The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-11-15
A WOMAN SAILS
OVER THE BIG CITIES
Philadelphia to New York in the
Champion Pommsrn.
RACES WITH TRAINS AND SHIPS.
DR.. Julian p. Thomas, Wife and Party
Just Miss a Monument in Going UP
Parallel the Pennsylvania Railroad
Nearly All the Way-Feared Going
Out to Sea.

New York Especially The giant
German balloon, Pommern. which
won the st. Louis race, tried another
trip, with DR.. Julian P. Thomas, her
new owner; his wife and four other
people on board. The start was made
from Philadelphia at IL o'clock. DR..
Thomas said at the time that he was
going to New York. Sure enough,
at 4.55 o'clock the ship news experts
at the Battery sighted a strange craft
heaving in sight over Governors Is
land. They guessed her to be the
Pommern, from Philadelphia for New
York, in ballast, and guessed right.
After passing over the fort at Gov
ernors Island, the balloon held to a
course up the East River, passing
directly over the Brooklyn Bridge.
One of the bridge cops who is sta
toned at the middle span picked up
a newspaper which blew against his
legs shortly after O'Clock and read
about the start of the Pommern. A
moment after he had read the item
he was beseiged with questions about
the balloon, then overhead, and was
able to uphold the honor of the force
by telling the people all about it.
After crossing over the bridge the
Pommern held to a course along the
Long Island shore, and about 6
o'clock DR.. Thomas party effected
landing at One Hundred and Seventy
fifth Street and West Chester Az
enue, in the Bronx.
An hour afterward DR.. and Mrs.
Thomas were back in their apart
ment, at the Hendrix Hudson, One
Hundred and Tenth Street and River
side Drive, and the Doctor was telling
of his experiences as calmly and with
as much interest as though he had
been discussing uncooked food. With
DR.. Thomas were Lieut.. Robert Hen
derson, chief engineer of the battle
ship Missouri, and Capt. T. T. Love
lace, of the Aero Club of America.
Oscar Erbstoch, who piloted the Pom
mern when she won the race at st.
Louis, and Herr r. Erbstoch, who
also took part in the trial, had gone
back to their apartments downtown,
and were not present when DR..
Thomas told his story.
DR.. Thomas said:
ct had studied the methods of the
French, having been the first man
from this country to make an ascen-
sion with Count de la Voulx, and
the American methods, as shown by
Roy Knabenshue, whom I consider
to be the best in this country, and
I wanted to see what the Germans
could do.
81 closed with the Germans for
the purchase of the Pommern. and it
is interesting to note as giving the
view point of men who go up in the
air, that, while they did not doubt
my ability to pay, they wished
to receive all Of the money before l
made the ascent, thinking it easier,
perhaps, to settle with me than my
heirs.
eve started at Ii o'clock in the
gas works at Point Breeze. The
balloon was equipped with % bags
of ballast, weighing, altogether, so
pounds. The six passengers weighed
about a thousand pounds. I an
nounced before I started that l
would go to New York, but the
balloon was managed by Herr Erb-
stoch and the credit of the remark
able trip should be given to Ger
man methods"