The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-03
ROW WHEN BALLOON LANDED.
DIR. THOMAS'S FIRST TRIP NOT
A COMPLETE Success.

With Count tie la VauIx He Sails From The
Bronx TO NewtOwn-Free for Al
Fight Among the Spectators At the
Landing ~Place-Trlp OF ODly2O Minutes,
Count Henri de la vaulx, the famous
French %aeronaut, gave New Workers an
exhibition Of ballooning yesterday. Ac-
companied by DR.. Julian P. Thomas and
| Charles Levee he made an ascension from
the Central Union Gas Company's works
at 1S5th street and East River. Twenty
minutes later the party landed in st. James
Park, Middle Village, Newtown. At the
start and at the landing the police had their
hands full.
The second largest of Count de la vaulx's
three balloons, L'0rient, which holds $1,000
cubic feet Of gas, was us ed yesterday.
1t was taken to the gas works in the AFTER
noon and preparations made Tor the ascen.
sion. While it was being filed a crowd
Of sightseers gathered aroun the gas works,
but no one was allowed within the en-
closure except those who had a hand in the
ascension. Charles Levee looked after
the filing Of the bag and Count de la Vaulx,
CORTLAND Field Bishop, Augustus Post,
DR.. and Mrs. j. B. Thomas, their son Otis
and some other members Of the Aero Club
looked on. ,
1t was noised around the neighborhood
that a man was going. up lin an airship, =,
and very soon a crowd Of several hundred
gathered outside the gas works and extra
policemen were sent from the Alexander
avenue station to keep order.
The wind was fairly steady and coming
out OF the northwest. This meant that
the balloon would sail toward Manhattan
Beach. Soon after 5 O'Clock Torrent was
ballast and anchor placed ready for use;
Shortly before Q o'clock De la Vaulx,
| Levee and DR.. Thomas climbed into the
basket. The Count gave the order to let
go and the balloon at once scared into
the air and the crowd cheered. The aero
cheer. The balloon climbed higher and
took a southwesterly course, crossing the
East River. AS soon as it was fairly under
way Mr.. Bishop and Augustus Post in one
automobile and Mrs. Thomas and her son
In another hurried toward the Astoria ferry
to follow the balloon and be On hand when
II landed. Having to go to the ferry and
cross the river delayed them and they. we're
not on hand when the balloon came down,
but got there a few minutes later.
in the balloon az did those near the gas
works, and when, twenty minutes after the
ascension, the balloon landed in Newtown
another crowd had gathered. The descent
was an easy one and gradual. George
Green, who lives at Newtown, tried to be
| Of some help and caught a guy rope. He
was very nearly hit with the basket.
An unknown in the Grove tried to guard
the balloon md in doing so pushed the crowd
back. A man named Gilman. who lives
on John street, resented this pushing and
struck the unknown in the face. cutting
him. Then others took a hand in the fight,
and the unknown fed with an angry crowd
after him. He ran into a nearby house,
still followed by the crowd, who caught
him under a bed. They took him out
side to give him further punishment.
Some one had notified the police that there
was a riot, and the reserves from the New
town station arrived in time 70 put a stop
to further trouble.
The Count was not at all pleas ed with his
trip. The balloon had made an ascension
of about 5000 feet and travelled eight miles.
The wind had changed to West, and he did
not care to go any further on account Of
the nearness of the ocean.