Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-06
.BALLOON|STS IN PERIL
Disasters Mark Great Aerial
Race Out of Chicago.
WINNER REACHES QUEBEC
Blue Ribbon to Fielding-San An
tonic Gas Bag.
NARRATIVES OF DANGER
of Vile de Dieppe Nearly
Drown-Other Chopped
by Barbed Wire.

CHICAGO. ILL.,, July 6-Disaster marked
the big balloon race. which started from
this city last Saturday. in which there
were nine contestants. and which was
won yeste rday by the F'ielding-San An
tonic.
Several of the pilots were badly injured
in making landings, and there were mar
row escapes from death. The most thrill
ing experience was that Of Capt. A. E.
Mueller, pilot Of the French balloon Vile
de Dieppe, and his fifteen-year-old as
sistant. George Schoeneck, who were drag
ged for ten miles along the surface Of
Lake Michigan in momentary danger Of
death by drowning.
The aeronauts during a three-quarters
of an hour battle for life in the darkness
saved themselves by throwing overheard
every movable thing in the basket and
taking at times to the rigging.
The occupants of the Cincinnati saw
the disaster to the Vile de Dieppe and
landed in Covert, Mich, in order to adj
wise Chicago.
When the Vile de Dieppe left Chicago
it was inflated to only Is per cent Of its
capacity. owing to a catch on the gas
lematical. Capt. Mueller said the bal
loon had travelled less than five miles
across the lake when 1t suddenly shot
down like a stone. The basket was al
most submerged despite the frantic eff
forts of Mueller and Schoeneck to Tighten
the load. Sand. provisions instruments.
anchor. drag rope and even the coats OF
the pilots were tossed overheard. Each
grasped life preserver, and Schoeneck
tried to leap into the water. but he was
prevented by his older companion.
Dragged Through the Water.
The boy. Schoeneck, was ordered to
climb into the rigging. but Mueller re-
manned in the car. although the cold wa
ter was above his waist. The Cincinnati
passed over them while they were in this
plight and promised to send them as
sistance. Mueller waved them on their
course as the Vile de Dieppe was already
beginning to right itself, according to the
direction Of the wind.
For ten miles the basket was dragged
over the surface of the water at a rapid
rate. Sometimes it dipped alarmingly
into the waves and at others rose a few
inches above the surface. Schoeneck
chung desperately to the rigging, the jerk
of the big bag nearly tearing the cords
from his grasp So tightly was he COM
PEELED to clinch the ropes that his hands
were cut deeply by the rasping of the
cords. Then without warning the balloon
swept into a stratum of warm air and
leaped to height OF 1000 feet The ear
drums of Schocneck and Mueller nearly
burst from the effects of the sudden
change, the boy screaming with pain and
shivering with cold Mueller. despite his
own misery, took the lad in his arms and
warned him as much as possible. For
tunately the bag did not remain long at
the high altitude beginning to descend
slowly almost Immediately.
How long they remained above the
clouds was impossible for Mueller to de-
termine Without instruments he was
unable to calculate time. direction or dis
lance. Soon. however. they were able to
distinguish the lights of town beneath
them. and they knew that solid ground
was there. They passed these lights and
then sighted another group. Certain that
safe landing place could be found
Mueller made preparations to descend.
Descent Made Safely.
The valve was opened gradually. and
the balloon settled slowly. At ten minutes
of Q O'Clock they landed gently in field
three miles from Benton Harbor. Mich.
The rip cord was buried in the soil, and
It took three hours of hard work be-
fore the bag could be gathered into a
compact roll. At midnight the men
boarded an electric car and went to Ben
ton Harbor. where they tried vainly to
send a message to Chicago as the regu-
lar telegraph Office was closed for the
night
The receipt of the messages from Had
dock and Howard Of the Cincinnati
l - IL