Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-10-17
THEIR BALLOON
LOST AT SEA
The Saint Louis Met Disaster
OH German Coast.
OCCUPANTS SAVED BY VESSEL

Americans In international Balloon
Race Lost Their Bearings at Night
and Were Carried to soa-Lzndsd
IN Water and For An Hour Were
6uHeted ~ the Waves, When Life
boat Came to Their Reseue-At
tempt to save Balloon Failed and IL
Was Washed Away.
Berlin. Oct 1.-THE second OF the
three American balloons that started
IN the race FOR the international trophy
on Sunday from Schmargendorf has
met disaster ia the North sea The
Saint Louis. manned by n. H. Arnold.
or North Adams. Mass. and Harry ].
Hewitt was carried overland BY
treacherouE air currents. and later In
the haze the aeronauts lost their bear
ings until suddenly they saw the guard
lights Of an unknown coast
This meant that they must descend
or risk the danger OF being driven far
out Of the track OF vessels. They chose
the former course. and for an hour
they were buneted by the waves. al
most giving up IN despair.
Eventually they were rescued by a
lfeboat. and the first intimatlon that
an accident had occurred 20 the Saint
Louis was conveyed in a wireless mes
sage from Arnold. saying: Lost
everything In the North sea"
Mr.. Arnold told graphic story or
their descent and rescue by lifeboat.
Ho said:
AL day Monday. with the e1cep-
ton Of the early afternoon, VIC were
unable to see the earth. and we low
cred the balloon repeatedly TO com
municate with the people TO ascertain
our whereabouts. Apparently we could
not make them understand. but this
probably was due to our poor German.
Finally We decided 70 risk proceed
ings, stin having twenty sacks or bal
last.
Moving In a norihwesterly direc-
ton In the evening. We passed q city.
the lights Of which were visible nve
miles to the west, and We learned
later that Il was Bremerhaven. Soon /
afterwards we noticed lighthouses and I
buoys which convinced us that We
were moving above big water but We I
had no idea where We were.
I'm order 70 avoid drifting out OF the /
line OF ship tranhc We concluded 90 20 /
down 20 the water. but before doing I
90 we put on life preservers. This was
n perilous task. for IL was dark and
there was great danger OF being
swamped in the basket.
After pitching about In Che water
for almost an hour and slying up all
hopes OF rescue, dewitt. who had
climbed into the rigging. discovered a
nashlight. and soon after we saw
hfeboat approaching Us. The boat.
however. could not reach US, as we
we're being dragged through the waves
at the rate OF about fifteen or twenty
miles an hour The boatmen shouted to
AS to jump overheard. which We did
Il tried 10 save the Saint Louis
clubs balloon by ripping it up. but the
rope was Jerked out Of my hands
About ten minutes later J was picked |
up by the boat. which in the mean
time had saved my companion, Mr. |
Hewitt"
Three OF the balloons in the interna-
tional race are stu unaccounted for
They arc the German balloon Busley, |
the Spanish balloon Castillo and the |
Swiss balloon Helvetia-
A report received here from Wang
erloog island, in the North sea. says
that balloon passed over there. but
that there were no further tidings OF
it. The hotilla OF torpedoboat destroy
ers is searching the North sea, where
q thick fog prevails.
The English balloon Banshee. 40 far
as present estimates go. has covered
the longest distance in the race. 275
miles.