The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1894-03-09
VOYAGING IN THE SKY
BALLOONlNG WITH PROPER CARE Is
NOT DANGEROUS.

Among the very few people who have
reduced aerisl navigation to anything
like 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 1G years they have learned
to manage and guide a balloon with
approximately the same accuracy that
sailor employs in guiding a ship, the
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 a
large portion of their lives in a most
perilOus occupation. Mr.. Myers is a
slender, rather short man about 10 years
old, with black side whiskers, the face
Of scholar and benevolent express
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 3G 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, \. \. In her career she has
made more than 800 ascensiOns. Mr..
Myers has been up among the clouds %
times himself and has superintended up
ward of 1900 aerial excursions. Eor
observational purposes and in pursuance
of his studies in meteorology he still
makes his dangerous trips, although
indeed both he and his wife maintain
that ballOOning, when carefully con-
Quoted, is not a dangerous occupation.
Neither of them has ever been injured.
Ito an experienced aeronaut, " says
Mr.. Myers, 1.-The danger is really no
greater than that OF sailing in small
boat. 1t is possible to navigate bal
loon by taking advantage of the differ
ent air currents, and in going down the
ballOOnist can steer by weights on the
same principle as steering a canoe by
leaning TO one side or the other. Tie
serves as the ruddeT, and by throwing
mis- weight to one 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 a course
mapped out for her by Peter G. Camp
bell of Brooklyn, who built the airship
in which Ed Hogan went out to sea and
was lost four years ago. Mr.. Campbell
challenged Mrs. Myers to start from
East New York, go to the city hall in
Brooklyn, thence up the river, across
New York and to the Pennsylvania sta
tiOn in New Jersey, to the city hall in
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 a memento.
"There are two or three rules always
to be observed in managing a balloon"
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 to
the barometer, which is the aeronaut's
compass, always. The most important
rnle of all is, Never give up the ship
No matter what happens, as long as
there is anything left of your balloon
and you are still fastened to it, you've
got a chance"
'Have you ever had any unpleasant
experiences" asked the reporter.
Mrs. Myers has had more expert
ences than have.
Being appealed TO, Mrs. Myers, after
a minute Of thought, said: "A very pc
culiar aerial adventure once had was
over Stafford Springs, Conn, where
two thunderclOuds played battledoor
and shuttlecOck with me and my bal
loon. Usually l experience no difficult
ties with electric clouds. Their terroTs
diminish as you approach them, and
when actually among them the danger
is slight, if it exists at all. In this in
stance, however, l got between an up
per cloud and lower cloud, both heav-
lily charged. | and my balloon acted as
a conductor between them. First, /
would go up to the upper cloud and be-
come charged with electricity and then
be repelled to the lower cloud, only 10
be recharged and bounced back to the
upper again. l played this elevator
game II times before the clouds got
matters adjusted to their satisfaction.
Then they let me 60 unhurt, but pretty
badly frightened by being made the
plaything of such gigantic powers.
Another experience, more common
TO balloonists and more dangerous, |
had ON the occasion of the first trial of
natural gas for ascension in 1888 at
Franklin. Pa" continued Mrs. Myers.
The balloon was filled hurriedIy, and
in some way the balloon cloth got
caught over the valve, closing it. |
went up too rapidly and tried to open
the valve, but broke the cord. In such
case there is but one thing to do-knot
the ropes and keep the balloon from ex-
panding TO its full extent. Under ordi-
nary conditions balloon half full at
the earth surface will be fully expand
ed at an altitude of 3 = miles because
of the decreased pressure of the atmOs-
phere. Hence by knotting up the balloon
ropes the cubic area is diminished, and
the gas begins to pour out sooner. Not
withstanding my doing this, so fast did
the balloon rise that it reached an alti-
tude of more than four miles before it
stopped going up. There / found