The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-10-22
The Start.


fore a moderate breeze, In direction
Just west OF north. when lost to view
IN the haze Of evening. nine big bal
looms, representing four nations. yes
terday began the second international
contest for the James Gordon Bennett
cup. The start was not marrei by
the slightest accident and the ar
rangements were so well made tina.
after the first balloon. Pommern. OF
Germany, had assembled thirty-hIi
seconds after schedule time. all were
on with the word OF the starter al;
Ave minutes intervals.
when all were In the air II wa
noticed that either by accident or de-
sign, the three German balloons as
cended TO a considerable height at the
start. the two French entries took a
medium course. while the three
unfolding the honors OF America. and
the single English balloon huggeo
the ground. taking advantage OF the
faster and lower currents OF air and
apparently covering greater dis
lance in less time than their COM
petltors.
The crowd that witnessed the be-
ginning OF the great contest was on,
OF the largest ever seen in st. Louis
All vacant spots near the portion of
Forest park which contained the bal
loon grounds we're damned with peo-
pie long before starting time. All
the streets in the western end Of the
city were black with josling throngs.
and street car facilities proved entire
ly inadequate TO transport those who
wished to see what had never before
been witnessed in America, nine bal
looms In the air at once, competing
for international honors.
Balloons. pilots, countries repre-
scented and the official starting time
Of each is as follows: Pommern, Os-
car Erbaloeh, Germany. 4:0O-35;
United States. Maj. NJ. n. Hersey.
America. 4:O5: LIsle DeFrance, Al
fred Leblanc, France. i:10; Duessel-
dorf, Capt. Hugo vonaber. Germany,
AIS; Lotus H., Griffith Brewer. Eng
land. 1920: America, j. c. Mccoy.
America, 4:25; Anjou, Rene Cashier.
France, 1870; Abercron. Paul Nickel,
Germany. 4:35: st. Louis. Alan X.
Hawley, America, 4:i0.
The only hitch In the start was
when the st. Louis, which was over.
weighted with ballast. was hauled
back to prevent II colliding with one
of the grand stands. The bad start.
however. did not discourage the st.
Louisans, as a pigeon. considered a
good omen, flew on top of the balloon
before It was completely inflated and
remained there until after the bal
loon assembled in the race.
AS each balloon started, military
band which accompanied two battal-
ions of United States regulars from
Jefferson Barracks, struck up the ma
tional air OF the country the balloon
represented, and the great crowd
cheered the bowling and hat waving
aeronauts. Each balloon bore several
flags and this tended to make the
scene a cosmopolitan one.
According to observations made
here with test balloons. the higher
air currents are toward east, giving
the aeronauts an opportunity to go in
that direction by ascending.
Going North.
Alton. H., Oct. 22.-The first bal
loon, Pommern. from Germany. pass
ed over Alton at s p. M, travelling
north about ten miles an hour.
Seen I'm Illinois.
st. Louis, Oct. 22.-Balloons in in
ternational contest are reported to
have been sighted at Etfingham, Tay-
lorville and Pana, Ill.
Balloon Passes Charleston.
Charleston. H., Oct. 22.-One. Oh
the balloons which left st. Louis
passed Charleston last evening at
$50. It's course is northeastern and
1t passed about eight miles Forth of
the city.
7 u y