The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-11-08
FROM MISSOURI TO
NEW JERSEY in AIR
Interesting Story of Balloon Trip Told
by II. II. Clayton Who Acted as
Guide for the Winner of Re
cent International Race.
cent International Race.


more than a mile above the earth Ii
what IL. ii. Clayton OF the Blue Hill
observatory had To tell last week when
he reached his home in Milton, Mass,
alter landing at Asbury Park, \. d., at
the close ol the international balloon
race.
lie was delighted with his experience,
although the big German balloon Pom
mern, IN spite OF winning the interna
tlonal contest against eight other bal
looms, did not cover sufficient distance u
satisfy It's occupants. Both Oscar Erbs'
ioeh, the aeronaut IN charge, and Mr.
clayton, who went as and and contflbu-
ted much expert knowledge OF the air
currents alott, had an ambition to 30
even farther than they did. Only the
proximity OF the sea stopped them, tot
Alr. Erbsloehs careful management lett
him at the end with about one-thlrd OF
his ballast intact and plenty OF gas. As
to accommodations, Mr.. Clayton said:
The basket IN which Mr. Erbsloeh
and myself lived for 10 hours without
sleep was only three feet by two and
one-halt. 1t belonged TO the German
army and was one OF the finest specI'
mems which 1t is possible to construct.
We were supplied with such provisions
as mutton chops, fried chicken, IN an as
bestos jar, which kept them warm;
bread, coffee, wine, sausage and cooked
eggs.
I'VE were too crowded to sleep, even
ii sleep had been safe. We were also
without chance for exercise, but had
considerable work in the operations nee
essary to the manipulation OF the bal,
loon. The hampers in which our food
and instruments were carried were Hat
on top and served as seats. We alter.
mated the monotony by standing and
sitting. Very much of my time was
spent in leaning over the edge OF the
basket watching the unfolding panorama
below us.
The weather was perfect, sunny days
and moonlit nights with scarcely trace
OF cloud. / suffered no serious inconven-
fence except lack OF sleep"
Describing his novel journey IN detail,
Mr.. Clayton continued:
We lett St. Louis first in the race at
exactly / clock III the afternoon. n
few minutes previous to the ascension
small exploring balloon, such as are now
being sent up from ST. Louis by ,. /.
Ferguson Tor Professor Rotch, was lib
Grated, and by following the motions Of
this balloon it was asCertalned THAI at
height of about 5000 feet the surface
wind, which was blowing towards the
northwest gave way to another and up
Der wind which was blowing towards the
mort beast.
Immediately after leaving the ground
we sought tins upper current, and IN
about ten minutes had reached 1t. AT
that time we were few miles north OF
ST. Louis, and began moving across the
Missouri and Mississippi rivers near
their junction, passing over Acton, Ill.
BY this time the cheering OF the
crowd which greeted our ears as each
balloon left the ground, following each
other at intervals Of five minutes, had
ceased to be audible, but we could hear
the barking OF dogs and other sounds OF
that nature.
Within about an hour after leaving
Alton we passed over a town which we
determined to be Zeno, ILL.,, and thus
found our exact direction. ! carried with
me an instrument for determining lati-
tude and longitude by the stars, as is
done on ships, and in this way was en-
abled to locate our positions with sufii-
Gent accuracy to determine the probable
names of the towns and cities over
which we passed.
soon after midnight we reached the
Wabash, crossing few miles north OF
Terre Haute. Long ere this we had lost
sight of all our companions III the race,
most of whom had been carried off to
the north in the lower current. by
dawn we had passed well into Indiana,
During the night we had been travel,
ing at the height of about mile, and
scarcely a sound OF any earthly thing
reached our ears.
But with the coming of dawn we
heard the growing OF the cocks, the bark
ing of dogs, and the rattle OF early Wag-
ons on the roads. We also saw running
over the valley beneath the sheet OF tog'
the brilliant headlight of an early eiec-
trio car, which seemed like a great sub
marine rapidly winding its way along the
bottom OF a sea OF water, the effect was
weird and fascinating.
During the night the moon had IL
Illuminated the landscape so that the out
lines of farms and houses could be as
.tinguished, but none OF the details OF
the landscape. With the coming oil the
dawn, however, the whole country was
unrolled in a magnificent panorama thaC
can never be forgotten. we passed over
innumerable farms Of various shapes ana
sizes. in all varied colors from deep
green to white, where the land had been
newly ploughed The whole country had
fine appearance of an immense garden
divided into small plots, there beng
very few trees in sight.
"Although the farms looked very
small. | was interested in knowing the
time that we took to cross them
knew that, in reality, they must be a
great many acres in extent ana many
hundreds yards across. But L found that
we were passing from farm to farm az
the rate Of about half minute TO eaen'
"a hont this time we had been study
ing the currents and then. motions a'
different heights by throwing out pa
pers, by means OF which we learned tna .
we were moving rapidly directly east
while the lower currents were moving
toward the northeast.
"Twenty minutes past seven we pass
cd directly over Pittsburg, with ITS IRON
furnaces and immense number OF lights.
Immediately beneath our feet lay beau
tiful view, the Allegheny and Monon-
gabela rolling together to form the ONO
IN a short time we had begun to cross
tba mountains. and during the night
nassed ridge after ridge, lying dark, 81
lent, gray beneath us. Near midnight mt
we We passed Altoona, and toward morning
Harrisburg. We crossed the upper wa
ters of the Susquehanna, and could near
tbe dashing of waves against the rocks
far below. e.-.-f .L Goa
1--WE drew near the surface OF the log
along the valleys at height OF about one
thousand feet and watched Tor any signs
of life in order to ascertain our eIae'
position. We were hailed by watcll,
man at factory, and he told us we
, ,raro a. miles from Philadelphia and
travelling directly toward 1t. ..,,
For nearly an hour we maintained