Joseph Crocé-Spinelli

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Joseph Crocé-Spinelli

Joseph Crocé-Spinelli (born July 10, 1845 in Monbazillac , † April 15, 1875 at Ciron ) was a French inventor and balloon pioneer.

Life

Crocé-Spinellis and Sivels grave in the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris

The cousin of the composer Bernard Crocé-Spinelli served in the 221st Battalion during the Franco-Prussian War . After the war he worked as an inventor and developed a. a. a water bike and an electric wheelchair before turning to ballooning.

In order to research the physical and chemical composition of the atmosphere, Crocé-Spinelli completed a total of four ascents to great heights. During his first ascent with Alphonse Pénaud in 1873, which was used to test observation methods and instruments, he reached an altitude of 4,300 meters. In the following year, he reached an altitude of 7,300 meters on his first ascent with Théodore Sivel , using pure oxygen and a nitrogen-oxygen mixture for breathing. During this trip, they measured an air temperature of −24 ° C and observed physical reactions to the thin atmosphere, such as a greatly increased pulse and discoloration of the face and mucous membranes.

In 1875 two ascents followed with the 3,000 m³ Zenith balloon , in which, in addition to Crocé-Spinelli and Sivel, the scientist and aviation pioneer Gaston Tissandier also took part. On the second ascent on April 15, 1875, they reached the then unheard-of height of 8,600 meters. Here Crocé-Spinelli and Sivel suffered asphyxia , and Tissandier also lost consciousness. When he woke up again at an altitude of 6,000 meters, he found both of them motionless and determined that they were dead after landing near Ciron in the Indre department .

A public subscription in favor of the Crocé-Spinelli and Sivel families brought in more than 90,000 francs. Both were buried together in the Père-Lachaise cemetery under a sculpture by Alphonse Dumilatre with great public sympathy .