418 The Wreck of "Santos Dumont No. 6" 



he himself took the steam launch to follow and, if necessary, 

 assist the balloon. The excursion was quite successful, the 

 balloon proceeding very rapidly towards Cap Martin ; it turned, 

 however, at about half-way and came back, being brought to 

 land without accident. The balloon pitched much less than on 

 the previous occasion. 



On Friday, the I4th, at half-past one, M. Santos Dumont 

 telephoned to the Palace that he was going out at a quarter to 

 two. The Prince had already put all the resources of his yacht, 

 and especially her boats, at M. Dumont's service for his 

 assistance and in case of accident. On each occasion when the 

 balloon went out the steam launch and two of the other boats 

 of the "Princesse Alice" had attended it. While the yacht is 

 lying at Monaco the steam launch is not in daily use, and, 

 although a new boat of the latest type, something more than 

 a quarter of an hour is required for her to get steam. That 

 this did not naturally occur to M. Santos Dumont is his good 

 fortune, not his fault. He is young enough to have made his 

 first really intimate personal acquaintance with prime movers 

 in the form of the modern moteur a petrole of high velocity, 

 which starts from cold by turning a handle. We do not at 

 once realize what this new departure means. 



Orders were telephoned to the yacht to get up steam in 

 the launch with all speed, and to send one of the whale-boats 

 to take up a position outside the harbour. Owing to engage- 

 ments the Prince was not able to follow the manoeuvres himself. 

 Captain Carr took charge of the launch, and I was able to 

 accompany him. 



Very fortunately, as it turned out, the balloon did not appear 

 outside the hangar or shed (Plate I, Fig. i) until half-past 2. By 

 this time the launch had plenty of steam, and she proceeded at 

 once in the direction of the probable track of the balloon. After 

 a short delay the balloon started (Fig. 2) and proceeded rapidly 

 towards the entrance of the bay, pitching heavily. Arrived 

 abreast of the pigeon-shooting ground, the pitching became 

 more violent and the balloon rose, taking the guide-rope, 

 which usually trails on the surface of the water, entirely out 

 of the water and to a height of 50 yards or more above it. 



