The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-09-17
BALLOON
MAKES A FLIGHT AT
NIGHT
Lands at LeWisviIIe Sun
day Noon
Covering a Distance Of
Nearly Hundred Miles.
First Night Ascension
in Ohio and Success in
Every Particular.

After flight lasting from II o'clock
Saturday night until II o'clock Sunday
morning, in which distance of about
100 miles were covered, the balloon
"Sky Pilot" containing A. H. Morgan
and ]. H. Wade, landed without a mis-
hap, at a point ten miles south of
Lewisville, Munroe county.
Considerable relief was felt by all
Canton friends of the two balloonists,
upon the receipt of a telegram to G. A..
Dougherty at the Courtland hotel.
Sunday noon, announcing the safe
descent of the Sky Pilot" for fear
of the safety of the occupants was en-
tertained on account of the difficulty
in mahing the ascent.
At the time the balloon left the
park, crowd of nearly 1000 persons
gathered about to witness the ascen-
sion. The filing of the bag began at
8 o'clock and by IL o'clock all was
in readiness for the departure. Di.
rectly as the clock struck IL, the
"Sky Pilot" arose and in the mellow
light of a full, round moon, took a
course due south, which it held during
it's entire flight. The wind w&S ex,
actly as the baloonists desired, q
slight breeze blowing from the north
but for time after the start the bal
loon hung dangerously near to the
surface, due to the failure of the occu,
&c tn fhn onnnnItv Of fhA ho n
Much difficulty was met with in &C
complishing this, and Wade finally
stood up on the side of the basket
while the balloon was several hundred
feet from the ground, and succeeded
in opening the appendix. This was
necessary to provide an outlet for the
gas when the balloon expanded.
Some ballast was spent as the Penn
sylvania tracks were crossed, and as
the balloon lowered above the Ault
man works, it was so close to the
surface that many of the spectators
believed that it was the intention oI
the occupants to make a temporary
descent, so as to rearrange the rig
ging. DR.. Sigler, of Salem, at once
| set out in an auto to render assistance
but after a while returned, reporting
| that the "Sky Pilot" had risen anC
was sailing southwark.
The view of the balloon was oh
scured to the spectators after shor
| distance was travelled, on account o.
the hazy atmosphere, due perhaps II
the forest fires in the north part o.
the state and in the Lake regions. l
was the desire of the balloonists t.
sail southwark, as it was reported tina
great clouds of smoke, hung over thu
country in the vicinity of Cleveland
and this, their wish, was granted.
The landing was made about tel
miles from the nearest station, whicl
happened to be Lewisville, and thithe
| the balloonists hastened to notify Can
ton friends of their arrival. The air
! line distance to Lewisville is 81 miles
and with the additional ten miles, th'
total fight might be computed to b.
107 miles, without counting the dis
tance covered in the veering of thu
wind.
Nearly all members OF the Cantor
Aero club were present at the start
including Drs. Sigler, Brush, Thomp
son, Joseph Blake and Johnson Sher
rick. To qualify as pilots as is thei
wish, Morgan and Wade must eacl
make two more ascensions, one o
them singly.
President Sherrick said of the ascer
sion: ut was very fine and success
full one. In the number of hours il
the air, it perhaps is the longest on
In the history of the Canton Aero club
If my knowledge of ballooning in Obi
serves me right, the ascension wa
the first one made by night in thi
state.