|
|
Collection of Eugen Kralcak, 5-1-06 |
|
Collection of Eugen Kralcak, 5-1-06 English Version My name is Eugen Kralcak. I live in the village of Preselany. in Slovakia. I was born in Zazriva, a village in Slovakia in the Orava locality. I read on your site the interesting story about French pilot Alfred Leblanc, competitor in the Gordon Bennett race 1909. The Ile de France, Leblanc's balloon, flew over our village of Zazriva on 4.10.1909 .My uncle Ondrej Kralcak, 1900 to 1978, had been an eyewitness to the flight his balloon and his landing. He was eight years old that time. He saw the balloon fly over the settlement of Plesiva, in the locality of Ziar , toward Kozinska and near the Kozinec mountain which been the final landing place of their balloon. Ondrej Kralcak reminisced and talked with me many times about this story. He said the crew in the balloon basket in-flight shouted the words: "retaa, retaa", ("grab on, grab on!"), There were lines hanging from the balloon. One line had been taken way over through the shoulders of a woman, who crouched down as if she were digging potatoes. Crew members were flung out of the basket. He talked about it, explaining that it was a balloon, not an airship. He hasn't seen the one moment when both basket. He saw the balloon fly right into the Kozinec hill, near the settlement of Kozinska. There it became trapped in beech grove. In a few moments, the balloon came loose. All of the instruments, documents and equipment, including pistols, were later found by a shepherd from a nearby sheep farm who then delivered them to the local public notary. Hungarian newspapers at that time reported that the balloon had been violently robbed at pistol point by citizens from the village of Zazriva. That was a lie!!! I I have sent two photographs to you. Number 1 is of the eyewitness Ondrej Kralcak Number 2 is of the Kozinec hill where the balloon was trapped, before it disappeared into the clouds. Thank you. |
 |
|
Collection of Eugen Kralcak, 5-1-06 |
 |
|
Eugen, his wife Martha and her sister Daniela Behind is the Beech grove which trapped Leblanc's balloon. The Kozinec Hill is seen in the background. Collection of Eugen Kralcak, 5-6-06 |
 |
|
Kneeling: Paul & Jarmila Collection of Eugen Kralcak, 5-6-06 |
|