The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-04-12
By MRS. JULIAN P. THOMAS.

Well, I've done il, and l want to do
It again But 1 am disappointed Bal
looming is not one bit exciting aft,-r
the balloon goes UP.
Anticipation is the biggest part of a
great thing. I guess. But afterward.
why It's no better than football
Altogether we were up in the air
about three hours. and most OF the
time above the clouds. but so far as
any motion was concerned, we might as
well have been seated on the beach at
Atlantic City, looking out at the sea
NV sensations? Well. they are hard to
describe Ny husband had told me
so much about the whole thing that
l was pretty welS prepared for what
I was TO experience.
I regard myself particularly fortunate
II being the first woman member or
the club 10 make an ascension, and
wish at the outset TO pay a tribute TO
The coolness and braverS- OF NJ Charles
Levee, the great French aeronaut. VINO
engineered the trip and proved himself
to me real hero. in the only tragicaI
moments of the aerial voyage. when at
the time we were about TO land he
cleared the balloon from the grasp of
the branches OF a number of trees I'm
which We were caught
Like Swinging in a Hammock.
My first sensations were those Of
person who starts to swing gently in
hammock. but the swinging quickly
stopped as We rose higher and higher.
The big crowd had shouted as we went
up, but in few minutes the shouts
became childish cries. and in a dozen
seconds more they had died % a con-
fused nurmur. Soon they died away
altogether. There was almost nc wind
when We went up. as you could tell by
the smoke from the stacks Of the fac
tories. but what there was was blow
ing from the northwest and We were
driven directly toward Mt. Washington
on the Berkshire group. 1t seemed 10
me almost no time before we reached
its crest. and / feared We would touch
the trees on it's top, but LeVee threw
out two Of the big bags OF sand and
UP we shot high above the mountain
and higher still. ! felt a cool mist in
my face and could see nothing before
me- L heard my husband say: I'VE
are passing through the clouds now"
Far Above the Clouds.
Up, up still we went. when all of a
sudden warm ray struck me in .,,,,
face Il was the sun. We were above
the clouds, sure enough. It was like a
June day, and the sun fairly blazed. All
that was needed was the singing OF
CAA0or Jul WIGS dS sui dS IDe grave
and below US rolled-what? Well. il GER
tainly did look like the ocean heav-
ing and billowine.
l viii never forget that trim above
the clouds In spite of the monotony
of the trip, as il might easily apnear
to any one who hears what l saw The
panorama was forever Changing as
some new light would rest on that never
still mass Of vapor. heaving in its
safe--why. felt as safe as I do now
sitting here.
We first took an altitude of i. 900 feet,
but afterward ascended TO 5000 feet,
and then moved very rapidly. At this
height L am told We made most of our
progress The wind currents were va
riab,e. however. and we really Travelled
much further than is indicated by the
points between which we moved
As X grew darker Mr.. Levee and nv
husband thought IL best to descend, L
supposed. on my account, and we came
down through the clouds ag2in-they
seemed like a terrible thick mist
Roughly Treated by Tree Branches.
Mr. Levee picked a clearing, which
was really a field of a farm, which we
afterward learned was owned by a man
named Pinney. Some big trees border
this farm and we suddenly found our
selves among their branches. DR..
Thomas yelled to me to cover my face
which I did in the best way l could
with my hands
We bounded from tree TO tree. and I
thought we would all be torn TO pieces.
We threw all the life preseryers out
and many other things OF weight to let
the balloon pass over them. but with
out avail. We finally cleared the trees
however. and descended safely. If not
gracefully, in the field.
Tired. hungry and triumphant, we
got on the trolley car and in an hour
were in a hotel in Springfield, from
where we took the 2:30 a. m train for
New York.