New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-10-28
ADR|FT IN A BALLOON
Experience at Sea Of Interna-
tionaI Balloon Racers.
FACING DEATH IN THE DARK.

mann Were Blown From Rescue Ship.
clasped Fingers In Farewell While
clinging to Ropes-HaiI From Boat
Sweetest Sound They Ever Heard.
On board the steamship Prinz Will
helm, which recently arrived at Leith,
Scotland, were DR.. Niemeyer and his
assistant Hans Heidemann, the crew
of the German balloon Busley, one of
the competitors in the great interna-
tional balloon race which was held at
a suburb of Berlin.
DR.. Niemeyer and Herr Heidemann
arrived in London wearing cheap
ready made clothing which they
bought in Edinburgh, virtually having
been naked when rescued. The sail
ors of the collier which picked them
up lent them garments until they could
purchase Others
Their story of the hours when they
believed they were facing death upon
the night waves of the North sea is
thrilling, says special London cable
dispatch to the New York Sun. After
being blown over CuXhayen they
were not alarmed at the prospect of be
ing carried across the sea. On the
contrary, they were elated, for the
wind was driving them northwest, and
as it was estimated their gas would
last fifteen hours they saw a prospect
of landing in England and winning the
race But little later the wind veer-
ed and, blowing with terrific force,
drove them northward through pitch
realized the situation Dr. Niemeyer
exclaimed, ''Now we have done it"
Yes, we are in for it, responded
Heidemann, and each was silently busy
with his own thoughts.
Presently they saw the lights of two
or three ships far below. They shouted
and signaled with their electric lamps
in vain. They were driven helplessly
for two hours. About dawn they saw
the lights Of the Prinz Wilhelm and
signaled frantically, and at last the
steamers foghorn answered them.
Dr. Niemeyer, telling the story, said:
''Heidemann shouted, we are saved"
but we little knew The worst was yet
to come Suddenly we realized that we
were travelling much faster than the
steamer and unless we opened the
valve and dropped the chance of res
cue would be gone. | opened the valve
of the balloon and the car struck the
waves with tremendous force. The
car, being weighted with ballast, in
stantly SANK, and we were submerged
| to the armpits. AZ
| eve climbed the ropes and grasped
the extension ring. There was enough
gas left in the balloon to keep it above
the water, but the whole thing was
driven Topping through the waves
which buffeted us in the darkness. We
were suddenly thrown into consterna-
ton to see the Prinz Wilhelms lights
! growing DINNER, and we watched them
lessening until they almost disap-
| peared.
eve could not believe that we were
abandoned 1t must be that we were
still speeding faster than the steamer.
The gas bag acted as a sail, and our
/ only hope seemed to be to rip it. Pull
ing the ripping cord with all the
strength left in my numbed arms, the
envelope collapsed on the water and
the car sank deeper.
I Half frozen and choked by the
waves, which we could not avoid, with
eyes snarting from the salt water and
naked except for our trousers, having
hastily stripped in readiness for a
SWIM we still held on for our lives
with our hands, having lost all foot
hold when the basket sank.
1.-THE steamers lights We're now mere
specks in the darkness. So they haG
abandoned us. Men, men, how cal
you forsake us? 1t isn't human!
shouted futilely.
''Then the lights vanished altogether
We saw our end near. ] said to Heide
mann, I cannot hold out much longer
"'Nor can T. he answered quietly.
GAS we gripped the netting for a new
hold our hands touched. We involun
tarily clasped fingers.
s.Goodby.' l said. 1t won't las
much longer
g .Goodby.' responded Heidemann.
81 shut my eyes to await the end
Suddenly out of the darkness we heart
a shout 1t was human voice, tn
sweetest sound / ever heard. Rapid.
nearing us was boat which the Prin
t Wilhelm had sent to find US.
Catch hold of the oar!' shouted
5 voice in the German tongue, and tn
3 boat drew alongside, and the BRAY
! sailors with difficulty helped US o.
: board
4 II hardly know how we fought deaf
E and won. Twenty minutes later tn
; steamer came up and took us on board
S 1t picked up the balloon too. The cal
tain and crew treated us in the bes
i possible manner, and, thank God, W
y are here to say so. But we are disal
s pointed that we did not win tn
S trophy"