The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-05-02
yOYAGlNG II THESKY
5AGLooNlNG WITH PROPER CARE Is
NOT DANGEROUS.


Carl Il. Myers Playing shuttleeock he
tween Two Thnnderclouds-
Among the very few people who have
reduced aerial navigation 10 anything
bike an exact science are Mr.. and Mrs.
Carl E. Myers. who are now living on
Reid avenue, Brooklyn. BY a series Of
experiments stretching over a period OF
more than Is years they have learned
70 manage and guide a balloon with
approxi1p atsly the same accuracy that a
sailor employs IN guiding a ship, the
only element of uncertainty being the
weather. a reporter called on the
MyeTses few days ago TO learn some Of
their experiences and adventures III
cloudland.
He found them not at all like what
one would expect Of people who pass a
large portion OF their lives Ia a most
pefiloas occupation. Mr.. Myers Is a
slender, rather short man about 40 years
old, with black side whiskeTs, the face
OF a scholar and benevolent express
sion. Mrs. Myers. who was formerly
known professionally as Carlotta, Is a
sweet faced woman, with keen gray
eyes, wayy brown hair and a bright,
eager manner IN conversation. She
looks TO be about SO years old. She does
net now make ascepsions, having
stopped IN 1891, but she helps her has~
band IN his experiments at his farm ar
Mohawk, y. Y. La her career she has
made more than 500 ascensions. Mr..
Myers has been up among the clouds %
times himself and has superintendent up
ward OF I, 200 aerial excursions. For
observatlonal purposes and IN pursuance
of his studies in meteorology he still
makes his dangerous trips, although
indeed beth he and his wife maintain
thar ballooning, when carefully con-
ducted, is not dangerous occupation
Neither OF them has ever been injured.
To an experienced aeronaut, says
Mr. Myers, the danger Is really no
greater than thac OF sailing II a small
boat It is possible To navigate Dali
loon by taking advantage or the diner
emit air currents, and III going down the
balloonist can steer by weights on the
same principle as steering canoe by
leaning to one side or the other. The
platform on which the aeronaut stands
serves as the rudder, and by throwing
his weight 20 one side or the other aud
thus slanting the platform he can guide
himself. Or course his rising and fall
ing are controlled by the valves and the
sandbags.
T, illustration Of this Mr.. Myers told
how his wife once followed a course
mapped cut for her by Peter c. Camp
bell Of BROOKLYN, who built the aIrshlp
IN which Ed Hogan went out to sea and
was lost four years ago. Dir. Campbell
challenged Mrs. Myers co start from
East New York, 60 to the city hall N
Brooklyn. thence up. the river. across
New York and 10 the Pennsylvania sta
ton IN New Jersey, To the city hall n
Jersey City, and finally TO land IN Sc
caucus. She made the trip IN less than
an hour. and Mr. Campbell gave her a
handsome gold badge as j memenEu.
There are two or three rules always
I'd be observed IN managing balloon
continued Mr.. Myers First. be sure
that everything d taur and shIpshape
secondly, don t try 10 estimate distances
for yourSeIf-they ara extremely decep-
tive when you are II the air. Refer tc
the barometer which Is the aeronauT
compass, always The most important
r11Ie CT all IS Never give up the ship
No matter what happens. as long a;
there Is anything left of your balloon
and you ara still fastened 20 IT. you "
got chance
Have you ever hid any unpleasant
exueriencesg' asked tie reporter.
Mrs Myers has had more expert
enees than have"
Being appealed 20, Mrs. Myers, aftsl
arminr1te of thought, said: \ very pc
r 4 49,
over Stafford Springs. Conn, wher'
Two tIlundo1cIouds played bartledoo
aud shuttlecoek with me and my bal
Ioi3n. Usually experience no difficult
ties with electric clouds. Their terror'
diminish as you approach them, ant
when actually among them the DANCE
IL slight. It It exists at all. IN this IA
stance, however, I got between an up
per cloud and a lower cloud, both heav
IIv charged { and my balloon acted al
a conductor between them. First
yvould go NJ. to the upper cloud and De
come charged with electricity and thel
be repealed 70 the lower cloud, only {
ha racharrea and bounced back 60 th
upper again I played this elevate
game II times before the clouds 60
matters adjusted TO their Satisfaction
Then they let me go unhurt, but prett
badly frightened by being made IN
playtfling of such gigantic powers.
Another experience, more common
10 baIIoonists and moro dangerous,
had on the occasion Of the first trial Q
natural gas for ascension in 1893 a
Franklin. continued Hrs. Myers
THE balloon was flied hurrfedly, an
II. SOME way the balloon cloth 81
..anui,t over the valve, closing it.
vent up too. rapidly and t4ied TO ope
tl,e valve. but broke the cord. In such
case there is but one thing to do-kIac
the ropes and keep the balloon from eS
banding TO its full extent. Under ora
nary conditions n balloon half tut 2