The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-10-16
FELL ON THE SEA
Another American Air Ship Meets
vvith Disaster,
HAD EXCITING TIME

HAU GAGa ! gGVG BGlVB6
The Passengers, Suddenly Finding
Themselves Over Deep Water, Don
Life Preseryers, Descend to Water.
and are Finally Rescued by ISfc
Savers.
A dispatch from Berlin, Germany,
says the second of the three Ameri-
can balloons that started in the race
for the international trophy on Sun
day from Schmargendorf has met
disaster in the North sea. The
Saint Louis" manned by N. H. Ar
mold, of North Adams, Mass, and
Harry J. Hewitt, was carried over
land to treacherous air currents and
later in the haze the aeronauts lost
their bearings until suddenly they
saw the guard lights of an unknown
coast.
This meant that they must de-
scend or risk the danger Of being
driven far out Of the track of Ves-
sells. They chose the former course
and for an hou trhey were buffe,ed
by the waves, olmost giving up in
despair.
Eventually they were rescued by a
life boat, and the first int!matinn that
an accident had occurred to the
Saint Louis" was conveyed in a.
wireless message from Arnold saying:
Lost everything in the North Sea
last night
Following so closely on the dra-
matte experience of A. Holland For
bes and Augustus Post, the naviga-
tors of the "Conquerer," which burst
at an altitude of four thousand feet
soon after the start of the race, both
men having a thrilling escape rom
death, the disaster to The Saint
Louis" was the subject Of excited
interest in Berlin throughout the day
and e,cnirg.
Tho press communicates w5th
MIR. Arnold at Wilhelmshaven, to
which place he had been transport
| ed by one of the torpedo boabs,
which were sent out to lender aaH.
sistance tn any Of the ba.looDists:
who might drift out over the water.
; MI. Arnold told graphic story OF
the mishap. He said:
"All day Monday with the exeepei
ton Gf the ealiJ sfternao1 we were
una BILE to gee the earth and we low
cred the balloon repeatedl to conn
. rulnirate with ~. peo''e 10 ascer-
tain our whereabouts. Apparently
we could not make them understand
l,us l.H:is probable WIS dua TO our
poor German. Finally We 1eclded
to risk proceeding, still having twen-
ty sacks If ballas7.
Moving in a northwes:.r .rly 'lirec-
J 10. u ~. .venine - passed c'.y-
the lights of which visible fiva
miles to the west and NE learned
later that it was Bremerhavcn. Soon
afterwards we noticed light houses
and buoys, which convinced us that
we were moving about big water, but
we had no idea where we were.
I'm order to avoid drifting out OF
the line of ship trafiice we conclud-
ed to 90 down to the water hut be-
efor doing so we put on life preserv-
ers. This was a perolious task, for
) it was dark and there was great
danger of being swampeG in the bag
ket.
After pitching about In the wa
ter for almost an hour and giving
up all hopes Of rescue, Hewitt, who
had climbed into the rigging, dis
covered q fash light and soon after
ward was a life boat approaching
us. The boat, however, could not
reach us, as we were being dragged
through the waves at the rate OF
about fifteen or twenty miles an
hour. The boatman shouted to uE
to jump overheard, which we did.
i 81 tried to save the st. Louis
Clubs ballon by ripping 1t up, hut
the rope was jerked out Of my hands.
About ten minutes later was piched
up by the boat, which in the mean
time had saved my companion.
Hewitt. We were landed mere, too
tired to proceed TO Berlin, whittier
we will go.
Two of the competitors In the en-
duraHce RACES have not been re-
ported, and 1t is hoped that these
escaped the changeable lower cur
rents which affected the other COM
petitors and succeeded at higher al
titudes In reaching Russia.
A report received here from Was-
erloog Island, in the North Sea, says
that balloon passed over there, but
that there was no further tidings Of
it. The fNtllla of torpedo boat de-
stroyers Is searching the North Sea,
where a thick fog prevails.
MAKES POOR SHOWING.