Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 February 1877 — Dueling by Balloon. [ARTICLE]

Dueling by Balloon.

Dueling in balloons has already been tried by two Frenchmen, and with results that should commend it to duelists. MM. DeCourcy and Remonin fought a duel in this wise near Paris, a few years ago, with satisfaction to both principals and seconds. The quarrel was about the famous danseuese, Henrietta, and as there was some difficulty during the preliminary negotiations about selecting a spot for the encounter, somebody suggested that the fight should come off—in air! A piquant suggestion of this kind was sure te take with Frenchmen, and it was at once adopted. Nadir furnished two balloons of about 30,000 cubic feet each —that is, of a capacity for carrying each three persons. When all was ready the aerostats were conveyed to a secluded spot near the capital, where tney were expeditiously inflated by a secret chemical process. M. DeCourcy, with his second and a physician, entered one car; M. Remonin, Gen. Nebel and a surgeon occupied the other, and preparations were made for the start. The circumstances wore Altogether favorable for the singular experiment. It was a delightful morning in the miadle of September; the sky was cloudless ; scarcely a breath of wind stirred the foliage; the affair had been so carefully concealed that nobody was present but the friends of the parties and the aeronautical assistants employed to superintend the arrangements. A brief code of signals had been devised by the seconds for the management of the aerial combat. When all was in readiness, the word " Let go” was given, ' and instantly the two aerostats shot into the air. M. DeCourcy’s balloon was made of blue and white spindles of silk; that of M. Remonin was white silk, painted with diagonal stripes of purple and green. At the height of 1,000 feet, by barometer, while the balloons were yet very near together, the seconds exchanged rapid signals, and agreed that the conditions were favorable for the contest. “ Ready!"—a pause—“Fire!”—nobody hit. “Reload and repeat— quick!” Bang! When the smoke cleared away, M. Remonin looked over the side of the car and saw his opponent’s balloon rushing downward with frightful rapidity. His shot had pierced the gas-bag, and the violent outrush of gas had torn open the whole side of the fabric, and a general smash of the occupants of the car seemed inevitable. However, the bag, suddenly loosening itself from below, gathered upward ‘ in the netting like a parachute, the terrific descent of the machine was arrested, and M. DeCourcy and his friendß reached the earth with no further damage than a sousing in a small brook. They landed within a kilometer of the place of ascension. M. Remonin and his friends, however, were wafted in the direction of Tours, and a freshening of the wind made their situation somewhat more difficult and perilous. However, they managed at length to anohor, and got out of the car witirnothing worse than a few bruises. The affair was the talk of Paris for a week afterward. Both principals ana seconds declared themselves satisfied, and there was no renewal of hostilities. Aeronautical duels have the advantage of removing the affair from everybody’s jurisdiction to a region, in fact, where writs Sire inoperative and Sheriffs harmless. — N. Y. World.