The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-08
S3 eli JDS MAKE
{ FOR AMERICAN
remarkable Experiences III.
ea'loonist and His Companion
Land in Russia and Win
the Great Race.

Farls' October Edgar w. Nfix os p.
iuinbus. o.. the winner Of tho ,nta.,ss
tlonal balloon race for the C.orao, -,
iopNy' winch started from Zurich Sun
a'' mas sent the following account or
10 iNehioraoIe voyage to the Associated
Fress. His dispatch is dated Warsaw
leaving Zurich Sunday at 1857 n m
We were able to recognize our route oni,,
40 Lar as Constance. Then to the finish
eie "eather was so thick that direction
eoulu only be determined by compass
Durlhg Sunday night the balloon in
urenching rain. sometimes seemed to 10
at complete standstill. We asoendo.,
auu descended in search of better c,,..
li'9 u ar without appreciable results.
DS CLOCK In the morning half of our
ballast had been used
Inc passage of the Bavarian Aims
through rain and clouds was thril1;n1
once we swooped down the mountain
size with frightful velocity. pluneing int
chasm of fog which seemed hotto,,
less Ii was as if the earth had onenaa
" swallow US up. The balloon several
times crashed through tree tons Artar
Two hours We emerged from the valley
ana got a northeasterly slant of wind
When clear of the mountains we n,o,,a.,
at lively rate. The guide rome dragged
over farm houses, breaking tiles ana
0hiihheys The peasants rushed ont with
cries and imprecations
we then found that the guide rome
nao become unravelled and hoisted IL INFO
.ne basket Tor repairs, which were most
oif1icult, as we were at the sama tiy,a
H.,
vent the balloon from rising. A few ho,,rs
iater ID we recognized several villages and
eheh the town of Noningstadt we sighted
oalloon to the eastward with peasanr-
: hanging on 10 the guide rope.
! Ater passing over konigstadt. which
cost three sacks of ballast we rose
through the clouds to an altitude of aeno
metres about 5000 feet and saw abovs
e tile clouds balloon to the north. abort
1vV metres higher We began TO deseand
AZ l'4o p- m emerging from the clouds
aoout 4oo metres above the town of Wal
uehoursi and we were obliged to iettison
II sacks of ballast and half of our nrox-is
IONS 10 keep clear of the roofs but as II
was the guide rope dropped over tba
wings OF the fortresses and railroad sta
uon, creating CONSERVATION among tina
yelilng population. We rose TO $500 metres
near Breslau, throwing overheard the life
savers mattresses and the remainder OF
TO descend after that altitude until &
O'Clock in the evening. With good eoiIiii-
orium We managed to keep afioat until
O'Clock Tuesday morning without ex
penditure of ballast, of which, as a mat
ter OF fact, there was not an ounce left
The balloon landed and became wedged
between pine trees in the forest of Gus
tavla. We waited until $50 before de-
Hating and then searched for help. We
round peasants. one of whom had been in
America and spoke little English. With
their aid We loaded the balloon on carts
While this was In progress a forest guard
wantonly killed one OF the peasants dogs
arousing great indignation. We accom-
panied the owner to the proprietor of the
estate to lodge a complaint, and found a
peasant woman speaking a little French,
who registered an entry of our landing in
the logbook. While the peasants were
conveying the balloon to Osterolnko the
woman gave lis primitive meal of pota-
toes and water. On our arrival at Ostro-
lenko we were stopped by the police who
took us. together with the balloon, to the
station. where we remained until instruc-
tions were received from St Petersburg
for our release. We were treated ex-
cellenty.''