Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-15

Lively Ending Of . BALBOA Exeursien
From the San Francisco Alta
me racing balloonists ]. II. Whiteside and
r. A. Van Tassell, both had lively experiences
after getting out Of sight OF tie Woodward'i
gardens audience. Sunday afternoon, and tha
ootn were not Killed IL almost a miracle Pro
iessor Whiteside is disabled with broken LEI
ana oadIy cut hands, and Van Tasoell will re
Quire week or two to fecuperate nom tn,
ducking he received in the bay. The former
having much the larger balloon in the Eclipse
was handicapped by a passenger, Mr.. Charlei
/ Nye, VINO escaped the perilous voyage with q
lew nasty bruises. The terms of the race were
snat the purse was to be awarded to the nayi
| gators Oh Inc balloon covering the longest dis
lance, and, consequently, neither chose any
particular pa, course, but merely hunted the swift
est current when the Eclipse got away she
CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 500 FEET
before Whiteside could get rid of enough
| gas to check her ascent and allow him to gel
| oeiow the level that was carrying him ocean
ward The city of London, occupied only by
van Tasseil, seemed to chase the Eclipse up
current was encountered that carried It south.
waI4. me Two aeronauts, contrary to the gen.
eral belief on the part Of the common mortala
each other. Each went over good deal Of the
same ground, but were still separated by diff
shore Of the bay while sSe
Clty OF London took course over the middle
o. Ec, the channel: Over Hunters Point the
w h1teside and his companion were so busily
engaged In cursing their luck that they did not
their gas until they again attained an altitude
OF over 5000 feet, and were
SPEEDING oCEANwARD.
80 much gas was expended in getting down
that they come near dropping into the bay, and
ducking was only escaped by the sacrifice OF
the last sack Of ballast: The Alvarado marshes
were crossed at height of less than 200 feet,
and this was OILY kept by a sacrifice of the
lunch basket, a dozen bottles Of soda water and
the basket did not prove fair balance for thu,
huge gas bag, which swayed about in Q most
alarming manner, and on one occasion made q
higher than the escape.valve at the top. 1t
righted equally as sudden, jerking the basket
i IN t place with violence that removed much
OF the cuticle from the voyagers' hands where
they held on to the basket ropes. The balloon
was then very near the ground, and while both
to leap out at Wbitesides Signals another diye
and consequent Jerk threw both out. White
side got fall Of about six feet and
HAD HIS LEFT LEG BROKEN
just above the ankle, but Nye, although tumb-
ling double the distance, escaped with the bad
bruises referred to. The professor hung on to
his collapsing cord, however, and ripped the
balloon wide open, after which 1t bounced
along for nearly q mile before sufficient gas
q
short distance beyond the hill known as Fid-
dlers' Green, Within three miles of Alvarado
and about mile from the farm residence of c.
=. scott. Nye went for assistance, but before
he returned Whiteside had contrived to set the
broken bone unaided. His agony was intense,
and the arrival of Nye with couple of hunters
was gladly hailed. The latter formed q chair
with their gun barrels, and carried the injured
man on 1T until within few hundred yards of
with a cot, on which the remainder of his Jour
ney was completed. Some farm hands packed
up the collapsed balloon, and 1t. with the pro-
lessor, arrived here on yesterday mornings
train, with the broken limb and the satisfaction
Of having beaten Van Tassell as the trophies Of
his cruise.
VAN TAssELL's BATH.
Van Tassell and the city of London had
more exhilarating but less painful experience
He encountered little more breeze in the lower
level, which he chung to, than did Whiteside,
and when the sun got below the western hills
hs with great rsd He
from the basket, but 1t did not avail to keep
him out OF the water, which was encountered
to taking his plunge Van Tasseil stripped i hm
self OF his heavy outer clothing and, rObed in
undershirt and drawers, climbed on the edge OF
the basket. His preparations were barely COM
pleted before he was soused up to the eyes in
the chilly water with a splash that sounded like
ears. Halt strangled and gasping for breath he
came up, only to go under again and again. as
the balloon skinned along at a rate that would
nav WIN VIC <AuucIlCt cup lrOm u WnOic Meet
OF Genestas and Puritans. This lively expert
ence lasted for some ten minutes, during which
time the bay was traversed and the mud-fats
entered; Entire beds Of CLAIMS, hitherto resting
peacefully in their beds OF soft mud were rude
ly disturbed, as the basket plowed its way at
the tail OF the balloon, leaving trail as though
a steamer had cruised inland. Van Tassell was
perfectly helpless during
THIS TERRIBLE RIDE
and could only feebly pull at the valve cord
with the hand that was not occupied in hold
Ing on for dear LIES sake. He finally fetched
solid earth at the plant Of the Pacific Salt CON-
pany's works, near Mt. Eden. There after
battling around among the rocks and brush for
a quarter Of an hour, he managed 10 induce
gang Of Chinese laborers to grab his trailing
anchor line, and by their united weight he was
brought to standstill but not before some of
them had been rudely tumbled over the ground.
A wade of an hour through the mud over the
trail of the balloons flight recovered his shoes
and some OF his clothes, and the professor re.
turned home with no further injuries than
badly cut feet and hands and q cold the result
OF his involuntary bath.
Whiteside won the contest by about seven
miles, ard this result, he said was assured when
he saw Van Tassell strike the bay half a mile
below him.