The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-05
Army Entrant Has Slight
Accident in Chicago
Getaway.
PILOT KNOCKED
TO FLOOR OF CAR
Women Climb Fences to Get
Glimpse of Diminishing Specks.
Goal Is the Atlantic.

CHICAGO. July A-In the teeth Of a
terrific gale amid the cheers Of a big
crowd. The French balloon FieIding-San
AntoriO. OF Texas. piloted by Capt Ii
L honeywell, rose majesucaliy from
aero Park this afternoon. inaugural
ing an aerOnautiC race mat mas attract
ed the attention Of the world The race
is from Chicago 70 the Atlantic ocean
Within q few seconds the King Ed
ward. with Gerald Gregory and Johns
bennett. raised its great bulk making
way for tire Ameriea-
The crowd mat mad assembled q
wish the daring aeronauts bon vovaEe
stood agape as the whiriLE winds Of
the high attitudes cIurched the Inflated
bags. and raced them away on the un-
Eanesscd flight Mouths were open aud
from che vast assemblase OF fashion
able women and interested men arose q
mingled grOsn and cheer
Suddenly the army balloon with its
great banner bearing the Legend,
United States Army" shot into the air.
Seered, and then Careened- A muffed
moan arose as the big crowd realized
that something had happened
Army Balloon In Accident.
WHAT it was no one could distinguish
IN the short interval so FUN OF peril as
the gas filed bag with its human freight
dashed against a telegraph pole finglng
the pilot Capt A 2 Shirley 20 the
floor or the huge basket The assistant
pilot. Horace 3. Wild. who has distin-
gUished himself by numerous airship
flights in Chicago grasped the situation
instantly.
Pulling the pilot 10 his feet he set 10
work hinging The huge bags OF ballast
and the majestic sphere pitched forward
and. describing q circle. was cauEh- ID a
gust Of wind that swept the balloon
out Of reach Of danger
Women who had turned their heads
away fearing q fatal carastrol. he. were
enbOldened 20 another glance upward
- tumultuous cheering One by one
the big inflated spheres shot upward
and at last the Chicago, with Charles
A Coey and G. l. Bumbaugh at the
compass cast or the ropes and the "a e
was on.
Women Climb Fences.
With field glasses trained on the d.
miuishing specks In the sky the crowd
sat in amazemenL specializing upon the
terrors Of Lake Michigan and the pos
sibility Of accident Women climbed TO
the top OF fences, regardless Of the peril
20 gowns and limbs and remained poised
and staring till the huge balloons were
lost IN the white clouds Of TIE east.
Others rushed 70 waiting automobiles
for a swift run 10 some vantage point
on the lake front
II was easy sailing for the Fielding.
a
and some enthusiastic spectators dis
played money with coa-ing banters for
a wager that il would maintain its ad-
vantage 10 the bitter end Of the con
test.
The first Information Of consequence
was flashed TO Chicago from the steam
snip TneccOre Roosevelt on its return
voyage from Michigan City. Ind Wire
less bulletins explained THAI the racing
balloons were sailing directly east, ap-
Darcnrly under perfect control.
The Contests.
Following are the entrants. balloons.
and pilots. ard the order Of the start:
l. Fieldlng-San Acknowledged Il. Z.
Honeywell and DR.. Frederick J. Field
ing.
. King Edward-Georse Gregory and
John Bennett
3. Vile de Dieppe-Capt- A E AIueI-
Ter and GeOrse SChOeneCk-
+ United S1ates-CoI- a. P. Shirley
and Il. B. Wild.
. Auerica-Capt- P S Hudson and
Lieut.. J. J. Meade. L 5 n c.
s. Cincinnati - Leslie HaddoCk and
George Howard.
Z Columbia-C. H Leichliter and Capt
Martin Peterson. troop +.
S Illinois, L. Case and c. II. Per-
riEo.
. ChicagO-Charles Andrew Coey and
G. l. Bumbaugh.
The big international race was prompt
ed for the AeronautiQue Club, OF Chi
cago, by William c. PiCkeus. a former
newspaper man OF Birmingham, Ala.