The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-10-15
BALLOON BURSTS
4.0OO FEET IN AIR
STARTLING ACCIDENT IN THE IN.
TERNATIoNAL RACE.
YANKEES IN DIRE PERIL
Envelope Forms Parachute and Forbes
and Post Escape Almost Un.
hurt-Twenty.Three Air.
ships Start.

balloon race, Wnlch started sunday
from the suburb of Schmargendorf
was the occasion of thrilling acct
dent, two American aeronauts having
a miraculous escape from death. The
American balloon Conqueror, the only
American built craft in the contest
having on board A. Holland Forbes
and Augustus Post, less than two min
utes after the start, burst at an alti
tude of 1000 feet.
For 1000 feet it shot down like a
bullet, and then the torn silk bag as
sumed the shape of a parachute, and
the rapidity Of abe descent was
checked. Coming close to the earth,
however, the basket smashed into the
roof of house, but the two mon es
capped with but slight injuries.
The race, in which 23 balloons par.
ticipated, representing Great Britain,
France, Germany, the United States,
Switzerland, Italy, Belgium and Spain
started at three o'clock in the after.
noon in the presence of at least $4,000
spectators.
SS''dpoC VI VIC
The second batch of eight balloons
was led by Forbes in the Conqueror,
| which was started with some difficulty
| owing to a gusty wind and too much
ballast. But eventually it shot up and
reached high altitude in an incred,
IDLY short period, the basket swaying
violently. Then almost instantly a
cry Of horror arose from the crowd,
who saw the silk collapse and shout
ed: THE balloon is ripping up
thousands who had gathered there
stood for a moment petrified. Some
turned away, fainting as they saw the
| balloon falling with lightning-like
rapidity. At the same time showers
OF sand and appurtenances of the bal
loon shot downward with equal rapid
ity and then daylight was seen through
the envelope. great ragged edges of
the silk showing On either side.
Wonderful Escape from Death.
They are killed." went in hushed
whisper through the crowd but short.
ly the remainder of the envelope ap,
| peared to take first triangular shape
and then was transformed into a sort
Of parachute at the top of the net and
| the progress of the wrecked balloon
was considerably arrested.
It came down slower and slower
| meanwhile being swept by the wind
far to the southeast and finally disap,
peared from view behind a block of
houses. The suspense among the
| crowd was terrible. But a few min.
utes later q telephone message was re-
| ceived from Friedman which an
nounCed that the men had landed and
had not been seriously injured.
A. Holland Forbes, who appeared to
be very little the worse for his ex,
perience except that he was suffering
somewhat from shock, gave thrilling
account of the accident.
Forbes Tells of the Accident.
eve had some difficulty" he said
'in getting away, but once we left
the ground everything seemed to be
right. We mounted almost perpendic
ularly TO an altitude of 1000 feet. As
| looked at the recording instrument
to make note of the altitude, heard
peculiar swish and said to Post
That sounds dangerous Immediately
| saw that the envelope was rapidly
| debating, the gas escaping in clouds
Instantly | threw the appendix clear
of the basket and the ropes and, draw.
ing my jackknife, cut the ropes that
were attached to the 80 bags of sand
| hanging around the basket.
Post in the meantime threw over
everything portable. We could see
| however. that we were falling more
rapidly than some Of the elected ar
| ticles. Later, when the descent oil
the balloon was checked, we observed
/ one bag of sand fall into a baby car
riage, which was smashed to pieces
but fortunately the nurse snatched out
the baby and saved its life
Envelope Forms Parachute.
Both of us sprang up and held or
to the ring above. hoping in this way
to avoid the crash. Then above us
could be seen the envelope gradually
spreading out. We continued to fall
with terrific speed until sort of para
chute had been formed and then we
knew that unless a further mishap oc
Cured, we would probably be saved
from death.
Our. speed did not decrease as
much as we should have liked and we
were still moving at a rapid pace when
We reached the tops of the high
houses in the streets. which increased
the danger. We passed over one roof
almost touching it, and still holding
on to the ring. We avoided the next
block, but finally struck the mansard
roof of house in the block adjoinine
and the net and envelope fell to the
opposite side"
All the balloons Sunday took a sim
liar direction which would lead, II the
same course we're followed, into south
eastern Russia.