Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-01-24
tOYAGING IN THESKY
eALLooNlNe WITH PROPER CARE Is
NOT DANGEROUS.

tween Two Thunderclouds.
Among the very few people who have
reduced aerial navigation to anything
like an exact science are Mr.. and Mrs.
Carl E. Myers, who are now living on
Reid avenue, Brooklyn. BY series of
experiments stretching over period of
more than l6 years they have learned
to manage and guide 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 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
large portion of their lives in a most
perilous occupation. Mr. Myers is
slender, rather short man about 40 years
old, with black side whiskers, the face
of scholar and benevolent express
sion. Mrs. Myers, who was formerly
known professionally as Carlotta. is
sweet faced woman, with keen gray
eyes, wavy brown hair and blight,
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 hus
made more than 500 ascensions. Mr..
Myers has been up among the clouds 80
times himself and has superintended up
ward Of 1,200 aerial excursions. For
observational purposes and in pursuance
OF his studies in meteorology he still
makes his dangerous trips, although
indeed both he and his vile 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 a 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 ste.r 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 ruSlder, and by throwing
his weight to one side or the other ana
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, 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 fnally to land in Sc
caucus. She made the triptin 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 balloon, y
continued Mr.. Myers. First, be sure
that everything is taut and sbipshape:
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
rule 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. 4" =.
Being appealed TO, Mrs. Myers, after
a minute of thought, said; "A very PEI
culiar aerial adventure once had was
over Stafford Springs, Conn, where
two thunderclouds played battledoor
and shuttlecock with mo and my bal
loon. Usually experience no difficult
ties with electric clouds. Their terroTs
diminish as you approach them, and
when actually among them the danger
Is slight, IL IL exists at all, In this In
stance, however, | got between an up
per cloud and lower cloud, both heayl
lily charged. and my balloon acted as
conductor between them, first, J.
would go up 10 the upper cloud and be-
como charged with electricity and then
DO repelled 10 the lower cloud, only 10
be Techarged and bounced back 10 the
upper again. | played this elevator
game II times before the clouds got
matters adjusted 10 their satisfaction
Then they Jet me 90 nnhurt, but pretty
badly frightened by being made tho
plaything VI such gigantic powers,
HApother eKpenence, more common
70 ballo0nists aud more dangerous,
had on the occasion of ihe hrai iTial ~
natural gas Tor ascension ~ 1868 NJ
franklin, Pa, continued Mrs, Myers
'The balloon Was flled huTledlyi aud
Ia some way tho balloon cloth eol
eaught over tho valve, eloaing iii !
went 90 TOO rapidly and lIlsa 20 open
the yalys hui broke lhe eold w sneh .
case there 10 bat ono thing 10 DO knNi
the ropes and keep The balloon from 90
panding 10 iis fqll eStepi unaer oFdll
nary rQnditlons b balloon half 1874 ~