MISCELLANY. 



245 



tory Primers). Pp. 127. New York : Mac- 

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Spectroscopic Examination of Gases 

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Tiie Past and Future of Geology. By 

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Possibility and Probability of Super- 

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Philadelphia School of Anatomy. By 

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Causes of Irregularity in Development 

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MISCELLANY. 



Disastrous Balloon Ascent. On the 18th 

 of April the balloon Zenith made an as- 

 cension from Paris, carrying three aeronauts, 

 Messrs. Gaston Tissandier, Sivel, and Croce- 

 Spinelli. All three were aeronauts of long 

 experience, and qualified in every way for 

 making accurate scientific observations on 

 the meteorological phenomena of the upper 

 strata of the atmosphere. They carried with 

 them a full set of such philosophical instru- 

 ments as would be of service in ascertaining 

 elevations, constitution of the atmosphere, 

 temperatures, and the like. They carried al- 

 so a supply of pure oxygen, for use when the 

 air should be found too rare to support res- 

 piration. Having risen to the height of 

 7,000 metres (22,960 feet), Tissandier ob- 

 served that his companions looked pale ; he 

 himself felt weak, but refreshed himself by 

 inhaling a little of the oxygen. Sivel soon 

 after threw out ballast, and the balloon 

 commenced to ascend rapidly. All at once 

 Tissandier was so feeble that he could not 

 even turn his head ; he tried to seize the 

 oxygen tube, but was unable ; his mind still 

 lucid. Looking at the barometer he saw 

 that it indicated an elevation of 8,000 

 metres (26,240 feet), but he had not the 

 strength to call the attention of the others 

 to the fact. He soon after fell into a sort 

 of swoon, but twenty minutes later revived 

 for a moment, finding the balloon descend- 

 ing rapidly. Sivel and Croce were now 

 lying at the bottom of the car insensible. 

 Again he sank fainting, and a few minutes 

 later found himself shaken by the arms, 

 and, looking up, recognized Croce, who told 

 him to throw out ballast, for the balloon 

 was descending at a very rapid rate. 



Croce now unfastened the aspirator and 

 threw it out, as also some ballast, extra 

 wraps, and the like. This caused the bal- 

 loon again to ascend, and Tissandier relapsed 

 once more into insensibility. On recover- 

 ing consciousness, he found the car rushing 



