Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-26
KNABENSHUE TO
SAIL AIRSHIP
WILL ASCEND FROM CHUTES
PARK TODAY
MUELLER REPORTS VOYAGE AS
FULL OF ADVENTURE
Balloon Rose Higher Than Aneroid
Could Register and Landing Was
Most Dangerous in His
Experience

Roy Knabenshue will sail from Chutes
park in his airship this afternoon, MAX
ing a circle over the business section
and returning to the starting point. A
slight rain or clouds will not interfere
with his trip, but the wind, if strong
enough, or a heavy rain, may postpone
his flight
Knabshue's airship is a dirigible,
cigar-shaped balloon, with the gasoline
motor and propeller upon a framework
below. He will take up with him
George Deussler, his assistant and they
probably will be in the air this after
noon about forty-five minutes. In calm
weather Knabenshue has his craft well
under control.
Navigating the air with a gas bag
is still dependent upon many condi-
tions," said Knabenshue yesterday.
Even a sudden stop will affect the eX-
pansion of the envelope. A great many
things must be taken into considera-
ton, and since you cannot order the
weather ahead it is impossible to say
absolutely what the program will be.
We may take a trip over the business
section and may go the other way"
The airship with which Knabenshue
will make ascents today and Sunday is
one of seven which compose his fleet.
The other craft are at his balloon farm
in Ohio, one, a standard balloon, being
under construction to fill an order.
Il had a good example of the fact
that balloons are either up or down. q"
says Knabenshue, "for when the panic
came on and / had five on my hands
they broke me fiat for while"
Captain Mueller who landed in Ari-
IONA with the United States Monday
afternoon, is not expected in Los An
geles until next week. He says that
Il. lf
has so far experienced.
1--WE swept across the Colorado river
at an altitude of 10000 feet six hours
after leaving Los Angeles" says the
report of the trip forwarded to Los
Angeles by Joseph Hutchinson, who ac-
companied Mueller. Ten minutes later
the cold wind we encountered on the
Arizona side of the river forced the oil
gas from the bag and we dropped with
terrific speed down to the desert, the
balloon dragging us through the cacti
for over a mile before settling.
Landing Most Dangerous
Captain Mueller said that our final
landing was the most dangerous eX-
perience he had ever been through. We
only saved ourselves from being crushed
by climbing into the balloon rigging.
AS the big bag was emptied of its gas
it bellied like a sail in the wind, and
the basket plowed a deep furrow
through the rocks and cacti of the
plain.
Badly bruised we succeeded in ex-
Treating ourselves from the tangled
netting of the balloon and started to
hunt for the nearest habitation. Lost
in the bottom lands of the Colorado
river all night, we reached Ehrenberg
Tuesday noon, completely exhausted
having been many hours without food
Both of us are badly bruised.
1.-The United States gas bag is in
good condition. but is in the middle OF
the desert. Indians in the vicinity
frightened at the appearance of the
balloon, are holding dances to drive
away the evil spirits"
Before reaching Arizona the aero
nauts had another thrilling experience
over the desert, They struck cold air
which suddenly condensed the gas and
dropped the balloon quickly to the
peaks below them. The basket struck
the ground, and the greater part of the
outfit, not thoroughly attached to the
basket, was lost, together with 250
pounds of sand. Relieved of this weight
the balloon bounded upward, rising so
far above three miles from the sea
level that the aneroid could not regis
ter the height.
The current carried them eastward
and the balloon fell slowly to an alti-
tude of 10000 feet. The average height,
as registered by the aneroid, between
Los Angeles and the landing place was
10000 feet