The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-21
Nine To START.



The highest altitude We attained was
e,4o0 feet. We crossed Illinois in
four hours. and Indiana in four hours
''At O'Clock Friday morning we
passed almost over Dayton, Ohio
1000 feet in air. The city was in
dawn came on, but a few hours later
We didn't exactly know where we
were. The winds. while generally
steady, sometimes would drive US a
little north or south of a 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 con-
tinued on our course. At Hillsboro
We dropped a message 10 the Asso-
ciated Press.
After a short time the Ohio river
came in view, and we decided. after
having made a 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 han
ding 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 We tried
to turn to the south, and the result
was our landing three and a half
miles from Walton. w Va. in Roane
county, at 1870 Friday afternoon. We
made our landing all right. and after
taking care of the balloon arranged
for its transportation to Charleston.
\ Good Landing.
walton is a somewhat inaccessible
place, and it took US nearly % hours
TO get 10 Charleston. where we ship
ped the balloon and took a train for
this city.
I'VE landed at 100, eastern time.
after having made ATS miles. There
fore our time for the distance was 20
hours and Is minutes. In these races
the reckoning is made by straight line
from the point of ascension to the
point OF landing.
I'VE will be ready for the internal
ticnal race. when Mr.. Mccoy will
pilot his own balloon. America.
Yes. We hope to win the Bennett
cup. and Will make great effort
THE trip we Just concluded was
my twelfth" said Captain Chandler.
"and Mr.. McCoys twenty-second-
Both of US have pilots license from
the Aero Club of America
In explaining some of the technical
details of the trip Lieutenant Chand-
Ter said:
I'VE took some food with us. which
we kept warm in a lime-slacking de-
vice We carried only such fnstru-
ments as We needed to make observa-
lions and some maps. 1t was not at
all cold Friday night, even when we
were highest. We wore no overcoats,
and the air was balrny. It was bright
moonlight, so that We could read our
instruments and maps without the use
OF our flashlights.
Can't Describe 1t.
mo. 1t is hardly possible to describe
the delightful sensation of riding
through the air with the earth thou
sands of feet below. of seeing a whole
city of half a million of people at a
glance, of tracing the winding rivers
and locating the hills One must go
up to appreciate the delights of bal
looming"
do you know you were fired at by
farmer near Chillicothe, Ohio?''
was asked.
mo. we didn't know that We were
targets although during the trip We
heard some Is or 20 shots fired. 1t is
not unusual to hear shots, but a man
must be crazy to shoot at a balloon in
which there are human beings. We
think most of the shots we heard were
not fred at the balloon. but only as a
signal or salute. OF course. If a bullet
were to puncture the bag the result
would be disastrous. and IN all prob
ability the people in the balloon would
De killed