Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-04
WOODARD'S BIG BALLOON
THE VENTURA AERONAUT WILL
MAKE AN ASCENT HERE.
He Expects to Go to the Atlantic
Coast Tomorrow Evening San
Diego Gas Was Too
Heavy for Him.

R. ]. Woodard, the aeronaut, will
make another endeavor to traverse that
section of the world lying between the
Pacific coast and the Atlantic ocean, in
balloon. This time he ia to start from
Los Angeles, and unless the present
plans arranged are changed he will make
the ascension Friday evening, at 5
O'Clock, from Athletic park, at the cor
ner Of Seventh and Alameda streets.
Prof. Woodland is very peculiar man
in many ways. In the first place he is a
well-to-do Ventura county farmer. and
no reason exists why he should desire to
quit this vale of tears. He is at peace
with the world, and is in a position to
enjoy all of its pleasures. Yet it cannot
be denied that in making the excursion
he contemplates, there is more or less
peril attached.
When person puts 5000 cubic feet of
gas in silk balloon and starts off, ex-
pecting to make journey of 5000 miles,
there is strong probability that he
will not again be seen in the flesh. The
professor, though, has considered all OF
this, and he does not seem to be at all
troubled about the risk. He is deter
mined to make the experiment, and
will start off on his second trip Friday
evening.
The professor shuns ali newspaper no.
toriety. He carefully avoids any pub
licity in making his ascensions. In fact
he did not announce his arrival in Los
Angeles to make the necessary prepara-
tons to go on tour among the clouds.
He even did not stop at a hotel, but put
up with some friends, 30 that he could
not be found by the reporters.
A HERALD representative learned that
the gentleman was in the city, but all
endeavors to get ali interview with him
failed. TIE professor does not care
what the newspapers call him. They
can say that he is a crank or anything
else they want TO. He is going to try
and get to the Atlantic coast in balloon
Just the same.
Arrangements have been made with
the Los Angeles Illuminating company
for 5000 cubic feet of gas. This quantity
will be taken out of the tank, at the cor
ner of Alameda and Seventh streets,
where the Lowe gas works plant was.
The gas will be run from the Seventh
street main through into the baseball
park. There it will be put into the
balloon and from the park the professor
is to make the ascension.
The professors first ascension was
made from San Diego about three weeks
ago. He succeeded in getting his balloon
up out of sight at that time. For
while it sailed out on the ocean, but
when up quite distance, the course of
the balloon changed to the east. 1t was
then announced by experts that the
professor would never be heard of
again. Nevertheless he turned up all
right and will now 60 it again. After
the balloon got about forty-fve miles
from San Diego it came down.
The professor thinks that the failure
of the balloon to continue on its east
ward course is due to the fact that the
gas manufactured at San Diego was too
heavy. The gas here is lighter. It Ia
one-haH coal and one-halt water gas.
II he could procure the old water gas
that was made by Prof. loves company,
he thinks he could easily reach the At
lantic coast.