The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-25
BALLOON TRIP OVER ALPS.
Story of the Achievements by Captain Speternl, the Veteran Aeronaut.

From the New York Sun.
 Captain Spelterini the well known Swiss aeronaut, started on July 20 from Ander matt (elevation about 4600 feet above the seal. in the balloon Augusta, made at hind Mueller's hotel, Bellevue, facing the scientific trip over the Alps. It was his 539th ascent and his notebook has not yet recorded a single accident
 The captains intention was to pass the central Alps with a southwest wind. At 5:S0 a. m. he gave directions to have the 1720 cubic meter balloon filled with gas. This was of the greatest interest even to experts, since the Gradenwitz- Berlin system of filling was to be used for the first time, the system adopted by .he Swiss Balloon company.
 The hydrogen gas. contained in 120 steel flasks. under a pressure of 150 atnos- pheres, was transported on twelve mill tary wagons from Berne to Andermatt. The transportation as far as Goeschenen took place by the Gotthard railroad, and was comparatively simple; but from that point to Andermatt the carriage in five horse wagons was very difficult. This part of the journey required three days. On a favorable plot of open ground pe- in the Swiss Balloon company The entire giants of the Gotthard group of noun tains, the balloon was prepared for the ascent.
 The filling required about two hours and was conducted under the direction of Engineer Albert Meyer, first lieutenant Roth of Basel. Switzerland entered the place and the hills around about were covered with spectators. great number of Swiss officers were also present.
 The captain and his companion, Dr. remarkable but Spelterini wanted to se- basket, and at 9:20 a. m. the ascent be- gan. The wind soon changed to north- west and the balloon moved southward to- ward the Castlehorn and the Val Maggil
 Among thu instruments carried along the most interesting were an assman- nometer a thermograph (especially made for this purpose by the mech anic Fuess in Berlin) Hipleh kinemato- graph, two barographs and a large col lection of photographic plates.
 The landing of the balloon was safely made south of Bergamo at 4:30 pm. on July 20. The route tho balloon had taken in it's seven hours flight was about 120 miles long, measured in a horizontal direction, and its course from Andermatt was first over the Castle horn, then over the FurkaegS, the Mon ta Rosa, the St. Gotthard mass, the Pig Sassello (with its roughly serrated for mation) and the Val Maggia, then over the valley of the Ticino, over Monte Generoso and Monte Bigorio, then east LuRanO ton 1Jake LukdHOJ, ONtI lnt Monte Ere and across Lake Lugano at Grandia, tn ence eastward toward Bella gio; here north wind suddenly struck the balloon and carried it over the Mon te Caprino to the Val Pesura. From this point a south wind carried it over the Lago al Pusiano again at a point not far from Flora. During the voyage the temperature never sank below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
 Tn tha vicinity of Erba the ballOOn reached it's greatest height of 13,7S0 feet, and then suddenly fell to 2000 in consequence of the condensat tion of gas, involving a great loss of ballast
 The balloon was then driven further southward nearly parallel to the course of the Adda as far as the Milan Brescia railroad line, where change of wind sent 1t toward the north east in the di rection of Bergamo.
 A few miles south of Bergamo Cap tain Spelterini decided to make land- ing. A dead calm favored the object and preserved the instruments in the basket intact.
 Of the original 1540 pounds of ballast only TIC pounds remained The country people gave the captain cheerful aid which was quite a new departure, since until recently they were in, the habit of treating such adventures as military spies Spelterini with great difficulty, however. persuaded them to throw away all light ed pipes and cigars so as to avoid an explosion of the balloon gas. The bal loon was then transported to Berg---~- by an OK team.
 The low altitude of this ascent was quite remarkabe but Spelterini wanted to se- cure good photographs. Scientifically nothing remarkable was experienced in this voyage Accepted observation of other aeronauts were, however, substan- tiated. For example, while there is general current of air at higher alti- tudes In a particular direction and counter current in the opposite direction below, in particular terrain forma tions the lower current may be limited in val leys by the pressing down of the upper current, or on mountains the upper cur rent may be limited by the pressing up of the lower curi-lt.
 From this it follows that observation stations on high points Gops of noun tafns) may give deceptive indications of the general direction of air currents at particular elevations. The only reliable means of observations appears to be the so-called pilot balloons which have been In use for several years past