Decreased Pressure 967 



wards heaven as if to point out the upper regions of the atmosphere. 

 Fig 86 reproduces as exactly as possible the appearance of the basket 

 of the Zenith at this solemn moment. 



But soon I was keeping absolutely motionless, without suspecting 

 that perhaps I had already lost use of my movements. Towards 7500 

 meters, the numbness one experiences is extraordinary. The body and 

 the mind weaken little by little, gradually, unconsciously, without 

 one's knowledge. One does not suffer at all; on the contrary. Gne 

 experiences inner joy, as if it were an effect of the inundating flood 

 of light. One becomes indifferent; one no longer thinks of the perilous 

 situation or of the danger; one rises and is happy to rise. Vertigo of 

 lofty regions is not a vain word. But as far as I can judge by my 

 personal impressions, this vertigo appears at the last moment; it im- 

 mediately precedes annihilation, sudden, unexpected, irresistible. 



When Sivel had cut the three bags of ballast, at the altitude of 

 7450 meters, that is, at the pressure of 300 mm. (that is the last figure 

 I wrote in my notebook), I think I remember that he sat down on 

 the bottom of the basket, and took almost the same position as Croce- 

 Spinelli. As for me, I was leaning in the angle of the basket, where 

 I succeeded in standing only by the help of this support. I soon felt 

 so weak that I could not even turn my head to look at my companions. 



Soon I wanted to seize the oxygen tube, but could not raise my 

 arm. My mind, however, was still very lucid. I was still looking 

 at the barometer; my eyes were fixed on the needle which soon reached 

 the pressure number of 290, then 280, beyond which it passed. 



I wanted to cry out, "We are at 8000 meters!" But my tongue 

 was paralyzed. Suddenly I closed my eyes and fell inert, entirely 

 losing consciousness. It was about 1:30. 



At 2:08, I awoke for a moment. The balloon was descending 

 rapidly. I succeeded in cutting a bag of ballast to check the speed, 

 and in writing in my notebook the following lines, which I copy: 



"We are descending; temperature — 8°; I am throwing out ballast, 

 H = 315 mm. We are descending. Sivel and Croce still unconscious 

 at the bottom of the basket. Descending very rapidly." 



Hardly had I written these lines when a sort of trembling seized 

 me and I fell inanimate again. The wind was blowing violently 

 upward, and indicated a very rapid descent. Some moments after, I 

 felt myself shaken by the arm, and recognized Croce, who had re- 

 vived. "Throw out some ballast", he said to me, "we are descending." 

 But I could hardly open my eyes, and did not see whether Sivel had 

 awakened. 



I remember that Croce had unfastened the aspirator which he 

 threw overboard ,and that he threw out ballast, wraps, etc. All that 

 is an extremely confused memory which soon ended, for I fell back 

 into my inertia still more completely than before, and it seems to me 

 that I went into an eternal sleep. 



What happened? It is certain that the balloon freed of ballast, 

 impermeable as it was and very warm, mounted once more into the 

 upper strata. 



At about 3:30, I opened my eyes again, I felt numb, weak, but 

 my mind was active. The balloon was descending with terrifying 



