New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-29
An EXCITING AIR TRIP
BALLOONS VOYAGE ENDS
WITH TWO-MILE FALL.
Taoo Germans. attempting Journey
from Berlin to st. Petersburg,
Haze Plenty of Thrills.

Hare Plenty of Thrills.
While the aeroplane fills the public eye. it is well
10 remember that the comparatively staid old bal
loon Is stl furnishing fun and excitement for thoss
who desire what the world looks Ike from
an aerial point Of view Dr. Wilhelm Brnkman
recently attempted TO travel from Berlin TO St.
Petersburg IN a balloon. The effort resulted IN
several incidents which illustrate the excitement
with which flights accompanied. DR..
Brnkrnan who recently won prize of 1000 marks
In a balloon race and who will pilot the Berlin In
the for the Gordon Bennett Cup on October l.
wrote q description OF his summer nights Journey
in balloon toward ST. Petersburg for the Cont
mental Times OF Berlin The account, published
on August II. follows
Saturday afternoon. July "a. the balloon Hide
brandt was filed in Berlin. and O'Clock in the
evening were ready 10 ascend a dark storm
cloud rose in the and approa ched very fast
At 6:45 gave the order. Make it free. gust Of
wind shook the balloon and IL Dr. Jackola had not
been so quick TO obey my order 20 throw out sack
Of ballast would have come into violent contact
with the roof OF the gas factory. which we just
passed
I'VE passed Berlin very quickly Victoria
Iruisen-Platz NoIlendorf-Platz came and vanished
To the left lay Potsdamer Bahnhof A minute
later We were over the Hallesches Tor and in the
direction Of the Hochbahn, which appeared
toy railroad. We crossed the Spree at o'clock
over the warschauer Brncke.
Now we were overcome by the storm cloud II
became darker and darker. Rafting fell the heavy
drops upon the balloon. which was soon soaked
through and through. But We remained absolutely
Dry beneath the immense umbrella Three hundred
and fifty pounds OF water were taken In by the bal
loon, and Just much ballast we had 10 thro"
In half an hour the rain ceased, ana early IN the
night we crossed the oder at KGstrin
HAILED AN AUTOMOBILE
fuh
the country road two fiery eyes gazed at US II
was an automobile passing quickly. We footed
with our whistle The chauffeur heard Us and
stopped the auto. Where are wei What is the
Of this place. Landsoerg-on-ths "afte'
came the answer. Thank you. Where arc you
flying" To ST. Petersburgr Thank you The
auto passed on. and We in the direction OF 81
Petersburg where would have landed II we mad
not been overcome by the heavy raln which toreeo
US 20 throw out SO much ballast
at was midnight DIR. Jackoa tried 70 sleep nrst
but every time that yelled What Is the name Of
the placer the sleep was interrupted At a. m.
We were over a big city. Two trains approached
at 2O4 and 20e, and the timetable answered
schneidemuhl In West Prussia We rose very
rapidly The instrument read 500 then 1000 and
100. Thick clouds surrounded Us. IL was ex-
trernely cold. But not for long. for We fell as
quickly as had assembled We had gone over
hiIl-like cloud, rising side and descending
on the other Once more made similar
maneuvre: then the day commenced TO dawn In the
east.
Tho horizon flashed with crimson fire. Every
minute the sun threatened TO break through the
clouds. A quick council OF war was held. We had
only one and a half sacks OF ballast. We either
must land be driven thousands OF metres up into
the air as soon the dilated the gas and
drove II out balloon. A landing from such height
with so little ballast would be az least stormy. IL
not fatal. Unanimous opinion was further on
as we had travelled only 800 kilometres. Va quarter
Of an later the SUMS fiery disk broke through
clouds and at once we began to rise LOCO. then
LOO. 1000. 900 metres. Wechsel river was ahead
of us Right beneath Us lay a castle where had
once enjoyed hospitality after balloon Journey.
At $50 O'Clock we crossed Weichsel at height OF
$500 metres.
Tho balloon travelled with almost lightning
rapidity AS soon as saw city in the horizon.
we were there and quickly left it behind us. At
the same time were ascending higher and
higher We were already 5000 metres high. In the
sun twas very warm; in the basket our feet were
freezing AT 7sO o'clock Alenstein was reached
at a height of $500 metres. We sent down a mail
bag from the balloon. For ten minutes it
descend A manor owner found II and mailed
postals TO friends.
AT $50 we were travelling with a wind of sixty
Kilometres an hour at the height OF 1850 metres.
and the end was coming. dark cloud covered
the
BEGIN TERRIFYING DROP.
THE gas in the balloon cooled and we began
10 fall
Throw out sack Of ballast cried. The sand
rose upward smoke. for falling faster
than the sand. Three thousand two thousand,
thousand. five hundred metres, and lower.
Our ringing and buzzIng. The earth
seemed TO rise toward Flasks. coffee-pot lunch
baskets thrown overheard Only a hundred
and fifty meters high! Right IN front of us a large
lake. toward which the balloon flew at the rate OF
sixty feet a second.
Island cried 10 my friends TT is too late
10 draw open the gas valve One pull. two three
long hauls on the rib rope and tho balloon was
torn open from top to bottom. At the same mo-
ment dashed TO the ground. Once more
the balloon up. The wind carried It again
A jump of twenty metres The basket was turned
upside down and the six feet and six arms were
mixed in it. Then the immense air bubble broke
and fell 10 the ground a dying giant, five metres
from the lake and FIVE hundred and sixty kilo-
metres from Berlin.
II crawled out OF the basket first. To the right
OF was lying Dr. Jaekola; the left OF me Herr
I Froelich was lying under the overturned basket
helped them out Everything is all right said
Dr. Jaekola. only my glasses and cap are missing.
His clothes were torn open in the back mine
somewhat lower down. but the glasses were found
intact under the basket An hour later the balloon
was packed a wagon and sent to the next sta
ton We accepted the hospitabe invitation of the
manor owner upon whose land we had aliehted
and enjoyed a pleasant holiday IN the country In
the evening an express train carried us 10 the me-
tropolis. where We arrived next morning 10 start
win new energy 70 treat suffering humanity
Dlner with bill of fare)-Sufferil1g CATS T,st
,o'5 no snS ls,ees' VII you' say waiter have
Waiter-Sorrv, sir. We've been nh o,t -. a..
ioT some time Boston Irsn.crinf - - INST