Evening star., 1907-10-23
AERO RACERS LAND
AFTER LONG TRIPS
Contest of the First Two Win
Be Close. 49,
GERMANS ARE LEADERS
Pommern Has Covered About $50
Miles.
DUSSELDORF SEEMS TO NEXT
Landed at Asbury Park and Had q
Great Reception-Stopped
Only by the Ocean. szN


MOUNT HOLLY. N. j.. October IA
balloon at a very high altitude and SAN.
Ing rapidly northeastward passed over
Mount Holly about IL: 80 am today, Its
identity could not be ascertained.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
ASBURY PARK. N. j., October a.
The German balloon No. l. Pommern.
Oscar Erbsloeh, pilot, and Henry n.
Clayton, aid, landed at Bradley Park, half
a mile south from Asbury Park proper. at
O'Clock this morning -,
In its descent the anchor rope caught
In tree and the aeronauts caught the
rope and ascended again. Then a second
descent was made. and this time the
balloon landed safely on the shore.
Asbury Park is approximately 800
miles, air line, from St. Louis
The balloon was first seen by Police
Justice John A. Borden of Asbury Park,
who had mounted strong telescope at
his office on Madison avenue, and was
keeping a sharp lookout for the possible
appearance of one of the aerial travellers.
The Pommern got within range Of the
telescope shortly before 9 O'clock. It was
then headed in this direction, and was
soon seen to be rapidly descending In
the vicinity of Bradley Park. The news
of the balloons arrival spread rapidly
and hundreds were soon making their
way to Bradley Park to get look at the
remarkable visitor. .l
The school children had heard Just as
they we:e going into school that big
balloon from St. Louis had landed on the
beach, and there was so much excite
ment among the youngsters that the prin-
cipals decided to close the schools for
the time being and allow their young
charges to VISIT Bradley Park and zee 'tte
sky navigators and their ship
Clayton Enjoyed It.
When the second descent was made the
balloon landed on the beach few hundred
yards from the shore. -Erbsloeh said that
the balloon was in good condition, ana
that he and Clayton, his aid, had enjoyed
the trip immensely.
Mr.. Cla ayton said the voyage from 81.
Louis had taken exactly forty hours less
FIVE minutes, according to the time re-
corded by himself and Erbsloeh. Mr..
Clayton said: This morning we were
over Philadelphia at sunrise. and stayed
there at an altitude of 10000 feet for
titude reached by us on the trip. we
kept moving up and down over the city, a.
we were desirous of finding an air current
that would carry us northward Our am
bition was to reach New York city, and
we are very sorry that we were not quite
a BILE to realize it. We had enough pro-
visions and gas left for further journey
of 500 or COO miles.
Mr. Clayton said that their afrship
had averaged about twenty-five miles an
mn on
give the exact course, but thought tney
had gone in a pretty straight line fp5m
St Louis to Philadelphia. Mr. Clayton
said he had not closed his eyes during
the voyage and he was tired and sleepy
when he alighted from the balloon. MT.
CLAYTON said that they had decided TO
land because the wind was carrying them
out toward the ocean and they found It
would be impossible to make New iork-
News at st. Louis.
ST. LOUIS, October 23.-Intense in
terest prevails here as the end OF the
big balloon race approaches. News OF
the landing of balloons Is coming in
fast, and there is much close 6gurfng
being done to determine the approximate
distances covered by each contestant
heard from. Records for fight dis
tances and for duration are being broken
by nearly every balloon in the race. The
record for the race as sailed from Paris
last year was 402 miles.
The German balloon Pommern. No. ],
with Oscar Erbsloeh as pilot landed today
at Asbury Park, N. j.. after covering an
air line distance from st. Louis OF nearly
$50 miles. The worlds record fo- night.
not made in contest however. 1,1Oo
miles, held by Count Henry de la Vanlx
of France Count de Ia Vaulx also held
the duration record Of forty-one hours
q htntN lie hot n
ceeded by every cup contestant landing
today. The Pommern. up to noon, ap-
parently held the lead In the race.
Another German contestant. the Dus-
apparently second. having landed near
Dover, Del, with a distance of approxi-
mately S25 miles to her credit.
The American balloon st. Louis has
Baltimore. after flight of 7so miles.
The United States landed last night at
Caledonia. Ontario after flight OF go
miles The third American contestant,
the America. with Chandler and Mccoy
in the basket, landed at 8 o'clock this
at Patuxent, Nd, twenty-one
miles from Baltimore.
The English contestant, Lotus II. has
landed In Ohio. 375 miles away, having
descended because of the illness Of Lieut..
the aid to Pilot Brewer.
Landed in Virginia.
Anjou the French balloon landed two
miles from Armenius mines. Louisa
county. Virginia, at 7:45 am. today. estr-
mated distance from St. Louis being TOO
miles. air line.
The contest for first honors Is sure to
be close, and the official record made by
the balloons will not be known until meas
are received from government
sources at Washington.
The Pommerns achievement Is regard
ed with great interest. The daring Ger.
man aeronauts did not descend until con-
fronted by the shores of the Atlantic
ocean. If this condition had not been met
It is believed the Pommern might easily
have exceeded the 1900 miles made by
Count de la Vaulx