Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-05
ALPINE BALL00NING
A THRILLING AERIAL VOYAGE BY
A WASHINGTON MAN.
With Captain Spelterini to an Altitude
of 10000 Feet-A Won
derful Sport.

The current issue of the Worlds Work
contains an interesting article, with Illus
trations from the pen of Mr.. James Ivor
McCallum of thfs city, descriptive of a bal
loon voyage undertaken by him in company
with Captain Spelterini of the Italian army.
In part it is as follows:
Balloon trips from Switzerland over the
Alps to Italy have been shown to be posi-
BILE. Captain Spelterini. chief of the balloon
corps Of the Swiss army, rose 15.G00 feet
from Zermatt one Saturday last September
and sailed off above the peaks to the south.
Monday afternoon he landed at Bignasco.
on the Italian side of the mountains.
The balloon Stella was filed with hydro
gen gas at Zermatt and Spelterini, with
two companions, assembled, CARRYING 342
pounds of ballast Only IA spoonful at
time was thrown out. for Spelterini had
resolved to ascend slowly in order to save
the precious gas by giving the balloon suf-
ffcient time to expand, relying upon his
quick eye and sure hand I'm throwing out
ballast to avoid collision with the noun
tains. Fortunately the balloon as it rose
was driven down the valley. Then, having
gradually reached the altitude of the
neighboring peaks, it drifted over the Dom
Q4,941 feet, across the valley toward the
Fletschorn Q2.S53 fee) and the Weissmies
QSS2o feet, beyond to Laquinhorn az, 407
feet, and thence toward Lake Maggiore.
The newly fallen snow accumulated every
detail of the mountain profile The Mat
terhorn and Monta Rosa were majestic
from this new point of view, and the rail-
road up the Corner Graf looked like tiny
footpath Photographs taken show the
Alps as no man had ever seen them before
Toward evening Lake Maggiore was
reached and the balloon then drifted north
ward AS Landing was difficult, Speterini
determined to remain in the balloon all
night. Ballast was thrown overheard and
the balloon assembled and drifted into the
Maggia valley then over the ridge separat-
ing this from the Vereasca valley and I'D
this as far Brione. From here it turned
to side valley and drove into a heavy fog.
But at 3 o'clock in the morning it stood
still over a snow field at an altitude of
9,Co0 feet At the first gray of dawn Peccia
was made out over the Maggfa valley
When the sun rose at 10 o'clock the balloon
expanded again in its warm rays and rose
to an altitude of 10000 feet
A Wonderful View.
The Alpine world spread out before the
tourists was beautiful beyond description.
The wind was pushing the balloon gently
ncrthward toward the Alps. and the
thought of recrossing was very attractive
But as only three sacks of ballast re-
manned it was necessary to land With
quick, sure Judgment the aeronaut selected
a spot near Bignasco, and here the balloon
was landed at O'Clock in the morning
6,O00 feet above the level of the sea-
The Stella had risen 1900 feet and had
Travelled at rate of from Eve and a half
to nine miles an hour The party had en-
ccuntered temperature as Tow as de-
81 ees below freezing.
Thrilling Experiences.
My own first ascent with SpeIterini was
made from Zurich In a heavy rain storm.
There was no wind, but an occasional flash
Of lightning Auggested to the novice that