained utterly at a loss as to where they were. "At last one of the men produced a matchbox, on whioh ' Ohristiania' was printed, and this told them they were in Norway. By gesticulations they explained who they were, how they had come, and where they would go to, and soon the clergyman and one or two others who could Bpeak French came to help, and, after seeing them properly clothed ■ and provided -for, flontthem onin al«dgfe», I

first to Konw.^ and then " fo - D mE3£ «**—-. wa» already

"It was now all triumph, and about 2uu of the good people of Drammen met the Parisians at the railway station, and brought them at once to the hotel, where everything was prepared to greet them. Next day they came to Christiania, where, likewise, numbers of people expected them, where a fete was arranged for them in the evening, attended bjr full 1,000 people. The extraordinary rkk the balloon passengers from Park had run made their arrival here quite an event. Neither of the two had ever before made a journey in a balloon, but one of them had once before been in a captive balloon.

" The place where the Frenchmen alighted was Lidf jild, a mountain about five Norwegian miles south-west of "Konysberg (on the map marked ' Seljord'). '/ The distance from Paris to this place is about 840 Englkh miles, and the time of the journey from a quarter to 12 Thursday evening to 3 next afternoon (15£ hours) make this the quickest and moat extraordinary journey yet made by any one.

" The balloon travellers are now again back in France, and may be at this moment in the midst of a horrible battle.

" The names, I should mention, were given as M. Roller, Captain in the Artillery, but formely civil engineer, and the other Dechamps, and the carrier of despatches from Trochu to Gambetta. Both of them were young and pleasant but de-termined-looking men."