EXPLOSION OF BALLOON.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13087, 29 May 1913, Page 6

EXPLOSION OF BALLOON.

FIVE FRENCH ARMY PILOTS KILLED. PARIS, April 19. A French army balloon exploded m mid-air near VilUers-sur-Marne. Of the five occupants four were killed and the fifth died to-night. The balloon rose from St. Cloud shortly before 2 o'clock and Avas carried by a Avesterly breeze OA'er Paris towards Fon-tehay-sous-Bois. At 2.30 p.m. M. Luisgnami, proprietor of a cafe there, noticed, the aeronauts throAving out ballast. The balloon appeared to be m distress and Avas flying very low. A moment later the car of the balloon collided with a. chimney and AA'as thrown violently on its side. The car then cleared the chimney and the balloon proceeded. The onlookers picked up an officer's cap, three Avoollen caps, and an anchor Avhieh had fallen from the air. j

Tlie balloon noAV SAvaycd from side to side, and the occupants could be seen making signals of distress. Some of them had evidently been hurt. The Avind changed, and the Balloon was bloAvn against the side of a house. -Rebounding, it crashed into some telegraph Avires, got clear again, and Avas bloAvn away toAvards Villiers-sur-Marne. A feAV minutes later a formidable explosion was heard, a luminous cloud shot upAvards, and the car hurtled to the ground. Peasants m the neighborhood rushed to tho spot and found the five men lying bleeding amid the Avreckage. Tavo officers — Lieutenant de None and Lieutenant Vasselot de Regno — and Sergeant Richy Avere lifeless. A civilian named Aumont Thieville died m a- feAV | minutes. The fifth victim, Captain i Clavenad, expired at. 9 p.m.