The Washington herald., 1909-04-26
BALLOONISTS LAND
IN ISOLATED spot
Spend the Night on a Muddy
Maryland Highway.
SEND MESSAGE TO CAPITAL
Intense anxiety of Families and
Friends Relieved When News Of
Party Is Received - Telegraph
Wires Down, and They Were In
able to Get Dispatch 10 Capital.

Three men went up in a balloon. Il was
known early yesterday morning they
would come down, but there was some
anxiety as TO where they would land.
They sailed away into air with Hfe-p-A-
servers, four days rs1ions. and other
things in their basket. Il was their IN
tention when they went up 10 remain n
the air for about two hours: and there
was the rub. Because they did not land
as expected, and because they landed
forty miles from nowhere and no news
was received OF them. their families and
friends were alarmed. The alarm was
infectious Correspondents too. became
alarmed. and editors sent queries hying
over the telegraph wires IN all directions
for information concerning the balloon
and the three men in the basket
News Flashed TO Friends.
The baIoonists are safe"' was the good
news flashed into Washington over teie-
graph and telephone wires from the VII
.lage OF Cox, IN Maryland, yesterday morn
ing. IN the shortest possible space Of
time the message was repeated 10 the
newspaper Offices. the families and friends
OF the officers. 10 Gen. Allen. chief sixfal
officer OF the army. and 20 Others inter
ested in the fate OF the seronauts. Lieuts.
Lahm. Foulois. and Bamberger.
After a night Of agonizing suspense
Mrs. FOul0is' grave fears for the safety
Of her husband were auayed when she re-
ceived a message that her husband had
reached point where telephone com
mUniCatiOn was possible
After II became known that the balloon
had not been carried into the waters Of
Chesapeake Bay. or the Atlantic Ocean.
the families and friends OF the officers
began 20 realize that their fears were q
little premature. and that balloon deserts
are seldom made Al och6duled times and
places But until wOr1 was received. the
grave anxiety remained
All OF Saturday night and early vester- I
day morning telephone and telegraph /
wires nom the different nezspaper. Of /
ces searched the wide territory in which /
a descent might be made. and 10 sooner
had the little band been located than an
account Of their experiences was heralded
throughout the country. As the affair
turned out, the voyage from the place OF /
descent 10 the nearest point OF communi- !
cation with the res OF the country was
far more eventfUl than the aerial trip.
The landing was made at 2 o'cIock On
Saturday afternoon. on the farm OF Mr
Callahan. at Great Mills. Nd The fight
lasted about three hours, the balloon
taking a southeasterly course over. Silver
Hill, and about q mile northwest Of Cheg-
terham- The altitude varied from 5000
TO 700 feet
The Temperature Dropped
For time the temperature sank as low
as % degrees. and subjected the officers
TO considerable inconvenience.
The landing. on soft plowed field was
made from an altitude OF 200 feet. a
terrified negro. seeing the balloon rush TO
earth. hid himself behind a woodDiIe.
much 70 the merriment Of the OCCUPANTS
Of the car After the balloon was packed
and loaded on a farm wagon the partv
drove ten miles to Leonardtown. where
they hoped 70 get into. communication
With the rest Of the world The wires
were down al this point. so. after having
supper. the party started on a thirty-mile
1rive in the dark. over muddy roads. in
places almost impossible Il took seven
lours TO reach Cox. the nearest telegraph
ia ton, and L vas 4 o'clock IN the morn
ng when the party. after some difficulty.
obtained lodging for the remainder Of tbef
night
AS soon as the wires were opened, Lieut..
T0ulois sent message TO his wife that
he had landed safely. At O'Clock yes
erday morning the officers arrived in
Washington. aad were met at the sta
ion by several friends and newspaper
nen. If the wires at Leonardtown had J
lot been down since March Il would Z
ave been possible 10 get into communi-
alton with Washington early Saturday
light