The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-13
WEST DEFEATS THE EAST IN BALLOON RACE

iNnlANAPOIlS, Ind. Jane l2.-
for the first time since baIloonng be-
fhme national. rs well As an inter
lailonaI. sport. The west has defeated
ne east. The University City of ST.
onls, and the Indiana of Indianapolis,
mr,,' and ana rilotod by westterners, have
won the prizes Offered bv the Aero
luh OF North America in the national
r7rc. starting from here Juno , While
o." incr OF these balloons broke = rec
ord for miles covered both established
rev marks fer endurance and time re.
naining III the air IN one flight. The
endurance record was held by q French
aHron"ut ramcd Lc Blanchc. TIo no.
mGWcI IN The air over forty one hours
IN hailoon started from 81. l.onis in
Ncs-rS. Berry and Mccullough Of the
i.r'irrSiti CITY were in the air forty
~" hours and fifty minutes. while
NeS.i $: iSAFr aad Humhaugh remained
~ FORTY oiebt aud = half hours. which
: nearly eight hours better than the
Amcriran record. Count Zeppelin re.
nall"d IN the air over seventy hours
rcccnil'. hut he had a dirjgiblc balloon
or IN" Very latest pattern. The fact
'ha; two western balloons won the ma
u"Na' trophies this wear is regarded az
SPORT in that section
~" Now J orll Aero club had mag
rliIcnnt balloon in the race, piloted b.
y Holland Forbes. thc well known
Vow No"k expert, but he failed to win
~" endurance or long distance prize.
That rev sport Of kings has been
created in balloon racing has been evil
dcot for the last wceI.
Throughout the country the interest
manifested in the sky racers was very
anpaTnt. Throughout the sections of
tie country over which tho balloons
passed tic excitement was intense. Al
though the new has worn off the sport,
over JO.Gon people turned out here 10
witness the start The sensation in
watching a balloon race is cxhiiarat-
ing, but II furnishes n different kind
Of excitement from a horse or auto.
mobile race. The enormous crowd here
sat quietly and watched every move
made by the experts in getting ready
for their flight There seemed 10 be
a fascination in getting in touch with
all of the intricate details, When the
balloons finally rose like some great
bird. ;he crowd rubbcred - quietly
and then broke into an ovation for the
aeronauts. The daring and dangerous
part OF the sport seemed 10 appeal 10
the average spectator with much force !
While tho start furnished the only sen.
Sation Of excitement, watching the bal |
looms mounting the clouds and plough
ing their way through space held thou
sands of eyes as long as there was a
black speck on the horizon.
The start here was not unlike that |
Of a lot Of good. game horses facing !
barrier, ready for plunge Nine enor- |
nous balloons were anchored and held |
by tons of sand until the aeronauts |
were ready When the baskets were
attached and tho pilots were ready 10
let go, a timekeeper stood by and held |
watch, Just as they do IN speed CON
test between horses and autos Ii was |
noticeable that each pilot wanted 10
have his balloon nicely balanced. so
that he could get away without throw
ing out ballast, The Indiana, for in
stance, carried fifty bags Of sand, each
weighing seventyfivc pounds The
New York carried forty, because its
pilots wanted to sail through the high |
air currents.
The Importance Of heavy ballast was