The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-12-27
BALLooNING SAFE AS BOATING.
Interesting Illustrated Lecture by T.
H. White of New York.


Frederick II. White of New York
gave an illustrated talk on Ballooning
as a Sport recently. He says that the
sensational aeronauts, who usually as
cend with hot air balloons, making
parachute jumps, and who take pains
10 impress the public with the dangers
thev incur. are responsible for most
of the common fear of ballooning'
which. he declares, has little founda'
tion in the case of scientific gas bal
looms. He showed some highly inter
estinp lantern slides and moving PIE
lures made from photographs which he
took during four aerial voyages.
Mr. White said that while many sun
look upon ballooning as foolhardy, IL
was surprising how ready people were
to 90 up if opportunity offered. Per'
sons were often surprised to find that
they experience no fear or nervousness
in the air, even at great elevation
He said that the same men who ad-
vanced automobiling in its early
stages are now applying their energy
TO the introduction of ballooning as
sport. and he implied that within
few years the timidity regarding 1t
will disappear and it will be a favor
ite pastime. many owning their own
balloons as they now own automo'
biles.
He presented pictures of the bal,
looms in the st. Louis international
race being inflated, and of other as
eensions: also pictures taken from the
basket, all the way from the ground
at the starting points to the landing
places, showing buildings and country
scenery from only short distance IN
the air and villages, rivers, lakes ana
mountains from great elevation, all
of which were very clear and beautl'
full. .u
Mr.. White described the care with
which every part of the balloon IS
made and the process of getting IL
ready on the spot where the voyage Is
begun. which embraces many more
details than one might imagine. Ev-
erv rope used in the net or elsewhere
is capable of bearing about ten times
the strain that is expected to come
upon it. Hydrogen has about twice
the lifting power of coal gas, whlle
water gas is practically powerless TO
lift.
A picture was shown of the barom-
eter. which records by line made on
chart with pen the course upward
or downward of the balloon through
out the voyage. This instrument,
however, he said was consulted only
occasionally during the voyage, while
the statoscope was watched almost
constantly to know whether the bal
loon was rising or falling.
The art of ballooning, he said, con-
sisted chiefly in skill in throwing out
sand or ballast, which is done with
great care, and only handful or Two
at time, as when the aeronaut runs
short of sand he must come to earth,
for sand serves as a brake, and ne
cannot afford to go down such a hill
without brake.
Mr., White IS first ascension was
from Washington, D. G. He showed
fine pictures Of points in and near the
city. some of the most remarkable be-
ing of railroad trains from directly
overhead. One moving picture showed
two trains meeting and passing eacn
other. the long streams of smoke and
steam making striking and beautiful
effect amid the green forest.e
The second trip was from North Ad-
ans over part of Vermont, including
Brattleboro and Bellows Falls, and
part of New Hampshire. Several pic
tures showed the shadow of the bal
loon on the ground or in lakes far be-
low. He found it took two minutes
for a note attached to nail to fall
900 feet from the balloon to the
earth.
His third voyage was from Pittsfield
across Massachusetts and part Of New
Hampshire in the "America as one
of a party of eight, and the fourth ne
made alone, wishing to see how 1t
seemed to be his own pilot.
Mr.. White says that one may be IN
an S0.mile breeze and never know 1t
as there is no vibration. He said the
pictures one sometimes sees of bal
| loon 40 feet or so in the lead of the
basket, supposedly because OF the
wind. are wholly untrue, for the bas-
ket always hangs straight down.
He surprised many of his hearers by
saving that if hole two or three
inches in diameter were to be made in
the balloon while in the air it would
not be a dangerous thing, as the gas
would not escape rapidly and there
would be ample time to descend be-
fore the effect would be serious.
He declared the fear of balloon
bursting without foundation. There
was not near so much chance OF bal
loon puncturing or bursting as of an
ncean liner sinking. "BalloOning real