The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-10-25
WON THE LAHM CUP
Aeronauts Mccoy and Chandler,
Starting from St. Louis Were
Crossing West Virginia.
APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES
At Last Accounts Balloon tlad Not
Landed But All Former Rec
ords Were Exceeded by
100 Miles.

st. Louis, Mo-, Oct. 19.-Swinging
through the atmosphere at speed
roughly estimated at % miles an hour,
the United States Signal corps bal
loon No. 10, in which Aeronauts }.
G. Mccoy and Captain Charles de f.
Chandler, of the United States signal
corps, assembled here Thursday eve
ming, passed over Illinois and Indiana
Thursday night and across Ohio Fri
day, and at nightfall was apparently
about to land in the vicinity of Point
Pleasant, w. Va, when last heard
from The distance covered, on a
straight line measurement, is approx
mately 500 miles, and the voyage won
for the aeronaut the Lahm cup.
When the ascension was made here
Thursday evening 1t was the intention
of the aeronauts TO remain in the air
all night as test Of tho gas to be
used by the balloons in the Interna-
tional aeronautic contests, which will
begin here next week. However, con-
sidering the likelihood that they might
be carried long distance they went
amply prepared for a long flight.
Provisions in tin cans, self-heating,
by lime-slacking device were stored
in the basket, and number of differ
ont instruments for testing purposes
were carried.
The balloon, with a capacity of 49,
goo cubic feet of gas, was filled Thurs
day afternoon from the gas plant at
Second and Rutger streets. A num-
Der of members Of the Aero club of
St Louis and visiting aeronauts were
present when the ascent was made at
4:10 p. N. The balloon rose grace
fully and suddenly veered as a sharp
wind struck it, colliding with the tim
bers that supported a hugh coal piled
gas plant yard. Tho basket scraped
moment theatepingly, but prompt
work by the aeronauts in throwing
out some sand ballast caused the bal
loon to shake itself free from the coal
pile unchanged and shoot straight up
several hundred feet. Then it swept
toward the northeast and was soon
lost to view in the gloom of evening
The first report received from the
aeronauts was message dropped near
Leesburg, O., and telegraphed by
finder 10 the associated press in Chi
cago.
The message stated that the bal
loonists had dropped it at 600 a. m.
and they were then travelling south
east rapidly.
Later they were seen passing over
Gallipolis, o. and Ivy the middle of the
afternoon they were in West Virginia
in the vicinity of Point Pleasant
There the balloon started up the
Kanawha valley, according to a long
distance telephone message to St
Louis, and no further tidings had been
received up to $3.50 Friday night.
Members OF the International Bal
loon contest committee and other
aeronauts here spoke of the flight with
great enthusiasm, saying that it. will
establish a memorable epoch in bal
loon sailing.
The Lahm cup was instituted by
the Aero Club OF America soon after
the International races at Paris in
1906 at which Lieut.. Frank p, Lahm
won the James Gordon Bennett cup,
for the Aero Club of America. So
joyful were the members of the club
at the victory that the cup was named
for the pilot of the balloon United
States" and it was put up by the club
to be won by the aeronaut who trav-
eled more than 4O2 miles, the distance
travelled by the UNITED States" in the
Paris races, provided the start was
made from American soil.
Lieut. Lahm has rever held the cup,
aud this was the first time it was
ever won.