The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-04-11
VOYAGINGIN THESKY
RALLooNlNG WITH PROPER CARE IS
NOT DANGEROUS.

Shaping Ones Course by weights and Ba
neutrality-suspicious. Of Mr.. and Mr..
Carl E. Myers-Playing shutslscock BE
tween Two Thunderclonds.
Among the very few people who hav,
reduced aerial navigation to anythin.
like an exact science, are Mr.. and Mrs
Carl E. Myers, who are now living OF
Reid avenue, Brooklyn. BY d series O
experiments stretching over d period O.
more than 16 years they have learned
to manage and guide u balloon will
approximately the same accuracy that 9
sailor employs in guiding q shin, tn,
only element of uncertainty being the
weather. A reporter called on the
Myerses a few days ago to learn some OF
their experiences and adventures in
cloudland.
He found them not at all like what
one would expect of people who pass q
large portion of their lives in D most
perilous occupation. Mr.. Myers is a
slender, rather short man about 40 years
old, with black side whiskers, the face
of a scholar and a benevolent expires
sion. Mrs. Myers, who was formerly
known professionally as Carlotta, is a
sweet faced woman, with keen gray
eyes, wavy brown hair and a bright,
eager manner in conversation. She
looks to be about SO years old. She does
not now make ascensions, having
stopped in 1891, but she helps her hus-
band in his experiments at his farm at
Mohawk, N. Y. In her career she has
made more than 500 ascensions. Mr..
Myers has been up among the clouds So
times himself and has superintendent up
ward of 1900 aerial excursions. For
observational purposes and in pursuance
OF his studies in me~teorology he still
makes his dangerous trips, although
indeed both he and his wife maintain
that ballooning, when carefully con-
Quoted, is not q dangerous occupation.
Neither of them has ever been injured.
ITO an experienced aeronaut, " says
Mr.. Myers, the danger is really no
greater than that of sailing In a small
boat. 1t is possible to navigate a bal
loon by taking advantage of the differ
ent air currents, and in going down the
b%alloonist a steer by weights on the
same principle as steering a n by
leaning to n side or the other. The
platform on which the aeronaut stands
serves as the rudder, and by throwing
his weight to n side or the other and
thus slanting the platform he can guide
himself. Of course his rising and fall
Ing are controlled by the valves and the
sandbags."
In illustration of this Mr.. Myers told
how his wife once followed q course
mapped out for her by Peter G. Camp
bell OF Brooklyn, who built the airship
in which Ed Hogan went ont to sea and
was lost four years age. Mr.. Campbell
challenged Mrs. Myers to start from
East New York, 60 TO the city hall in
Brooklyn, thence up the river, across
New York and to the Pennsylvania sta
ton in New Jersey, to the city hall iu
Jersey City, and finally to land in Sc
caucus. She made the trip In less than
an hour, and Mn. Campbell gave her d
handsome gold badge as q memento.
There are two or three rules always
to be observed in managing a balloon, y
continued Mr.. Myers. First, be sure
that everything Is taut and shipshape;
secondly, don't try to estimate distances
for yourself-they are extremely decep-
tive when You are in the air. Refer 10 |
the barometer, which is the aeronautss
compass, always. The most important |
rnle of all is, Never give up the ship.
No matter what happens, as long az
there is anything left of your balloon
you are still fastened to 1T, you've
got a chance"
Have you eve had any unpleasant
experiencesf'' asked the reporter.
Mrs. Myers has had more expert
snces than / have"
Being appealed to, Mrs. Myers, after
minute of thought, said: "a very pc
culiar aerial adventure / once had was
Stafford Springs, Conn, where
thunderclouds played battledoor
and shuttlecock with me and my bal
loon. Usually / experience no dificul-
hes with electric clouds. Their terrors
diminish as you approach them, and
actually among them the danger
slight, Ii IL exists at all. In this In
stance, however, / got between an up-
per cloud and lower cloud, both heav.
ly charged. / and my balloon acted an
! conductor between them. First, ]
would go up to the upper cloud and be-
ZONE charged with electricity and then
repelled to the lower cloud, only to
recharged and bounced back to the
upper again. ! played this elevator
game IL times before the clouds got
matters adjusted to their satisfaction.
Then they let me go unhurt, but pretty
BADLY frightened by being made the
,laything of such gigantic powers.
Another experience, more common
% ~balloonists and more dangerous. /
had on the occasion of the first trial at
natural gas for ascension in 1883 al
franklin, Pa" continued Mrs. Myers.
The balloon was filled hur-iedly. and
some way the balloon cloth rot
:aught yer the valve, closing IL.
vent up too rapidly and tried to open
he valve, but broke the cord. In such
;ase there 10 but one thing to do-knot
he ropes and keep the balloon from ex-