Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-10-07
Distance Covered by 0hioan is Nearly
Seven Hundred Miles.
FRENCH COMPETITOR SECOND
Leblanc, Who Landed in Hungary,
Makes About 500 Miles.
MIX IN HANDS OF POLICE
Heavy Rain Causes Ice to Form on
Clothing and Descent is Made
Only Because Ballast is
Exhausted.

ZURICH, Switzerland. Oct. 6.=-All Zurich
tonight is toasting America and its cham
pion balloonist, Edgar w Mix, who, after
a remarkable and dramatic struggle against
wind and transforms, has carried off first
honors In the international balloon race for
the James Gordon Bennett cup by sailing
from Zurich to the heart of the forest
north of Warsaw, in Russian Poland. The
official classification has not yet been an
nounced, but 1t is calculated that Mix COW
cred a distance of between 1,O45 kilometers
(64S.94 miles) and 1,12O kilometers COS So
miles).
Alfred lie Blanc, the French pilot, is
placed second, with a distance Of S34 kilo-
meters 6l7d miles,: Captain Messner, one
Of the Swiss pilots, third, with. 800 kilo-
meters (496.S miles), and Colonel Schaeck,
another Swiss entry, fourth.
The other thirteen starters are placed at
varying distances far behind the four lead
ers. the last two being Mclean, English,
with AS kilometers (276.34 miles, and Viem-
mex, Belgian, with 4SO kilometers (2G7.OS
miles).
Feat is Remarkable.
While there is some disappointment felt
because OF the failure of the Swiss pilots
to repeat last years victory the general
| sentiment is one Of satisfaction that Amer
lea has taken the prize. Experts I'm aero
nautlcs are filled with admiration for Mix S
| achievement, pointing out that the storms
which drove the more experienced balloon
lists to earth could not conquer the Amer
| lean.
Mix furnished the dramatic side of the
contest. His telegram dropped from his
balloon at Jicin, Upper Bohemia, was
| - -
rumor that the America had descended at
Jcin. Immediately there was a telegraphic
bombardment of Jicin. which showed that
| the balloon had made no stop there. AS
Mix was the last man to ascend in the start
from Zurich on last Sunday, the greatest
excitement prevailed over his whereabouts
funtil the arrival OF his message today, say
ing that he had landed in Russian Poland.
why Mix Won.
NJ. Gugelberg. vice president of the Swiss
Aero club, said that Mix started in to win
at the outset and showed remarkable gen.
eralship.
Mix husbanded his ballast" said NJ
Gugelberg when ascending at Zurich he
moved upward at almost irritating slow
ness. but he was only employing skilfu
tactics and keeping his ballast for a critical
moment. That is how he won. Mix's sue,
cessful flight against the driving wind
rain and fog, even if 1t does not break any
records. constitutes one of the most re.
markable voyages in history"
Lands in Pine Tree.
The first news of Mix's landing was con
veyed in a personal dispatch to the Asso
ciated Press, dated Ostrolenka. The aero
naut said:
Il landed in the midst of a large pint
tree in the forest of Gustova, west Of
Ostrolenka and north of Warsaw at
o'clock Tuesday morning. l encountered
a heavy rain My ballast was exhausted
when came down. At present am in sht
hands of the police, but all is goipg well,
Il had bad weather Sunday night. 1
was cloudy and rain fell. and used hal
my ballast before morning. The weather
was so thick that it was impossible to 10
cate my position, except for one hou
south of Prague and a star observation
took at latitude 5145.1 and longitude 1003S.'
Mix made his journey through fog anC
binding rainstorms which compelled all III,
other pilots TO descend. After crossing tn,
Swiss and the Austrian Alps Captain Mess
ner, one of the Swiss pilots, reported tina
his clothes were covered with ice TO
thickness of half an inch. Messner reached
an altitude of 1900 feet.
1t is impossible TO explain why Mix shoult
have been molested by the Russian police
as in anticipation of a landing in Russi;
CONTINUED on Second Page)