Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-23
FLIES ABOVE TIE CITY
RACING BALLOON AMERICA CAR
RES FOUR PASSENGERS.

After half days work the big racing
balloon America" the property Of ]. c.
Mccoy, was inflated at the Washington
gas works today, and promptly at Ito be-
gan Its flight, carrying four passengers.
They were Mr.. Mccoy. Allen Hawley. Au-
gust Post Of New York, a member of the
Aero Club, and Leo Stevens, the profess
sional aeronaut.
1t is not to be supposed that the half
day was an spent in Initiating the balloon.
In fact, the actual imitation was done in rec
ord time. 1t occupied just an hour and
fifty minutes. beating the best record made
in this country, at st. Louis. The members
of the club who were present had counted
on at least two hours for the imitation
The facilities for the flight were furnished
by the Washington Gas Light Company and
the location of a vacant lot to the east of
and somewhat above the gas works was de-
clared by the members Of the Aero Club
where The gas had been waiting for some
days In one of the big tanks inside the
building and there had been a me of pipe
laid from the works across the road to the
vacant lot. At the end of this pipe line
there was attached a flexible canvas tube
about foot in diameter, and the gas was
forced through to the bag of the balloon
not only by the natural pressure, but by a
small pumping engine that had been erected
for the purpose in the gas house yard.
Witnessed by Large Crowd.
There was quite q crowd to see the as
cent. Beside the aeronauts who were to
make the ascent, there were CORTLAND Bish-
op of New York. president of the Aero Club:
Colgate Hoyt, also of New York; Capt De
Forrest Chandler of the War Department,
Capt. John Doyle Carmody, Herbert Par
sons, the Chinese ambassador, Sir Chentung
Liang Cheng: William Hepburn of Philadel-
phfa, Walter Heiston, Graham Hume. Prof
Albert Zahm of the Catholic University
William F. Hart of the gas company, Med"
Mclean, son of John r. Mclean; a score
of photographers and newspaper correspond
ents and about 1900 of the populace-
white, black, adults and minors.
The imitation of the balloon was by no
means simple process. The big bag was
spread out fiat, covered with the netting of
3-ie rope. The gas was pumped into it
through the big piping and as the great yell
low silk bag rose there were bags of sand
hooked into the netting all around to keep
the bag from rising too fast and getting
out OF hand. There was a capacity Of 3d.
600 feet to fill, and the great yellow mush-
room grew and grew. the sand bags being
shifted and hooked into fresh places In the
netting as the silk bag rose.
Placing the Car.
Finally the big balloon was clear of the
ground and then came the next act in the
performance. When the bag foated clear
and hung like a great tent over the tar.
paulins which had been spread on the
ground to keep It clean. the car was carried
under and attached.
The car was of wicker work. about -FOUR
and q half by six feet. Inside 1t was lined
and padded. and with pockets for some OF
the instruments and hooks for the Others
There was statiscope to tell instantly
whether the balloon was going up or down,
a compass. recording barometer, hy-
grometer. . recording thermometer and
basket OF provisions and stimulants, be-
side several bags OF ballast and about 400
feet OF drag rope.
The car and equipment weighed 1900
pounds the occupants 500 and the balloon
had a total lift of $500 as she was finally