The Cairo bulletin., 1907-10-21
RECORD BROKEN
UP IN A BALLOON
STORY or TRIP FROM ST. LOUIS
TO WEST VIRGINIA TOWN
BY TWO AERoNAuTs.
TWENTY HOURS IN AIR
Highest Altitude Was 6,4o0 Feet
Passed Low Over Illinois
international Races Be-
gin Today.

Cincinnati, Oct. 20.-While the
whole country was waiting for the
story OF the great balloon trip made
by J. G. Mccoy Of New York, and
Captain Chandler, OF the United
States Army, those daring navigators
OF the air landed at Sixth and Vine
streets at 1880 last evening. They
did not land In their balloon, but
alighted from cab after having
stepped off a G. and o. train on which
they Travelled from Charleston, w.
Va The balloon was shipped to the
war department at Washington by
Captain Chandler. The story Of their
trip Is of absorbing interest.
We ascended at 4:15 p IN. Thurs
day from ST. Louis" said Captain
Chandler, "and on clearing the city,
found ourselves in light easterly
winds. The sailing was delightful,
and soon we left behind the environs
of st. Lopis and crossed the Missis-
sippi We Travelled at II or Is mics
tli Hbut. AssAl hHths SOOh leI, bul eoulS
time the river was visible, and then
we began to cross Illinois. All even
ing we sailed eastward, little by
north, and toward midnight we saw
the Wabash river which we crossed
at midnight south of vanda'ia and
Effingham.
Sailed Over indianapolis.
"At 2 o'clock Friday morning we
were almost over Indianapolis. We
plainly saw the city and had we car
ried lights, they might have seen Us
from the city. Across Illinois and In
assAna VIC hung lowss and In fact. did
not rise To. great heights at any time.
The highest altitude we attained was
G,400 feet. We crossed Illinois In four
hours, aud Indiana in four hours.
AT 4 o'clock Friday morning we
passed almost over Dayton, Ohio,
1000 feet in the air. The city was
ir plain sight We drifted on as
dawn came on, but few hours later
we didn't exactly know where we
were The winds, while generally |
steady. sometimes would drive us a
little north or sorth of straight line
from west to east, SO we thought we
might have been shifted from our
course. About s o'clock therefore,
we dropped down enough to talk with
a farmer and asked him where we
were, and he said we were near New
Vienna, Ohio. We rose again and
continued on orr course. At His
boro we dropped a message to the
Associated Press.
After a short time the Ohio river
came in view. and we decided, after
having made distance that would
win the trophy. to land at or near
Charleston. W. Va, where we could
have train facilities, both for getting
back to St Louis in time and for
our balloon. Furthermore,
the wind shifted sharply north by
east and we did not want to land IN
some mountain spot where handling
the balloon would be difficult. Wei
tried to turn to the south, and the re-
sult was orr landing three and half
miles from Walton, w. Va, in Roane
at 1880 Friday afternoon. We
made our landing all right, and after
taking care of the balloon arranged
for it's transportation to Charleston.
A Good Landing.
Walton is a somewhat inaccessible
rlace, and 1t took us nearly 23 hours
10 get to Charleston. where we ship
red the balloon and took train fer
his city.
I'VE landed at $780, Eastern time
,fter having made 475 miles. There
ore our time for the distance was 20
iours and IS minutes. In these races
he reckoning Is made by straight line
rom the point of ascension to the
point Of landing"