Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1907-04-23

Like Tiny Speck
Over South
Shore.
HAD FAST TRIP.

People in this vicinity, looking oxer
the south shore yesterday Afternoon,
saw, high in the air, a tiny s1eslk
moving eastward at rapid rate-
Some wondered what it was II
floated along before the wiud, and
not few arrived at the conclusion
that it was balloon. But whether
it was a toy affair or one carrying
passengers was not known. It soon
disappeared over South Amboy
This object which aroused much
curiosity hereabouts, was actually
balloon carrying two men. They
were Alan r. Hawley, OF New York.
and Arthur f. Atherholt, of PhiIa-
delphia. The balloon belonged to "A.
N. Chandler, of Philadelphia, and had
started from that city at 12:37
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. 1t came
down in creek near Matawan at
2;31 o'clock, having travelled from
Philadelphia TO Matawan, distapte
of about eighty five miles in less than
two hours
Shot Up for z 1000 Feet.
First shooting UP to height Of
1000 feet at Philadelphia and rush
ing northeast at terrific rate. the
balloon called the Initial, and having
a capacity of 5000 cubic feet, went
at the rate of almost mile minute.
Once it got up 1000 feet and IL WAS
only by luck that the aeronauts es-
capped being carried out to sea. As it
was, they landed in a creek and both
of them were rather badly bruised.
Hawley is qualifying for the iuter-
national balloon races to be held at
st. Louis next October. In order to
do this he has to make ten ascenSions,
of which this is the sixth.
With Atherholt, who grew Interest,"
ed in ballooning in Paris, he started
from the grounds of the United 9Ss
Improvement Company at Point
Breeze, Philadelphia. Mr.. A|ther-
holt said after the trip:
Story of the Trip.
! "It was the most sensational ascen-
sion Hawley and l ever made. First
we went up to a prodigious height
and then found that the wind was
blowing gale up there. 1t was bear
ing us straight to New York at the
rate of forty or fifty miles an hour,
and we decided to stay in 1t and break
the record. 1t was perfectly clear and
we went rushing along at express
speed at 1000 feet height. Suddenly
something atmospheric occurred, be-
fNuge we went shooting up To a high
fl level A little over an hour and
quarter had passed, when we saw
the sea off to the east. Up to then VIC
had not known where we were Then
we dropped into the creek. Wet and
a few bruises and that's all.
Mr.. Hawley was at the New York
Aero Club last night telling the me1n-
bers about it. At the start, he said.
the balloon was banged against tho
sides of the gas tank with such forca
that she threatened to 30 to pieces or
throw Hawley and Atherholt out.
: Seeing the danger Hawley cut the
rope without warning. The balloon
shot up over mile before the men IN
: the car gained control Hawley sui
fered no trouble with his breathing
, and noticed no cracking of The 0Eiter
envelope of the balloon.
At 80 Miles an Hour.
The big gas tank struck its gait
above the mile level and started north
under f1fty-mile an hour breeze.
Later the course changed to north
east. The highest altitude attained
was over New Brunswick, N. j.,
NhCLC LAG AAcLl uii1SAt7 ASSoA0SA e~e1SuS
. S.612 feet.
: At 2:10 the balloonists found
v themselves over Matawan. The wind
a was increasing and the sun beat down
), so strongly that both men suffered
= severely from sunburn.
They decided to try for landing,
but as The balloon descended they
found that they were directly over the
village and fearing a wreck among
the houses they threw out ballast
i. and sailed over to the west side Of
the town, where they descended. The
anchor failed to take hold and the
: balloon dragged into shallow creek
!, which was so crooked in its course
: that Hawley and his friend got duck
. ed several times before they were
, rescued by party of villagers whnA
! had rus out TO see the fun. Hawl0y
lost his barometer in the mixup.
Mr. Hawley told the Aero Club that
they must be careful in making bai-
loon trips near the coast or the ocean
would get them. He had observed,
he said, that all the upper currents
, near the coast tend to carry the bal
!, loon out to sea. He thought that tie
balloonists who are to make ascen-
sions at the Jamestown Exposition
should be warned.
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