New-York tribune., 1906-07-12

water anchor, which he had ordered sent 20 the
gas plant the day before but IL did not come
While he waiting for it Roy Knabenshue
arrived in an automobile decorated with an adj
vertising poster. They began to improvise an
anchor to take the place Of the missing one A
board was nailed across the head Of an oil barrel
and line reeved across the open head and made
fast. After much smashing OF thumbs the work
was accomplished. It might have been service
able but it decidedly not artistic
About o'clock the balloon was inflated. Then
DR. and Mrs. Thomas, Knabenshue and his wife
and his advertising agent posed for half dozen
photographers. and the balloon went up. It
siderable slant to the southwark, crossing over
Williamsburg. 1t kept on until Coney Island
was nearly reached. Then it swung back toward
Flatbush where a landing was made about s
o'clock at Avenue G and East 21st street The
balloon was in sight for a long time before it
descended. Thousands Of people fiocked to the
place. and were kept from trampling on and
tearing the balloon with great difficulty.
Leo Stevens's side of the controversy is that
he made the anchor himself and that he was
not going to allow DR. Thomas to get all the
glory. Levee. the Aero Club coach and he. he
said, were going to make sensible test by
going out to Fire Island to-day with an Offsea
breeze blowing.
The anchor which looks like fair sized trawI
has already been described in The Tribune.
After his return last night DR. Thomas told how
he tried his water anchor He said
AS soon as we had ascended determined to
try the efficacy of my imprOVsed anchor the
waters of the East River. SO came down to
within 80 feet Of the water off 9lst street The
anchor caught and held the balloon firmly until
a barge came along and struck the rope, breaking
il. That left without anchor.
Immediately after this the balloon began to drift
In a southwesterly direction and close to the
ground. At a point between Wards Island and
Blackwells Island the basket passed within fifty
feet Of the top of tall chimney from which smoke
point we camA so near to the ground that the
crowd following us able to reach the drag rope
and some of them grabbed hold of It, I shouted TO
them to let go. but they would and they would
have pulled the balloon to the ground had a
policeman come along just about that time and
From there we drifted across to Brooklyn, and
then to Greenpoint. At Cfreenpoint we drifted for
a short distance low that the crowd again
grabbed the drag rope, but did not keep hold of it
long. guess II was because the rope came in con-
tact with live electric wire and the persons who
had hold of ii probably received shocks We landed
roof in Cireenpoint. but by throwing the
bags which had held the ballast, all my ballast
being used up this time, we managed 10 ascend out
of harms way.
Flushing, and watched pack the balloon pro-
paratory to sending it back Manhattan in nv
automobile which had followed us. I forgot TO say
that when ! threw overheard tine ballast bags I
tried to have them fall that the in my auto
mobile could get them. But the crowd was quicker
and the bags disappeared among them as If by
magic. suppose the people wanted them for
souvenirs
In passing Central Park DR.. Thomas spied
ing the balloon. and dropped him note addressed
to Mrs. Thomas. Young Thomas got the note all
right, and it reached Mrs. Thomas speedily.