Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-18
AERONAUTS HOPE
TO TRAVEL FAR
TWO BALLOONS TO ATTEMPT
LONG FLIGHT EACH
AWAIT WEATHER CONDITIONS
FAVORABLE TO SUCCESS
Ferris and knabenshue VIII Go in
United States While coey and
Bumbaush viii Occupy
the Chicago

Two attempts at long eastern jour
pey by balloon will be made from Los
Angeles before April /, and the four
principals have about completed their
arrangements for the flights. Dick
Ferris and Roy Knabenshue will go
in the United States and Charles A.
Coey of Chicago and G. L. Bumbaugh
OF indianapolis will be in Colonel
Coey's balloon, the Chicago.
The starts will be made whenever
the best weather conditions appear
likely to allow of a long swoop toward
the Atlantic ocean. For this vacant
lot in Colegrove has been selected,
where one of the big high-pressure
mains of the Los Angeles Gas and
Electric company's service may be
tapped. When the weather map shows
a pressure distribution that may be in
terpreted by the aeronauts as allow
ing transcontinental trip Paul Over
ton, the company's special agent, will
be notified early in the morning. He
will send out force of men to put in
a connection by which the balloon may
be filled at the rate of $4,000 cubic feet
an hour, and in less than five hours
from the time the weather map appears
the aeronauts will be seeking wind
over the mountains.
Ferris and Knabenshue cannot start
until the latter's engagement at Tour
nament park, Pasadena, is terminated,
which will be this week, but all ar
rangements will be made to take ad-
vantage of the first favorable oppor-
tunity after that time. They are re-
stricted to practically week. as
Knabenshue will send his airship to
San Francisco April 1, where he has
an engagement for two months at
East San Mateo. obtained through w.
H. Obear.
Gks.Iu;aa @hA Wa
IT am ready to start any day." said
Colonel Coey last night. we went up
to see Mr.. Wollaber at the weather
bureau this morning and studied the
conditions. AS soon as they develop to
our satisfaction we shall take the bal
loon out of the Shrine auditorium,
where 1t is laid out, and make a quick
imitation. The Chicago holds 10000
cubic feet, but Captain Bumbaugh
gas company has arranged to do this
for us.
1.-THE Los Angeles gas seems to have
excellent lifting power, and we ought
to get away well equipped and bal
lasted. 1 am determined to make at
least 1900 miles. and hope to go far
Their. If we make only 900 or 400 miles
1 shall come back and start again. but
I am confident and so Is Captain Bum
baugh, that we shall go considerably
farther than that.
1--WE have a light basket and are
equipped like a war party, to save as
much weight as possible. We have
been considering taking up two burros,
SO that we can make our way out
without delay if we should be COM
PEELED by any chance to come down
in the desert / have taken up ami
mails on a number of trips, and others
have done so for years without in any
way injuring them. I believe the bur-
ros would be a great convenience and
that it would be feasible to take
them"
Letter to Roosevelt
Colonel Coey has a letter from Gov
ernor Gillett to President Roosevelt,
which he says he will deliver by bal
loon route if he has to hire team to
tow the balloon on the last route. He
intends to ask Mayor Stephens toI
write a similar letter to Mayor Busse
of Chicago.
Eastern people are taking great in
terest in the plan to cross the CONT
nent. The Associated Press sent out
the following dispatch from Captain
Bumbaughs home last night:
Indianapolis, March 1.-THE Aero
Club OF Indiana has received word
from it's engineer, G. l.. Bumbaugh,
who is in Los Angeles, that he will at
tempt the trip by balloon from that
city to Indianapolis Mr.. Bumbaugh
qualifying as an aero-pilot increases
the number of pilots in the United
States to twenty.
.sHe is to be in Indianapolis April l
to instruct members of the Aero club
in ballooning in preparation for the
contest to open here
June 49,