Louis Capazza
Encyclopedia
Louis Henri Capazza was a French semi-professional balloonist. He was born in Bastia
, Corsica
on January 17, 1862. He lived in Belgium
from 1892-1898 then emigrated to the USA in about 1920. He died on December 28, 1928 in Paris
after contracting pneumonia in Addis Ababa
, Ethiopia
.
, France; he made more than 35 balloon ascents in his lifetime. He was also a pilot of the airship
"Lebaudy" in France.
He made many flights between 1891-92 in Britain and 1893-94 in France. He designed a "flying saucer" shaped airship and was the inventor of a parachute in which he made two jumps.
During a flight attempt in August 1892 at the Welsh Harp
, England, the balloon slipped out of the net, and launched without him. The crowd turned into an angry mob, and tried to kill him.
On a flight in 1892 he used a unique balloon which utilised a large parachute in place of the traditional net. He launched from the Villette Gas Works, the balloon was purposely ripped in flight, allowing him to descend safely.
On November 14, 1899 he made the first balloon crossing of the Mediterranean Sea in "Gabizos" with a 21 year old companion, Alphonse Fondère. He launched from Marseille at 04.30 and landed five and a half hours later in Appietto
, Corsica.
On a flight attempt on May 7, 1903 his balloon caught fire on inflation.
On October 26, 1910 he was the first person to cross the English Channel
in an airship. He started from Harvest (Seine-et-Oise) and piloted the airship (of which he was also the engineer) across the Channel where he landed in Aldershot
.
Noticed by Savorgnan de Brazza during its rise of 1886, Capazza became one of his best collaborators and was one of the founders of French Congo
. He excelled in all his various endeavours - as a courageous explorer, administrator of territories, organiser of large business firms or banking, of mining railway companies and financial adviser in Morocco
.
He was successively named member of the Council of the French Bank of Africa, then Superior council of the colonies and moreover administrator of the company Radio-France. He played even a certain diplomatic part, especially in 1911, at the time of the Franco-German disagreement in Morocco; according to Mr. François Berger, then secretary of the Commission of the Senate he deployed in this business “of marvellous qualities.” He also suggested exchanging a territory of Means-Congo against the German rights to Morocco and was thus at the origin of the treaty which avoided the war.
In 1925, the Grand Prix town of Paris decreed upon him ‘Officer of the Legion of Honour’, vice-president of the French Association of aerial navigation.
In Marseilles, on the edge of the Saint-Michel plain, an inscription, due to the Botinelly sculptor and the architect Manor house, was dedicated to the glory of the two travellers by the care of the ministry for the Air, of the General advice of the Rhone delta, the Flying-club of France and the municipalities of Ajaccio, Bastia, Marseilles on November 16, 1930.
Bastia
Bastia is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It is also the second-largest city in Corsica after Ajaccio and the capital of the department....
, Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
on January 17, 1862. He lived in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
from 1892-1898 then emigrated to the USA in about 1920. He died on December 28, 1928 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
after contracting pneumonia in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
.
Ballooning accomplishments
His first balloon ascent was on November 14, 1886 above Bastia and Ajaccio on board his own balloon "Gabizos". His first balloon flight and para-descent was made in 1892 from VilletteVillette
-Places:Villette or La Villette is the name or part of the name of several places in Europe:-France:*Villette, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département*Villette, in the Yvelines département*Villette-d'Anthon, in the Isère département...
, France; he made more than 35 balloon ascents in his lifetime. He was also a pilot of the airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
"Lebaudy" in France.
He made many flights between 1891-92 in Britain and 1893-94 in France. He designed a "flying saucer" shaped airship and was the inventor of a parachute in which he made two jumps.
During a flight attempt in August 1892 at the Welsh Harp
Brent Reservoir
The Brent Reservoir is a reservoir which straddles the boundary between the London boroughs of Brent and Barnet and is owned by British Waterways...
, England, the balloon slipped out of the net, and launched without him. The crowd turned into an angry mob, and tried to kill him.
On a flight in 1892 he used a unique balloon which utilised a large parachute in place of the traditional net. He launched from the Villette Gas Works, the balloon was purposely ripped in flight, allowing him to descend safely.
On November 14, 1899 he made the first balloon crossing of the Mediterranean Sea in "Gabizos" with a 21 year old companion, Alphonse Fondère. He launched from Marseille at 04.30 and landed five and a half hours later in Appietto
Appietto
Appietto is a commune in the Corse-du-Sud department of France on the island of Corsica.-Geography:Appietto is located 17 km from Ajaccio, and stretches from the Gozzi mount to the coastline of the Gulf of Lava...
, Corsica.
On a flight attempt on May 7, 1903 his balloon caught fire on inflation.
On October 26, 1910 he was the first person to cross the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in an airship. He started from Harvest (Seine-et-Oise) and piloted the airship (of which he was also the engineer) across the Channel where he landed in Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
.
Career
He originally studied at college as a professional engineer and worked as a Traffic Superintendent for French Railways. In 1883, he entered the Service of the Geological Survey to study the problems relating to the installation of the railway network of Corsica.Noticed by Savorgnan de Brazza during its rise of 1886, Capazza became one of his best collaborators and was one of the founders of French Congo
French Congo
The French Congo was a French colony which at one time comprised the present-day area of the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and the Central African Republic...
. He excelled in all his various endeavours - as a courageous explorer, administrator of territories, organiser of large business firms or banking, of mining railway companies and financial adviser in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
He was successively named member of the Council of the French Bank of Africa, then Superior council of the colonies and moreover administrator of the company Radio-France. He played even a certain diplomatic part, especially in 1911, at the time of the Franco-German disagreement in Morocco; according to Mr. François Berger, then secretary of the Commission of the Senate he deployed in this business “of marvellous qualities.” He also suggested exchanging a territory of Means-Congo against the German rights to Morocco and was thus at the origin of the treaty which avoided the war.
Honours
He received the Croix de Ghevalier de son ordre, from King Leopold II of Belgium for research on balloon safety.In 1925, the Grand Prix town of Paris decreed upon him ‘Officer of the Legion of Honour’, vice-president of the French Association of aerial navigation.
Commemorative plaques
There are two plaques commemorating Capazza's achievement of his Mediterranean Sea crossing. In Corsica, a monument was inaugurated on October 28, 1928 with the collar of San Bastiano, in the presence of Mr. Landry, president of the General advice.In Marseilles, on the edge of the Saint-Michel plain, an inscription, due to the Botinelly sculptor and the architect Manor house, was dedicated to the glory of the two travellers by the care of the ministry for the Air, of the General advice of the Rhone delta, the Flying-club of France and the municipalities of Ajaccio, Bastia, Marseilles on November 16, 1930.