New-York tribune., 1908-10-12

.ociaen. 7 cannot say now what the cause
of the catastrophe, which viii investigate to-
MARROW. II was our good fortune TO be up so
high: otherwise the balloon could not have
formed itself into a parachute. We owe our
deliverance TO that occurrence A remarkable
thing was that several bottles Of water re-
rnained intact, everything else being destroyed
Mr. Forbes was asked whether the length Of
the appendix had anything to do with the acci-
dent. and to this he replied: 7 90 not know.
but II so I have gained some experience The
appendix was made long, so as to be more fitted
for night travelling cut of ten feet of the
sapendix before our departure to-day, but the
end was still half way down. outside the basket
shall be able TO tell tomorrow wherein the
trouble lay
Castor He-vieu, the French aeronaut, speak
ing Of the accident said:
Il attribute it TO the length of the appendix.
which increased the pressure at the top of the
balloon and caused 1t to burst I consider such
experiments dangerous before proper experience
has been acquired in this direction near the
ground"
Brigadier General James Allen, [. s. A, chief
Of the signal corps; Lieutenant Colonel John P
Wiser military attache 10 the American En-
bassy at Berlin. and 1. D. Dosier. president of
the Aero Club Of ST. Louis. witnessed the acci-
dent Mr., Dosier was greatly upset by it, and
the others also We're much affected.
" H Arnold, accompanied by H j Hewett,
ascended in the third American balloon, the St
Louis. Being informed before the departure
that Forbes and Post were safe Mr.. Arnold
said: I would sooner have fallen myself;
have made eleven ascents with Forbes"
All the competitors in the race are carrying
rations for three days. This is the third inter
national balloon cup race for the James Gordon
Bennett trophy. The first race was held at
Paris in 1906. and was won by Lieutenant Frank
P. Lahm [. :. A, by flight Of 402 miles. The
second contest was held under the auspices Of
the Aero Club Of America at St Louis in Octo-
Der. 1907. 1t by the German balloon
Pommern, which landed az Asbury Park, n. J.,
having covered S734 miles in an air line. II
was piloted by oscar Erbsloeh. The French
balloon LIsle de France, piloted by Alfred Le-
blanc was second having covered six miles less
than the PommeTn-
The James Gordon Bennett trophy is valued
at $500 and the conditions cali for the longest
single flight measured on an air line. The cup
must be defended by the winner at interna-
tionaI contest held the following year, and It
must be won three times in succession before
passing to a permanent holder.
All the balloons to-day took an exactly SIM
liar direction, which would lead, if the same
course were followed. into Southern Russia,
overland but many Of the competitors. incud-
ing Mr.. Mccoy, have taken water anchors, in
case the wind should veer and carry them
toward the sea.
The Americans are hopeful and will use their
utmost endeavors to win the race, but Mr..
Mccoy. prior TO the start, pointed out that the
European aeroRauts possessed the greater eX-
pertence. He fully expects, however, to stay up
at least forty-eigct hours.
The three best pilots in the ST. Louis race
are all in the Berlin contest. Erbsloeh man
ages the Berlin. and Captain von Abercron again
has charge OF the Dusseldorf, while Leblanc
ascended in a balloon which bore name.
Among the other contestants is Celestino
TsUeIli representing Italy, who won the Queen
Margharita cup for a flight the Alps.