The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-10-24
Racers Flying Over Canada.

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Scattered through the state OF Ohio
with one or two trailing in the vicin-
lty OF the great lakes and another
last heard from in Chatam, Ont, all
nine OF the big balloons participating
IN the second international aeronau-
tic cup race were still in the air on
Tuesday night Throughout the al
ternoon reports of balloons at vari-
Gus points in Ohio had been coming
in, while Detroit first sends word of
the contestant which passed over the
Canadian border and was last seen at
Chatham.
The identity of only four of the
balloons has been definitely establish
ed through messages dropped.
The balloon America, one of the
three American contestants, contain
ing Messrs. Mccoy and Chandler, re-
ported their presence first at Marion,
Ind, and then at Marion, Ohio.
The last message was dropped to
the effect that the America would
descend on the borders of Lake Erie,
probably in the vicinity of Cleveland
The German balloon, Pommern,
No. l in the race, passed over Cleve-
land o., late Tuesday afternoon, and
Pilot Oscar Erbsloeh dropped note
saying: open water ahead. All we'll"
The Pommern had been reported
earlier in the day in the interior of
Ohio.
A note dropped during the morn.
ing at New Augusta. Ind, near In
dianapolis conveyed the information
that the balloon passing was the Lo-
tus III, the only English entrant in
the race
The French balloon Isle de France
dropped a message at Columbus O.
There has been much speculation
at St Louis as to the identity of the
balloon which passed over into Can
ada with apparently wide lead in the
big race. The balloon is reported to
have flown two American flags, and
this fact is accepted by some of the
officials of the race as indicating that
the balloon is the United States
with Major Henry B. Hersey of the
United States weather bureau as pi-
lot.
The United States was the winner
Of the international race of 1906.
The balloon carried two American
flags. but all Of the contestants were
decorated with flags and bunting, and
there is a chance that the theory OF
the leader being the United States
may be upset The Aero club officers
are inclined to believe, however, that
there can be no mistake as to the
identity of the leader. and are freely
predicting that Maj Hersey will be
the winner of the contest The bal
loon reported at Detroit and later at
Chatham evidently has followed the
course which Maj. Hersey said he
would take.
There seems no doubt that the
record made in the race at Paris last
YER, 400 miles, will be exceeded by
practically every balloon in the pres
ent race, Nearly all of the balloons
reported in Ohio have covered more
than that distance, while those on the
great lakes are more than 100 miles
ahead of the record.
A report received that four bal
looms were seen twenty miles south
east of St. Joseph Mo-, was discon-
certing for time TO the followers of
the race, but it was not verified and
has been dismissed from considera-
ton
All OF the balloons have gone to
the east and northeast. One vagrant
car was reported at 7:45 o'clock
Tuesday night as passing Waukegan,
ILL.,, just north of Chicago and on
the edge of Lake Michigan.
The balloon America reported that
it had been in sight of three other
balloons during most of its journey.
One of these undoubtedly was the
English Lotus III, and another the
Isle de France. The race among the
four is being watched with great in