The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-06-21
NIGHT BALLOON FLIGHT
Gotham Aeronauts Make
Record Trip Amidst
Storm cloud

New York June 2i.-Aitcr>.. .rt
night above the clouds ia q ballo ny enc
9f the time with their clothes fro.
stln and ai other times TN the midst of
q terrific electric storm Dt. Julian =.
Thomas Of this city and Charles Lcvcc,
n French acronaut returned safely last
night. confident that in several ways
they had broken all a'ronautic records
10 America
They left New YorS In Or. Thomas
big balloon. the Nirvana. at six o'clock
Tuesday night and flor fourteea and one
half hours we're buifeted about over New
York. PENNSYLVANIA and New Jersey,
landing on the farm Of c. l.. Miller, In
the township Of Butternut. Otsego
county New York at s o'clock yesterday
morning During the entire night they
were out Of sight Of the earth, with
the exception now and then ot hazy
glimpse. aggregating less than half an
hour an told
Assembled Into storm.
immediately after rising above the
city" said Dr. Thomas. I'VE entered a
storm stratum. aad the last thing We
saw was Grants tomb as we sailed
over IT, We did not know whether we
had crossed the Hudson or were sailing
out to sen unun we heard tho church
bells OF Hakcnsack. For above us the
sun was then shining with marvellous
radiance while below there was rain aud
clouds. Presently We entered the most
terrinc electrical storm imaginable The
thunder seemed to roll along the clouds
and through the great cloud canyons.
bursting aud cracking with an effort liSe
the splitting OF the air Above and about
us there was the most wonderful dis
Z play OF electricity The lightning flashed
through the basket, ran up and down
the ropes and played across our faces
but We did not interfere with f. and
it did not moiest us
"This storm lasted from o'clocx ihti
o'clock in the morning. Meanwhile,
/ We were from 1000 to 5000 feet above
the earth and going through space prob
I ably twenty or thirty miles an hour
Landed In Tree
"Sudd,1y the Mid changed it'll,
after midnig. {. and We felt sure w
were going out 60 sea- We decided that
we would drop down aud as soon as W.
could sec the lights of city We would
alglt AZ we iet out the gas We drop
ped dowl like shot oud lmded IN th'
top Of tree The tree tor seemed o
pretty comfortable place and after max
ing the rones fast We cu.lcd up ns bes
we could and both fell asleep TO awai
daylight our nap had lasted about ai
hour when thtro was q, hiE crash. "a sud
dn lurch at the balloon mud away va
sailed ugin. carrying SOME OF ~
branches in the coils of tha ropos. W.
could sco tnrdltk ueaks and fog ats nl
about us and reallaing that the dalgc
OF the sea was past wo threw out bal
last and began TO go a. IKE "a fcaihes
Up up We went until We were tw
miles above the dark forests with be
numbed fingers wo opened the valve
ugain aud slowly began To descend.
Ia the early light we passed over sew
eral towns and shouted loudly but
aroused no one Several times wo drop
ped empty bottles on the roofs, fred
pistol aud Lovoc sang and hnlloed {
Fralch but either Il was too early q
no one heard us We made out oa
3 place 10 ho floaesdae from the india
/ tlact shouts of "a group of mcu who wcr
evidently returning home after "a LAT
+ meeting az The club During nenrly a
the time the rain poured on as oxcoI
when We were too high and thcre ws
: d constant sound above the clouds lik
= the cracking % whip
Dr Thomas snys thoy went high,
than AN other American oallooulst wei
farther west ana were longer in the a.
P than any ether American