New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-19
WAS THIS THE AIR-SHlP
TUE CAPTAIN OF A PILoT-BoAT THINKS HE
SAW II.

TT SIGHTED BALLOON AT SEA-1I ""' N
..v.v from ITS CAR BEFORE HIS VESSEL
ooryn REACH 1r-HoGAN PROBABLY
pRowNED-RHoDE ISLAND FEofLH
THOUGHT THEY SAW CAMP
pr11,s CONTINUANCE PASS
OVER PROVIDENCE.
=, .on.hilitv.. the first definite news OF
e,.,os~or pe,er c. Campbelrs air ship, IN which
- y ID Hogan sailed away on tuesday,
.,as h,ouobt by Captain Phelan, of the pilot-boat
GO which arrived at this port yesterday
ain1 CAPTAIN Phelan said TO Tribune re-
-. ,hat there WAS little doubt in his mind that
hod been within a short distance of the air
lii About $50 D. N. on Tuesday when l5O
.,iIss soptb-southeast of Sandy Hook, and run
ming before stiff north-nOrthwest breeze blowing
about twenty-five miles an hour, the look
ont on the Caprice sighted two
scbooners, one of which was three
masted. and lying between them was peculiar
looking object, whose outlines were at first in
distinct. One of the two schooners, said the
captain. was to leeward of the object which re-
sembled at the distance of ten miles square
riorer. and was beNrng northward in the direction
Of Vineyard Sound, while the other was steering
soutbeasterly in the line toward Bermuda. Cap
tain Phehn gave orders TO change the course OF
his boat in the direction of the object.
About half-past 6 o'clock they were near enough
% see that it was balloon between fifty and
sixty feet in diameter, then lying in longitude
20 degrees 80 minutes and latitude 80 degrees
so minutes 1t began to grow dark" continued
the pilot, and, as we feared that some person
was in danger of drowning, we put
on extra sail and went rapidly over
the water. l had determined TO bnns
the balloon to New-YorlS, and got out the guns
ready to put hole through it in order to let the
gas escape As we approached more closely 1t
was seen to be struggling hard with its car, to
which it was attached by number OF ropes
few minutes before o'clock however, the officers
of nv vessel were surprised to see the balloon
cease its fluttering part from the car and assum-
ing a pumplxin-lkc shape, shoot far up Elto the
air and start off in a southerly direction 1t was
soon met, however, by the north northwest wlnd
and hurled off toward the east-southeast with great
veocity.
About a quarter of an hour after the separation
the Caprice arrived at the place where the car
had been left, but sign OF IL could
be found We examined the water
carefully, but we were unable TO find any part
of the car If Professor Hogan was on board
when the balloon started off from the car he was
sibiity that the Car foatcd about IN the neigh
borhood, however 1t was dark and the swell was
high, so that the car might have been concealed
between the waves. We heard no cries, although
We remained in the neighborhood fully half an
hour 1t is not likely, either, that the schooner
could have rescued Professor Hogan, as it would
have signalled me in that case
Mr. Campbell, the inventor of the aIr-ship,
had not given up all hope last night of still see
ing Professor Hogan alye.--lIe thought that there
was bare possibility that the bal
loon seen by Captain Phcan not
the tne N which Professor Hogan made his ascent.
The receptacle Tor the gas in Mr. Campbels Ship
occupies horizontal position. and is the shape OF
an elongated egg lie had obtained drawing Of
the balloon seen by Captain Phelan, and III this
the eas-bag was IN perpendlcqlar position, as III
ordinary balloons. Mr.. Campbell said he was
unable TO explain this discrepancy If the two
balloons were identical. He SAID, too, that be
had heard rumOrs of balloon being seen near
Providence, and thought that this might be his
missing airship. lie admitted, however, that his
grounds for hope were slight.
e was much opposed to having Professor Hogan
make tie ascent when he did said Mr.. Campbell,
" and l had urged him TO wait un-
I'll the ship could be put in proper
a large crowd of people in New York who had
gathered to see him 90 up, the balloon not filling
with gas properly, and on Tuesday morning he
said that his reputation was at stake and he
was bound 10 make an ascent. Ills plan was 10
sail over TO Jersey City. then back again over
the newspaper offices in New York, and SO return
to Brooklyn. lie was so eager TO be oil that he
did not stop to get parachute, and the ship was
not in good order for an ascent. Being without
a parachute, when the propeller dropped of he
had but one way to get down-tO pull slender
rope and let the gas escape. If the rope broke
with sudden pulI-and I'm afraid that is what
ha M hS ne was was h&fPeS & and would drift
Professor +. ID. Hogan was well known among
aeronauts, and had been engaged IN this perilous
occupation for twen1y-three years. lie was born
in MofetOwn, Canada, III s52, but when still
boy his parents went TO jackson. Mich, where |
be has since lived. He made his first ascent in !
O balloon when only fourteen years old, and at
once became fascinated with his air-smp He |
has made ascents during every summer from that
time to the present his winters being occupied in
making preparations for his summer engagements
He was one Of the first TO dis |
card the cumbersome which early
aeronauis used and 10 use simply a slender
iron bar, on which he was accustomed 20 per- |
form gymnastic feats when some distance from the
ground lie made his first descent from balloon |
with parachute al Jackson, Mich, on April 4,
1855 The feat, which entirely successful, |
was witnessed by large number of newspaper
men, and reports of il were widely published at
the time. During s8s he made twenty-nine de
scents with his parachute being "a part of the !
time at Coney Island He was solidly built
man OF medium size, and was quiet and unas-
sumlng IN manner. He married III S72 Miss |
children.
Providence II. L., July 1s-A big balloon passed |
over TINS city about o'clock last evening head /
ihg IN a direction that would have brought it over
Bnzzards BAY or Vineyard Sound in an hour or
two. a great MANY people here believed that the |
balloon was the missing Campbell air-shp as no |
ascenSions are known TO have been made in this |
region.
THE CREW OF WATERLO LOGGED SHIP RESCUED |
The bark Belt, of Windsor Nova Scotia Captain
Munro arrived here yesterday from London with tbo
rev Of the bark Cupido, which had been abandoned
In waterogged condition on June % in latj,udc