Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-07
FELL 5000 FEET.
Aeronaut Forbes Tells Of Drop OF One
AaH q Mile.

Aeronaut Forbes Tells Of Drop OF One
Half . Mile.
WASHINGTON. Nov. "a. Hol-
land Forbes has brought to Wash
ington the first direct account OF the
Earning OF his balloon (Conqueror) and
hts thrilling fall OF 5000 feet. during
the internatioaal balloon races at Ber-
lin. Mr.. Forbes is at the New VIII
lard Hotel.
I look forward with much interest
TO making flight In this part OF the
country" Mr.. Forbes said TO re-
porter yesterday. land ! en- glad 10
have the opportunity Gen. Allen has
given me. Gen. Aleen was with us III
Berlin. and shared OFT patriotic, but
unfulfilled hops In my balloon. the
Cc.queror. which burst 5000 feet in
The air, above Berlin. a fewE minutes
after Augustus Post and went up.
Thrilling Drop.
We got out OF that fell without
scratch. as was cabled to America at
the time. hut 1t was thrilling time
for us and miraculous escape. ana
| shall never forget the exps rlsncc'
Neither will Post.
We dida't think much OF the acct
dent while 1t was hGppenns-'here
was no time for that. l had just re-
marked to Post how well the balloon
was working Wh,a the noise Of the
explosion came.
Post ccolly looked aioit. and said:
"Frbes. shes Sone." / looked over
head. and instantly comprene1ded our
danger. Post says said; oh. hell!
We were up exactly $500 feet. as
the instruments showed. We came
down that $500 feet in two minutes.
We were coming down. all right.
81 grabbed the ropes and tri- to
parachute down. We fell 1880 feet
like a piece OF lead. We threw out
sand. 3S bags-l had a ton OF II "a
the paliCUn-a bag AT r time. We
were going down so fact that 1t ap-
p2ared that the sand was going up
in the air. past US, as We fell. fos'
and I were worried about hitting the
each other about that. BM In thase
eac bother about that. Rut In those
crowded two minus We didn't have
time to worry about ourselves.
After some nightly speedy work.
got the ropes SO We could parachute.
and right underneath US I saw. an
apartment house. 1t seemed TO- BE-
coming right up from the car'h -
meet US, AID 1t vas coming fast.
Both Said -Gooo-oy."
Il never shall forge Post as he
was ,hen-the coolest man ever saw.
When he 90; sight OF that mansaTi
roof coming u to US. h. reached over
and said: Gooi-by. Forbesry. Cd
MAJ I SHOOK hands aud said: GooJ'
by. GUS And that's all there vas 10
it, Then VIC struck.
The car VI ;he balloon went crash
ing through the root OF that apartment
house tiles. laihing. p,aste1ne. and
sN. and We found Ourselves unc"n'
noIiously entering a lsdy's bedroom.
Fortunately. she was not al home
Sire was at the ha'inn" rae" STornds-
amcng The Other S..upo OF so y OPT"
who gathered TO see US start. Tina;
crowd was a nile square.
The kaiser seni a mciorcsr 10 us.
with en- OF bis sdjuisnts. ard the
military and police helped 10 d'SsI'
,angie us from the rigging. They "S',
pected to find MS dead. ot cours
III; wc were no. hurt biz. ard IN:
kaiser sent Is a hoy for the Opera
the following night,
AT the opera We met LADY Who
Vas present in tee crowd when We
fol. with her TAO little strls. and
xhcn she yaid the gas bag burst IN"
big crowd sighed, and then - ahso-
lutte siI"ncc watched W. cot down.
a'owd Tor Ms. ard sfter~ 2rds heard
aicui for US. andi ards hard
;as, when they learned a. cur safety
thcy prayed asa.n. n gratitude for cur
lives having bcc3 spared
Jacques raurc. In his bslcpn. va
ncsr US anc saw the Cnnauc.or burst.
ard he folc r,s afterwards that Err
siceh. Who saw MS be thr ROOF. mega
phoaed 10 him from hfs ,oIlecn.
G'surs mesapsosed hack tha, Ne had