964 Summary and Conclusions 



during the expedition, and tell what he knows of the death of his 

 unfortunate and glorious friends .... 



At 4300 meters, we begin to breathe oxygen, not because we feel 

 as yet the need of resorting to the gaseous mixture, but merely be- 

 cause we wish to convince ourselves that our apparatuses, so well 

 arranged by M. Limousin, according to the proportions specified by M. 

 Bert, are functioning properly. 



I should say that my dear and regretted Croce-Spinelli had in- 

 sisted energetically that I should take part in the high elevation 

 ascension that he was at first to make with Sivel alone. M. Herve- 

 Mangon, president of the Society of Aerial Navigation, and M. Hureau 

 de Villeneuve, secretary general, did not approve this project, simply 

 because they feared, I hasten to add, that Sivel would be deprived of 

 the necessary amount of ballast, since my presence would cause its 

 amount to be lessened. However these gentlemen yielded to the in- 

 sistence of Croce-Spinelli. Who could have resisted the charm of his 

 captivating speech and his gaze? "My friend Tissandier", said Croce 

 to me a few days before the first ascension of the Zenith, "don't worry, 

 you shall go with us. I won't leave you behind", he added, embrac- 

 ing me. "It takes three to make a high elevation ascension to verify 

 the results. And who knows? Something might happen. Six arms 

 are better than four! Besides, you must breathe oxygen in the upper 

 strata to bear witness with us that it is both effective and necessary." 



Croce-Spinelli had an ardent love for the truth, and was so frank 

 and loyal that he could not permit anyone to doubt his statements. 

 At the height of 7000 meters, at 1:20, I breathed the mixture of air 

 and oxygen, and felt my whole being, already oppressed, revive un- 

 der the action of this cordial; at 7000 meters, I wrote in my notebook 

 the following lines: I breathe oxygen. Excellent effect. 



At this height, Sivel, who had unusual strength and a sanguine 

 temperament, began to close his eyes at times, to grow drowsy, and 

 to become a little pale. But this valiant soul did not long abandon 

 itself to weakness: he drew himself up with an expression of firm- 

 ness; he had me empty the liquid contained in my aspirator after 

 my experiment, and he threw out ballast to reach loftier heights. 

 The year before, Sivel had reached 7300 meters with Croce-Spinelli. 

 This year he wanted to mount to 8000 meters, and when Sivel used his 

 will-power, it took very great obstacles to hinder his designs. 



Croce-Spinelli had for some time been consulting the spectro- 

 scope. He seemed to be beaming with joy, and had already cried: 

 "There is complete absence of the lines of water vapor." Then, after 

 having uttered these words, he continued his observations with such 

 ardor that he begged me to write in my notebook the result of his 

 thermometer and barometer readings. 



During this rapid ascent, in the midst of numerous occupations, 

 it was difficult for us to give to physiological observations the at- 

 tention they required. We were saving our strength in this regard for 

 the time when we should have entered the upper regions, without 

 suspecting the fatal outcome which was to paralyze our efforts. It 

 was possible for us, however, to obtain the following results, which 

 we take from the notebooks: 



