New-York tribune., 1906-06-19
RIDES ON THE STORM.
DR.. Thomas Makes Remarkable AH
Night Balloon Voyage.

After covering the longest westward trip ever
made by any aeronaut IN this country much OF the
time in an electrical storm, DR.. Julian P Thomas
and NJ Levee, his pilot. landed in the little ham
let Of Butternut IN Otsego County at about
a m. yesterday. The distance from telephone or
telegraph made il impossible for them 10 inform
their friends in this city their safe landing.
and much anxiety was felt by their friends as
result. II until late In the afternoon that
the growing fear that they might have met with
Nocquets fate was dispeed by news Of their
landing.
For fourteen hours their balloon travelled
westward and then northward. in the quadrant
OF great circle. The aeronauts were above or in
the clouds nearly all the time, getting only occa-
sional glmpses OF the earth, and not knowing
where they going. Finally. hearing the sound
of water. they grappled the top of a tree only to
tear loose when the tree was shattered by
squall For five hours they were in the midst OF
electrical display and in grave peril.
The last and almost only glimpse of the earth
the two in the basket had Little Falls y. j.,
where they asked that telephone message be sent
10 Mrs. Thomas. This the last heard from
them, for two minutes later they disappeared COM
pletely from the earth.
After they disappeared into the fog bank they
could still hear church bells calling to evening
vice. and occasionally voices foated up 10 them.
but they could nothing
AT this time a most unusual phenomenon
seen. according 10 DR.. Thomas Just under the
clouds he said. the balloon passed myriads OF tiny
insects glowing with phosphorescence. These pre-
sented most unusual sight, the interest OF which.
at an elevation of two thousand feet. intsnsi-
fed by the discovery that the Jersey mosquito did
a lively business that height.
At o o'clock or thereabouts the balloon into
the electric storm. The thunder rolled and growled
continually. making a noise suggestive OF titanic
bowling alley. The lightning enveoped them. and
everything about the balloon highly charged
with electricity that touch any cord to
II TO emit spark. The hair Of both literally
stood up most OF the time partly from nervousness
and partly from the electricity
At l O'Clock the storm became violent that
lookout began 10 be made for a landing place
While watching for the lights OF some town TO ap-
pear TO indicate safe landing place. the waters Of
some Pennsylvania lake heard rolling in
the shore. Without waiting to pick landing place.
the men pulled the valve cord. and the balloon
plunged down like a rock into the upper branches
Of enormous tree
Unable to descend DR.. Thomas made the balloon
fast to the tree. but under a sudden squalI the
anchor tore away from the tree. and the balloon
shot upward like a rocket.
Daybreak was then at hand and the storm was
dying down. so the balloon allowed to con-
unue. this time going almost due north For some
Crne the men went over Pennsylvania at low
elevation until caught in bewilderfng maze OF
wind eddies which carried them eastward for
considerable distance. Finally favorable current
caught them and carried them toward the north
west again Then a. the highest altitude OF the tip
height the upward flight of the balloon was checked
and, with its valve opened II dropped almost as
straight a plummet 20 the farm of c. I.
Miller, In Butternut.
Both men exhausted. wet and bedraggled.
but able get breakfast from Mr..
Miller, after they had convinced him that they
not particularly dilapidated looking tranps.
The balloon packed In its basket and DR..
Thomas and NJ. Levee taken to New South Berlin.
In Chenango County, about ten miles away where
they got train 10 this city, arriving here about
10 o'clock last night.
They had crossed three states, making q trip
which Levee said last night would nave been con-
sidered wonderful, in France. lAVeS
himself has made only one drip which exceeded
the one finished yesterday IN point OF time spent
Tho distance travelled was about three hundred
and fifty miles
Because of the prevailing westerly winds II is
not possible for an aeronsut to make long dis
tanoe record IN this country. DR.. Thomas Is
ceedingly anxious 10 maks such record and in
a short time. will ship his big balloon, the MIR
vana to some middle Western city TO make the
eastward flight