Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-09-14
AERONAUT LANDS SAFELY.
BALLOONIST MATTERY DESCENDS
NEAR WOLVERINE AFTER
CROSSING LAKE.
DRlFTED OVER 200 MILES.
Aeronaut Tied Himself to Frame Work
and Slept While His Craft
Sailed Over Water.

GAYLORD, Mich. Sept. S.-After a
fight in a wild airship of more than POO
miles William Mattery, Chicago
aeronaut, who assembled at Oconto. Wis.
Thursday. landed twenty miles southeast
of Wolverine Mich, at o'clock Friday
night.
Iattery had been giving exhibitions at
the Oconto county fair Starting on his
usual exhibition after successful ascen-
sion. the steering gear got out of order
and he lost entire control of the ship.
Airship at Winds Mercy.
He was left several thousand feet in
the air at the mercy of the winds and
started to drift rapidly eastward. After
getting Il considerable distance out on
Green bay the big ship took dive down
to the water, but recovered itself and
s-.ot straight above the clouds, where it
continued to drift.
alarmed, as he knew if the gas would
hold out he would be able to make a
landing.
After sailing this way for several
hours sleep Overcame him and in order
not to fall out OF the ship. should it take
another dive, he bound himself with
ropes to the frame of the machine He
continued to drift eastward across Green
bay to Lake Michigan and across the
lake, sailing to land somewhere near
Travers City and eastward.
During all this time the gas was grad
ually escaping from the huge ball and
finally about / o'clock in the morning he
landed in a dense swamp some twenty
miles south of Wolverine, Cheboygan
county.
Was Nearly Exhausted
JJo r,oIa bic n oo5
was directed to Wolverine the nearest
railroad town, where he landed about 6
o'clock last night, nearly exhausted, but
highly elated at the success of his won
derful trip. He Immediately telegraphed
to Oconto for funds to get his ship, ana
will start on his return journey as soon
as the machine can be brought to town
and gotten into shape.
Mattery is none the forse for his ex-
citing experience, and claims it is one
of the mOsJ remarkable flights in the
history of ballooning. His trip for the
most of the time was above the clouds
While he was satisfied as to the direc-
ton he was travelling he had not the
slightest idea where he was going to
land until after the airship settled and
he found from the settlers where he was.
Tells of Long Trip
Il was requested to make an ascen-
said. Il knew that my airship was not
in good working order. The propelling
shaft was bent and so l informed the
hundreds who had gathered to witness
the flight
You lie," they shouted, you are
afraid"
The taunts of the crowd drove me to
make the most foOlhardy ascension ever
attempted [ ordered the machine pre-
pared for flight and then as it left the
ground / called, 'Good-by, you will
probably never see me again.
Hardly 500 feet above the earth l
was caught in a heavy northwesterIy
wind. l tried to make quick descent
but failed. To have done 50 would have
been to drop in Lake Michigan. 1t was
then 5:30 o'clock. / knew that | had
enough gas in the bag to carry me TWEEN
ty-four hours. [ could not steer the bal
loon, the shaft refused to work and
was helpless in the clouds. As the moon
rose it showed me the lake. Once | dis
tinguished ship and then / saw a little
island. All night remained awake and
then exhausted, dashed myself to the
frame and dozed.
Awakens Near Land.
when l awoke | was in sight of land.
AS far as | could see there was nothing
but forest. Then there came stretch
of barrens and | decided to descend.
Again the balloon became unmanace-
able. | was carried to within sight of
Lake Huron. Then l succeeded to
dropping to a lower current. The wind
carried me back. Finally L gained con-
troll of the valve and came down in a
swamp. | did not know where l was
pycpnt that was in Micbipop