The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-21
IN THE SEA
Another American Air Ship Meets
With Disaster
HAD EXCITING Time

TAU 6AVl lVQ IlIWE
The Passengers, Suddenly Finding
Themselves Over Deep Water, Den
Life P~reservers, Descend to Water
and are Finally Rescued by Lifts
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
aord, Of North Adams, Mass. and
Harry ]. Hewitt, was carried over
land to treacherous air currents AMI
alter in the haze the aeronauts lost
heir bearings until suddenly they
saw the guard lights Of an unknown
coast.
This meant that they must de-
icend or risk the danger of being
lriven far out Of the track Of ves-
Iels. They chose the former course
md for an hou trhey were buffeted
" the waves. olmost giving up In
despair.
Eventually they were rescued by q
ife boat, and the fret intimation that
IN accident had occurred to tbs
Saint Louis" was conveyed tn Q
wireless message from Arnold saying:
Lost everything in the North Sea
asst night"
Following 30 closely on the dra-
matte experience of A. Holland For
,es and Augustus Post, the naviga-
ors of the "C%onquerer," which burst
It an altitude of four thousand feet
,oon after the start Of the race, both
nen having a thrilling escape rom
cath, the disaster to the Saint
.ouis" was the subject Of excited
interest in Berlin throughout the day
md evening.
Tho press cGTmnnicat, Il with
Hr. Arnold at Wilhelmshavep, to
which place he had been transport
d by one of the torpedo boats,
which were sent out to render az
distance to any Of the b%alloonists
yho might drift out over the water.
1r. Arnold told a graphic story Of
he mishap. He said:
"AIl day Monday with the excep-'
on of the call; afternoon we were
Unable to see the earth and we low
red the balloon repeated to COM
.,unlcats With 80 peor'e 10 asccr'
ain our whereabouts. Apparently
ge could not make them understand,
ut tais probable WIS du; to our
,oor German. Finally We 1ecided
O risk proce ,Iiuz, still having tWen-
y sacks NJ ballast.
Moving in q northwes: srly dtrec.
.o.. n ;.... .veuing passed q c'.y,
he lights of which were visible I'VE
niles to the west and we learned
alter that it was Bremerhaven. Soon
fterwards we noticed light houses
md buoys, which convinced us that
70 were moving about big water u
70 had no idea where we were.
"In order to avoid drifting out OF
he line of ship trafice we conclud-
d to go down to the water but De-
for doing so We put on life preserv-
RS. This was a perolious task, Tor
+ was dark and there was great
LANCER of being swamped in the bas-
let.
"After pitching about in the va
or for almost an hour and glVlhs
N all hopes of rescue, Hewitt, who
,ad climbed into the rigging, dls-
.oyered a fash light and soon AFTER
ward was a life boat approaching
,s. The boat, however, could not
each US, as we were being dragged
through the waves at the rate OF
,hout fifteen or twenty miles az
,our, The boatman shouted to us
O Jump overheard, which we oio'
II tried to save the st. Louis
Clubs ballon by ripping 1t up but
be rope was jerked out of my nands.
about ten minutes later l was plckeo
ID by the boat, which In the mean
| :ime had saved my companion
levitt. We were landed here, too
ired to proceed to Berlin whittier
sc will 60.
Two of the competitors IN the en-
1urauce RACES have not been re-
ported, and 1t Is hoped hat tness
,scaped the changeable lower cur
-ents which affected the other com
,etitors and succeeded at higher ~
.itudes in reaching Russia.
a report received here from "as'
,rloog island, in the North Sea- says
hat a balloon passed over there ou!
.n.t there was no further tidings OF
=. The fotilla of torpedo boat de-
s~trovers is searching the North Sea-
N,o-o +bick fog prevails.