The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-07-07
fcontInued from Page oneD

that he had been picked up by fishermen
on Block Island and taken 10 Boston.
The rescue was effected Thursday
morning, by the crew OF the fishing
schooner Franves " Silva, and which
was taken into Boston harbor In tow or
the tug Clara T.. Ula early last ev,sliss
About 1880 Thursday morning, after
night OF lowering close above the water
or the cape and repeated plunges into
the waves. Mr. Allen saw ahead the
schooler Silva. which was fishing with
dories out. two of these lying In the
path OF the balloon.
The schooner tried 10 entorcept tNe
dragrope and anchor, but failed. one
OF the dories, however. caught the rope
and the second dory coming up the Daf-
loon was held.
Mr.. Allen then gradually let his air
ship down near the water and randed
in one OF the dories-wthout wetting
his feet.
Mr.. Allen ascended in his balloon In
front OF the state house in this ci-.
July 4, at 1905 p. m, and from that mo-
rnent until he was rescued off Block ISL
and the next morning he had as many
hair-raising experiences as the average
balloonist has in lifetime.
TO the reporter he expressed himself as
grateful that his wife had not accompanied
him. for during the long dark and stormy
blown along over the sea the little basket
in which he was seated went into the
water three times and was rather rough
ly buffeted by the waves.
Mr. Aliens dangers began soon after he
left the earth here amid the shouts OF the
thousands His balloon, which Is 52 feet
high and IS feet In diameter. was gayly
decked with flags. and made a very pretty
picture as IL sailed away toward, the
northeast.
There was something wrong with the
drag rope and anchor, however. and when
Just outside Providence Mr.. Allen decided
20 land for a few moments and fix the
drag rope This he did successfully on
the Bowen estate, in about 10 minutes.
Then he started off once more, and the
next thing he knew he was on the out
skirts of Attleboro flying so law that he
bumped up against house, and few
moments later his drag rope got afoul OF
a fagpole, which II smashed before ne got
clear.
Then Mr. Allen began throwing out
sand from the basket and the balloon kept
ascending until II passed above the
clouds, and he estimates that he must
have been two miles above the earth be-
fore he stopped ascending.
II tell you twas fine sight" said Mr..
Allen, those clouds rolled up In banks
like mountains OF snow way down there
underneath the balloon. Sometimes the
clouds look dark when YOU get over them.
but these clouds were light and white, as
they look after a storm.
II was fooled up there IL was blow
ing something fierce and l couldn't
tell how fast / was going guess
was going along over the clouds for n
couple OF hours when l saw the water.
Then / let out some gas and came
down a little to get my bearings. for
didn't want to go out TO sea. kept
going out however. and apparently 10
the southeast, but IL was stormy and
raining. and i couldn't very well tell
Just where / was
II don't know how many hours I'd
been up, but l knew II was just about
dark when went over Provincetown.
and / was rather low at the time. Then
the wind shifted from the west 10 tho
east and darkness set I'm. / knew
was over the water and pretty low but
II was terribly dark and couldn't see a
thing.
About half past seven Thursday
morning / sighted a fishing schooner
ahead. She had two dories out and the
dories were in line with me. The schoon-
er started toward me. but couldn't make
the drag rope. and l passed her; but one
OF the dories caught the rope and held
Il until the other dory came up. Then
pulled them both along over the water
pretty lively for awhile.
when i saw they held on began let
ting out the gas. and | got down lower
one OF the dories as pretty as you could
wish and stepped out. IL was pretty calm
by this time, and we didn't have much
trouble with the balloon. The schooner
came up and Capt. John V. Silva invited
me on board. The schooner was named
the Francis V. Silva, from Provincetown.
Soard nter nePee Ss me ses ne 5aqon
journey In the balloon ended there. Capt.
Silva hoisted sail about noon and
started for Boston with myself. my, bal
loon and a pretty good catch OF fish.
We had good trip around the cape
and UP through the bay with all my flags
nying from the peak halyards. when we
were taken In tow outside Boston light by
the tug Clara T.. Ula. Capt. Moses Ross.
who towed us up TO t wharf"
Mr.. Allen wired his wife as soon as he
he went with friends to dine and later
went 10 ths theatre. after which he put
mp at a Boston hotel for the night.
When Mr.. Allen made the ascent he
was provided with some lunch. but all he
had not eaten before the balloon went 10
sea he was obliged TO throw over for the
purpose OF making MS balloon lighter and
Mr.. Allen doesn't look any the worse
Tor his trip through the clouds and over
the ocean in balloon. He is about the
coolest proposition one would care TO talk
with. When asked IL he ever had had a
worse experience than this. he said:
NO. ! guess this is about the worst.
although about four years ago / was car
ried over the White mountains I'm the
night. 1t was pretty cold up there that
night"
How many times have you been up In
balloon?" he was asked
About 400 times: lS5 times I've cut
loose from the earth; the other times I
Just ascended In the balloon while II was
tied by a rope 900 or 500 feet. It's the best
fun I'm the world"
There is none OF the dashing, reckless.
devil-may-care, dancing master look
about James X. Allen He looks like an
OLD, seasoned Yankee farmer or fisher.
man, with keen blue eye and thin face
stocky body, medium height and gray.
tsh hair. He Is So