Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-20
Nearly Asphyxiated, Amateur
Aeronaut Persists in Flight.
HE DEFIES HIS PHYSICIANS
Wife Gives Consent and He Makes
Ascension.
WAS HIS FIRST TRIP AS PILOT
Valve Cord Entangled, He Climbs to
Top and Is Overcome by
Escaping Gas.

PITTSFIELD, Mass, August 20.-Dr. s..
s. Stowell. a dentist, and William Van
Sleet of New York, who is qualifying as
a. balloon pilot of the Aero Club of Pitts
| field, made flight from Aero Park here
in the balloon Heart Of the Berkshires at
noon yesterday.
Van Sleet was partly overcome by gas.
which he inhaled in climbing to the top
Of the balloon before the start in an
effort to regulate the valve. He was in
such condition that 1t was only after per-
sistent pleading on the part OF the aero
maui and with the consent of his wife that
the officials of the club allowed him to
make the fight. DR.. Stowell had never
made an ascent, and it was Van Sleets
fifth ascension and his FIRST as acting
pilot. :
Valve Cord Entangled.
With the balloon four-f1fths filled it was
discovered that the valve cord had been
tangled and did not fall through the neck
of the balloon as is required to work the
valve. This was caused by the aeronauts
inexperience in setting up the envelope
and valve.
There were but things to do-defate the
balloon or climb to the top Of it.. open
the valve. disentangle the rope. and drop
It down through the neck Of the balloon
Van Sleet determined to scale the bal
loon and arrange the rope. He discarded
his shoes and began work his way up
by the net. 1t swayed in the breeze and
became followed under his weight. When
he neared the top Of the balloon his weight
forced up the envelope about him, COM
pletely hiding him from view.
Three times he essayed to untangle the
rope. The last time he succeeded In toss
ing 1t straight down through the valve,
t4h
dreds of cubic feet Of poisonous gas.
In his endeavor Van Sleet opened the
valve. which is about twelve inches across.
three times. He was eleven minutes IN
completing the dangerous work.
Suddenly those below found the valve
cord in position and heard the crowds
yell, He Is coming down..
Overcome by Gas.
Van sleet. almost yellow in the face
from the effects of the gas, slowly climbed
from the top of the balloon to the
ground.
Friends caught him and laid him on the
ground. where three physicians exam
ined him. DIR. Frank E. West Of Brook
lyn, a specialist on the diseases of the
heart: DR.. r. r. Maxwell assistant SAM
tary superintendent of the health depart
ment Of New York, and DR.. .. S. Roberts
OF Pittsf1eld made tests for heart trouble.
They found Van Sleets pulse at 155 on
the first examination. then it dropped to
IA, went down to 100. and back to 13S,
puzzling the physicians.
DR.. West in his examination found that
Van Sleet has what Is termed an "ath
ietic heart" He advised strongly against
the ascension, fearing his heart would
again be affected by a sudden change into
a high altitude
Dr. Stowell was determined to 60, and
an attempt was made to reach n. A. Ar
mold. pilot Of the North Adams Aero
Club. but he could not be located by tele-
phone.
In the meantime Van Sleet's heart &C.
ton became normal. and he secured tho
permission OF the officers of the Aero
Club to make the flight. The balloon LEFT
the Aero Club Park at 1918. and its de-
scent was reported from Nashua. N. H..
in the afternoon at 4 o'clock Van Sleet
was apparently none the worse for his
trip