Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-23
AVIATOR DELAYS
TRIP TO CLOUDS
BAD WEATHER CAUSES ABAN-
COMMENT OF ASCENT
MUELLER WILL MAKE VOYAGE
FIRST FAVORABLE DAY
Professor Twining Says Great Interest
Is Taken in Project for Its Many
Valuable Scientific
Features

Yesterdays drizzling weather made
conditions so unfavorable for scientific
ballooning that the ascent of Captain
Mueller was postponed for clear wealth
er, although he had the UNITED States"
ready. He will ascend into the air,
however, with the first assurance of
fair weather, possibly at o'clock this
morning.
up 500 or 900 feet, and I am shut off
from EARTH" said the aeronaut yester-
day afternoon, as he gazed mournfully
at the dripping clouds. Then L know
not whether l am over. land or sea-;
nothing gained; L would go up, but it is
not better than last Sunday. The first
sunshine, am all ready. The gas over
night will lose not more than 900 or
800 cubic feet, perhaps not so much"
What if it loses 10000 feet?" said
Dick Ferris. 'We'll back you if it
takes $500 more. This is not a money
making game, but an experimental
trip
Captain Mueller held back, however,
hoping for a clear sky, and declared
he would ascend at 10 o'clock or at
midnight if the weather should change
enough to encourage him. The gas
proved buoyant enough to make the
spectacular ascent on the concentrating
ring unnecessary. The basket will be
attached and Captain Mueller will take
a helper with him to note the records,
either Dare Devil" Colby, the Chutes
gap leaper, or Joseph Hutchinson, who
accompanied Mueller on the first trial
trip.
I'VE are watching this attempt with
great interest,"" said Prof. H. la v.
Twining of the Polytechnic high school,
"for it has many valuable scientific
features. This pioneer work in map
ping out the upper currents may be
utilized in several avenues, and Captain
Mueller and Mr.. Ferris are to be COM
mended for their efforts.
Even If we had only the two first
attempts there is a good deal settled,
although they did not get over the
mountains. We know something defin-
lite about the currents up to a certain
height, and much that has been specu-
latlon heretofore is now fact. The pub
lie may not realize how much these
trials are worth, from a scientific point
of view, but from that status what
has already been accomplished is far
from a failure"
If negotiations pending between Dick
Ferris and Frank Leroyxez, balloon
manufacturer, are concluded, Leroyxez
will purchase the United States" and
the American" and conduct a trans
continental trip on his own account
next spring. Leroyxez has contracted
the mountain conquest fever, and says
he knows the voyage east can be made
in the spring. Ferris has not indicated
he will part with the balloons.
A novel idea regarding possible ad-
vantages to be derived from Captain
Mueller's success in searching for an
eastward current, was expressed by a
man at ChuteS park Yesterday while
watching the american"
Suppose we ever should have war
with Japan or any other strong Pacific
nation?" he asked. 1.-THE chances are
practically certain Los Angeles would
be cut off from telegraphic communica-
ton with the remainder of the country
Perhaps the only thing by which we
could get word to the far east would
be a silent ascension of a balloon at
night, which, If the altitude for the
proper currents is definitely known,
could go up and make a flight safely to
the east. 1t could get, at least, to
some point where messages might be
dispatched"