Page:Wonderful Balloon Ascents, 1870.djvu/237

Rh to be solved. A daring but fatal attempt to do so occurred in London, in 1874. M. de Groof, a native of Belgium, who had constructed an intricate and elaborate machine for the purpose, undertook to fly from a balloon in the air to the ground. At a preliminary trial, he is said to have performed the feat with comparative success; but the real attempt led to the death of the unfortunate adventurer. On the evening of July 9th, the apparatus of M. de Groof was attached to the car of a balloon, which ascended from Cremorne Gardens, and the "Flying Man," as he designated himself, took his place upon it. On reaching an altitude of about half a mile, the balloon was allowed to descend to within 300 feet from the ground, when the machine of De Groof was detached from it, while over a street in Chelsea. Instead, however, of inflating with the pressure of the air, and bearing its inventor in safety to the earth, it collapsed, and turning round, fell to the ground with a crash, carrying its unfortunate occupant with it: the latter was picked up dead. The aeronaut, whose balloon bore M. de Groof from the ground on this occasion, had a very narrow escape from death. After parting from the apparatus, the balloon bore away in a north-easterly direction. On reaching the ground, the balloonist (Mr. Simmons) found himself on the track of a railway, and a train rapidly approaching! By the presence of mind, however, and almost superhuman exertions of the driver and guards, the train was brought to a stand-still in time to avert a second fatality.

The last balloon voyage of exceptional interest which our space will permit us to mention is that of M. Jules Duruof, whose stirring adventure between Paris and Tours we have already detailed. The ascent took place at Calais on the evening of August 31st, 1874, and the aeronaut was