The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-10-30
TO Be SHOT AT In A BALLOON
ERBSLOEH AND CHANDLER TELL
THE CONGRESS HOW IT FELT.
CackIinw Poultry warned the Farmers. who
Blazed Away with Guns and queries
-Gserman Aeronaut Thinks Wen Win
Next Years big Race nj Berlin.

NsVNbV8 FVutNFy WNVntU tWt ftFttttfNs WIN
Blazed Away with Guns and queries
-tserman Aeronaut Thinls Wen Win
Next Years big Race at Berlin.
Oscar Erbsloeh, the German ~aeronau
who captured the Gordon Bennett prize
In the big balloon race, and Capt. Charles
DE +. Chandler. inner of the Lahm cup,
gave interesting accounts OF their flights
before the international AerOnautical Con-
gress. which held its closing session yester-
day in the rooms OF the Automobile Club
of America.
Both aerial navigators said they had a
lot of difficulty in getting their exact loca-
tons from country folks. who instead Of
answering questions usually tried to ask
some. During Capt. Chambers flight
about thirty shots were fired at his balloon.
but the gas bag was out of range.
Can't. Chandler said that he and Mr..
Mccoy made their trip for the Iahm cup,
because they were without experience AZ
compared with their foreign competitors
n thought it a good idea 20 have a pre-
liminary trip before entering for the big
race.
We got away with II good breeze. SAID
Capt. Chandler. going about eighteen or
twenty miles an hour. and went up to the
northern part Of Ohio and turned TO the
southeast and went down into West Vir-
ginia. The first night was unusually warm.
and we did not Fnt on u overcoats at all.
We talked lSfarmers and found our course
. from tb~fn and from towns that we recog-
nizeH About I o'cloc in the morning
r&e knew just where we were and called
out in a m~egaphone and got an answer from
= farmer who told us we were in Hendricks
county. Indiana. We were just a mile
north Of indianapolis and saw the lights of
the city.
THE chickens and ducks made a great
noise as we passed over. They seemed to
discover the balloon. and | think that was
why farmers got out, believing thai some
body was raiding their coops. Tn farmers
did not always zee the balloon az once,
and when they did the first question they
hurled vas. Where are you going" Eut
we didn't know ourselves. \ great many
farmers did not seem to understand what
the balloon was One MAJ IN West virginia
expressed himself in very forCihle language
In inquiring This was in the daytime.
too.
when we got INTO the West Virginia
mountains We knew we would be a long
time getting out and decided to get down
"a soon az possible. We found on the mar
that we had won the l.ahm cup"
Mr.. Erhsloeh said lac was disappointed
&C having to start first in the race because
in every other event that he had participated
in he had seen much Of the otchr balloons
and been able to get a lire on the DIFFERENT
currents and the speed Of the wind at differ
ent attitudes.
"The first night we were near Alton
and we stayed in the air ut a heigh OF about
5000 feet. II was very hard for us 10 keep
our bearings by the cards we had with us.
When we descended and shouted, What
ia the name of yolr town. or What is the
name of the nearest railway station" folks
would answer Where DO you come from"
And when we told them they asked more
questions, and before W. could get their
replies we would be 80 far away that we
couldn' make out their nswcr
After passing over Fort Washington.
Ohio. we dldn'tl lose our bearings any more,
because ] knew 1t was very important that
we know where We were on account of the
ocean. Going toward the ocean without
knowing our exact location was extremely
dangerous. because If we didn't have our
bearings We might have mistaken the ocean
for one OF You large bays.
About ] O'Clock on the second evening
We went over P~ittsburg. and 1t was very
Interesting to see this large city, with its
lights and fires and railways and street
cars. When We entered Philadelphia there
was a thick fog in the valley, but we could
see the tops Of the chimneys and make out
the electric cars speeding along like sub
marine boats. Factory whistles made such
noise that We could hardly hear ourselves
speak. We were forced to 90 a little higher.
because in our direction there was the
tower Of a church right in the middle of the
city.
After leaving Philadelphia w tried for
The last time TO go in u more northern direc-
ton, or get a more northern current, be-
cause we still hoped to go over New York
and get into Massachusetts or Connecticut,
But we could not find a current toward the
northeast. although we went up TO 10000
feet, and we finally landed in Asbury Park.
i think IL was the finest balloon tripn
/ ever tool in my life. and hope to retur
&c this country and make another try for
the prize | feel that the Americans will
recapture the prize at Berlin next year.
so there is no doubt in my mind that the
Germans will be seen here again two years
from now"
Prof. Zahn suggested to the congress
that it would be a good idea If a special
souvenir in the shape Of "a small flag were
carried by zach contestant IN balloon races
hereafter. IL the contestants ia this race
had dropped flags Of their own nations
they might have been protected from the
chilliness Of the farmers and others who
weren't exactly enthusiastic over balloon
racing.
DIR. p. Polls. director Of a large meteoro-
logical observatory in AiX-a-Chapelle,
who has been studying the methods Of
the United States weather service Tor the
last two months. said il had no superior