The San Francisco call., 1907-02-03
JESUIT FATHER LANNS
IDEA

spondsnt. "sthsrs became implicated
ana q Mr.. Sawyer was hurried outside
the inclosure and. as a policeman tn
formed US. was taken to the calabooss.
We were told that a knife was taken
from him by the police. In the mean
time. after the first encounter. the
stranger had coolly walked on about
bis business with the wine bottle and
was seen no more"
The outfit OF the aeronaues 10 de-
scribed in detail. Below the basket
was hung large lifeboat for uss re
they had to land on water. Three Of
the party rode IN the boat most OF tbs
trip, while Wise was in the basket TO
manage the valves and adjust the bal
last. During the night one OF the
men called out to him. but received no
reply. He had fallen asleep and was
almost asphyxiated by escaping gas
when he was rescued
we await with anxious interest In
telligence from the daring navigators.".:
the dispatch concludes. what nav
discoveries will result from the sue
cess OF this adventure we can scarcsiy
predict. 1t will be time enough to
speculate when We hear the glad I'd
ings OF victory" -
Wise. La Mountain ana Eager re-
mained to gather up the remnants OF
the balloon, but Hyde hurried back to
ST. Louis. In Buffalo he gave ths
Courier an account OF the trip which
was reprinted in the Herald.
Their motion was very rapid
throughout the night" says the
Courier. 'fnclining rather toward the
north with calm and beautiful
weather. The asronauts found tt ir1-
possible to perceive their exact reckon
ing during the darkness and went to-
sleep. but Mr.. Hyde. to whom the
situation was most novel. found him
self unable to enjoy that luxury.
Toward daylight the altituds TO
which they had attained-between two
and three mi1es--rendsred the cold
quite severe, but By no means painful.
as they were we'll provided against
such a contingency. They reached Lake
Erie. above sandusky, about IA the
morning of Saturday, and thence
foated rapidly but silently down. pass
ing numerous vessels on their route.
until about noon. when they were op-
posite Buffalo
I'm the last one hundred miles on
this lake a current OF air In which
they fioated gradually bore them TO
the water until on several occasions
their elevation did not exceed 500 fset.
Soon after passing the falls ths
strength OF the current rapidly IN
creased until they neared Sackects
Harbor. When over Lake Ontario and
about thirty miles from its shore IL be-
came a violent gale or Winor oioW!nB
almost directly downward g..
Every effort was made to keep the
balloon up by throwing out ballast,
stores and Instruments, but in spits OF
all their exertions she made tremen-
dous dive. striking the water, staving
the boat and nearly bringing about a.
fatal termination Of the voyags to Mr.:
La Mountain. The balloon then rushed
headIong toward the shore. which was
reached in q few minutes. whence it
plunged into a dense forest at a speed
which Mr. Hyde estimates at about two
miles q minute The srapneis were
cast loose, but the strong iron hooks
were wrenched on like pipe stems
The boat. which was stiIl below
them, went crashing through the trees.
leaving q path a. IL the locality had
been visited By tornado. Mr.. Hyde
says that trees OF a foot or more In
diameter were snapped asunder as II
made OF clay, while the branches were
flying in every direction. After pro-
ceeding about a mile at this rate. In
n1omentary expectation Of destruction.
the balloon was dashed against huge
tree, BY which IL was collapsed. and
scarcely anything left OF It but count
less ribbons.
"rt seems marvellous that no lives
were lost. but this was doubtless owing
to the boat. which sustained the shock
of che forest