The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-30
BALLOONS BAD ACTS
CUT UP QUEER CAPERs AND MADE
CROWDS SCATTER.
STRAINS OF DIXIE STILLED
FIRST REGIMENT BAND TOOK TO
THE HIGH BRUSH.

The Big Inflated Bag Got on Slowly
and Contained More Smoke Than
Gas-AerOnaut Douglas Cut Loose
When Only Five Feet From the
Ground, and About to Dash Into
the CasinO-As the Balloon Moved
Towards the Building the People
Went i'm Every Direction md the
Members of the Band Dropped
Their Instrume the Bal
loon Struck Chimney and Mont
PeIee in Miniature Was Given.
The balloon ascention scheduled to
come off at the Thunderbolt Casino
yesterday afternoon did not take place.
A pronounced fzzle, attended, however,
by numerous amusing incidents, was
the result of over two hours work in
trying to get the balloon on it's feet.
For a long time it refused positively
to be inflated and then it literally went
up in smoke, and did a stunt that re-
sembled a miniature of Mont Pelee,
and caused many things to happen.
Fred Douglas, the aeronaut, had
close call, 5000 spectators scattered in
every direction to see what was hap
pening, and the First Regiment Band
took to the tall brush 1t was a lu-
dicrous spectacle and by far more in
teresting and entertaining than If the
ascension had been an unqualified sue
cess.
Wouldn't Initiate.
crew of what their general term
ed DULLES" under the leadership OK
Peter Brown, had in charge the inflat-
ing of the ballon, although Douglas
was on hand to watch affairs as they
progressed. An amused crowd of sew
eral hundred also gathered about the
big bag and watched the work as 1t
went on. Browns DULLES" made
plenty of noise and turned loose enough
hot air on the outside to have sent the
balloon up in a fifty had their blasts
been properly directed. With a sponge
tied around his nose Brown gave di-
rections from the inside and got the
benefit of all the smoke and hot air
that entered the big bag
Once things became too warm for
him and he crawled out and tainted.
One of his strikers" was preparing
to dash bucket of water In his face
when he came to and prevented the
accomplishing of this act He crawled
back into the balloon and continued
giving directions. Browns inability to
distinguish between smoke and gas.
or somebody else's, probably resulted
in the fizzle. Brown said that it was
the fault of those who held the, can
cass on the outside BE that as it
may, the great inflated bag tugged
and pulled to get away from the ropes
that held it on the ground and the
word was given to cut loose.
Chased the Band.
The First Regiment Band had been
stationed on the western piazza of the
Casino and struck up Dixie" The
crowd cheered and Ithe balloon hest
tated about going zap. 1t rose slow
ly and moved eastward towards the
Casino, which was accommodating
several hundred persons on both
floors. Douglas ran on the ground
holding to the tralpeze for twenty feet
and the crowd melted away before
him. Then he WAS raised from the
ground, but the inflated bag refused
to go straight up, but instead started
directly at the crowded building.
Instantly the/ strains of Dixie" was
stilfed and the member of the band did
the real thing in the way of a hot
foot. The spectators, too, took to the
woods and the crowd scattered in ev-
cry directiont 1t looked as if Douglas
was going ITO be dashed to pieces
against the Casino, but he cut the
paracute and fell unhurt within a
foot of the building. /
SpIit ON Chimney.
Relieved of it's weight, the
balloon rose sluggishly and moved
towards I the river. A tall CHM
ney on the western roof of the
buildingl however, struck it midship,
and thfn it did the active volcano
stunt
hugh rent appeared in the side Of
the balloon and volumes of black smoke
curledi out and passed as a cloud ACROSS
the river. The large bag managed to
pull itself across the roof of the Casino
and fell in a shapeless heap on the
eastern side of the building. Frantical-
ly the crowd rushed around to see if
anybody had been enveloped, but moth
ing had occurred and good naturally
the spectators discussed the series of
mfshaps and incidents. Different ar
engagements will be made for initiating
the balloon and at the next ascension
more hot air and less smoke will be
used.
I