Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1907-11-30

New En9ldnu- hS oPSSN T'NN"'
Was About 35 Miles an Hour-Snow
Storms obscured View Of the Earth.
Concord, N. H.-An aerial voyage,
which had the features of being made
in one of the biggest balloons, carry
ing one of the largest parties, COW
ering the greatest distance and result
ing the most successfully of any ever
made in New England, was sailed
from Pittsheld, Mass, to Canterbury,
N. H., near Concord, Tuesday.
The ascension was made at IL
o'clock in the forenoon, party OF
seven persons, including Pilot Leo
Stevens, going up in the mammoth
balloon All America. 1t was Mr.. Stew
ems hope to pilot the car due east
toward Boston, but, as has been the
case in a majority of the 15 ascen-
sions which have been made from
Pittsfield, the winds blew from the
southwest.
Though he drove the car to an al
titude Of two miles, Mr.. Stevens said,
he was unable to get into any current
which would take him to the east. He
then dropped to within 20O0 or 5000
feet of the earth, and, in light winds,
drifted slowly over the Berkshire hills,
across the Green mountains of south
ern Vermont, up the Connecticut river
valley a way and then across the Gran
ite hills to the south central portion
of New Hampshire, effecting a success
full landing in a field at Canterbury,
nine miles northeast of Concord, at
4.90 o'clock in the afternoon.
Mr.. Stevens said that the party had
encountered snow throughout the voy-
age, but that the fall did not affect the
pleasure of the trip, except that it hid
the view of the country below. The
fact that storms had not been re-
ported at any of the towns along the
balloons course made this report of
snow seem almost Incredible, but Mr.,
Stevens explained that the snow furry
in the clouds had been found before in
instances when none of it fell to earth.
"The snow often really appears from
the balloon to be going up, instead of
falling" added the veteran aeronaut.
The distance from Pittsfeld to Can
terbury, in a straight line, is about
1876 miles, though shifts of the wind
made the balloon voyage considerably
longer than this. Making the trip in
IL hours, despite the snowstorm and
the diversion in its course, the bal
loon made the journey quicker than it
could have been made by ordinary rail-
way connections.
Not the least interesting feature of
the voyage was that a majority Of
those who sailed it were having their
first experience above the clouds, and
their stories upon landing safely were
full of enthusiasm for the sport.
Through correspondents the fight of
the balloon was closely followed, its
passage being reported from al
most every town over which
it sailed, despite the fact that it was
kept at a high altitude and the wealth.
er was generally cloudy
The villagers at Lempstor, N. H.,
saw the big balloon coming over
Lempster mountain, and held their
breath, they said, in fear the basket
would strike the summit of the big
hill, for it appeared from the village
to be dangerously low.
A. F. Winslow, at work on a farm
near Mortified depot, was suddenly
surprised just before dark to see the
big balloon lowering above him. He
threw a horse blanket over a pitch
fork and waved it to the aeronauts,
who indicated that the signal had been
seen by throwing out two newspapers.
About dark the balloon was last re-
ported from North Concord, N. H.,
and for some time thereafter 1t was
wholly lost track of, but a report came
from Canterbury about 5 o'clock that
the party had landed safely in an open
field about a mile and a half south
of Canterbury Centre. y
A party of men at work in the field
Of John Snyders farm had seen the
car descending, and, rushing to the
drag ropes, they caught hold and
pulled the balloon safely to the ground
where the party stepped out, wildly en-
thusiastic over their trip in the clouds
across parts of three New England
states.
After the balloon had been packed
for shipment to New York. Mr., Stew
ems and the rest of the party were
driven in wagons to Penacook, and
came from there to this city by trolley
car.
Mr. Stevens estimated the distance
covered by the balloon as 1870 miles,
the longest trip ever made by a bal
loon in New England, he said About
half an hour after leaving Pittsfeld
the balloon entered a snowstorm,. and
Travelled amid snowfakes all day, al
though the balloon was sent up to
considerable height in an effort to get
clear Of the storm.
When the landing was made the
bag and car carried 700 to 800 pounds
extra weight on account of the snow
and ice clinging to them.
All Of the passengers enjoyed the
journey in spite of the weather con-
ditions, and none of them experienced
any i'll effects. At times air currents
were found which sent the balloon
along at high speed Once after cross
ing the Connecticut river into New
Hampshire, the balloon raced with a
railroad train, and to the party in the
balloon it seemed that the balloon
won,
The total annual capacity for the