The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-19
AERONAUTS D R0P
5000 FEET; ARE
NOT HURT
A. HOLLAND FORBES. TELLS
THRILLING STORY OF FLIGHT
IN A BALLOON - TROUGH
DEATH WAS CERTAIN.


ST. LOUIS, Mo. Jan. ls.-More than
q hundred aeronauts. or those WHO
would navigate the air, were encou'
aged OF received u crushing blow u
their ambitions. according TO their ma
lures. from the guests OF aerial adNeu-
mre and hair-breadth escapes told by
the guests Al the Aero club or st
Louis banquet 4 Holland Forbes
and y. II. Arnold The former fell
5000 feet in the basket OF balloon
when the bag exploded and the latter
spent terrifying hour in the waters
OF the North sea when he lost his
bearings In a balloon flight during a
fog
To remond the banqueters OF the
various devices by which they might
court danger in seeking 10 get boil.
feet on the ground al once. the dininS
hall was decorated with miniature ar
vehicles In the center the basket ~
a balloon was suspended from nets.
reaching TO each corner OF the room.
and on one side was a small airship
suspended on the other all aeroplane
and on a third a spherical gas bag
The perilS OF ballooning were
graphically described by MI Forbes.
OF New York. and Mr.. Arnold OF North
Adams. Mass.
Both Mr. Forbes ana Mr. Arnold eX.
perienced thrilling mishaps in the
race. Forbes was the pilot OF tie
American balloon "Conqucr0r. which
hurs; al a height OF 5000 feet fye min
utes after the start. In full view ~
100 coo spectators Arnold. plotting
the ST. Louis fell into the North sea
after being 81 hours in the air. and
was rescued after being in the water
an hour
Saw Gaping Rent.
Describing the fall and the sensa-
tons which beset him IN the awful
plunge. Mr. Forbes said The bal
loon had reached height a 5000
feet. and We seemed destined 70 have
a glorious and successful trip. Ny
companion was Augustus A. Post OF
the Aero club OF America The bal
loon was beautifully equipped. and
had just remarked 10 Mr. Post that
everything was working beautifully.
when we heard from aloft that IN
mistake BILE sibilant sound that strikes
terror 10 the heart OF the aeronaut
We looked upward and. at the equator
OF the bag. we beheld a gaping rent
which spread in zig-zag Irregular live
cne-third way around the balloon
through which the escaping gas was
Kissing in volumes.
moment OF the catastrophe the ele-
ment OF fear did not once take posses
sion OF me. realized. OF course, our
deadly perily. and the extreme proba-
bility OF neither OF US SURVIVING the
fall, but the sensation OF physical fear
or anticipatory agony. such as takes
possession OF a man face 10 face with
death by drowning, or cut OF from
hope by fire in a sky scraper, or help
less under the wheels OF an onrushing
train, was absent. | attribute this 10
the fact that. after our first realization
Of the calamity, when We babe each
other good-by, our brains were too
active in devising and carrying ont
measures 10 minimize the conse-
quences. to permit OF any other
thoughts
When the balloon crumpled down
upon us, | looked over the side OF the
car and saw the roof OF a six-story
apartment house rising towards us at
an oblique angle with incredible rapid
ity. The building was in the shape Of
the letter f, with a high iron spike
fence surrounding concrete court
between the angles in the rear re-
member wondering. as We raced
toward II. whether we would hit the
roof or miss II and be impaled on the
fence. The wind favored US, and we
drove toward the slapt4ng hip roof.
shouted to Post TO get ready to jump
into the hoops when the crash came,
10 reduce the force OF the shock
When within 20 feet of the roof,
we swung onto the hoop. clear OF the
car floor. The next second the car hit
the slanting side OF the roof and tore
gaping hole through tiles. beams
and plaster. exposing the interiar OF
the room beneath. a lady's bed room
The wind carried the bag over the hip
roof where Il hung downward, acting
es an effective counterbalance 10 the
car on the other side. and preventing
It's slipping down TO the courtyard
100 feet below.
Although We had the breath nearly
Knocked out Of US by the terrible i'm
pact with the roof. neither Post nor
myself were injured in the slightest.
Within six seconds after the car came
10 stop, Post had scrambled along
The tiles In the meshcs OF the rigging.
and was preparing 20 take snap.
shot OF the wreck with his camera
and / was engaged in loosening the
tcggles which fastened the ton ham.
per 10 the car. We were thus On.
gagged when the CHIEF OF police the
chief OF the fire department and a
corps OF ambulance surgeons. who hal
followed the course OF the falling
balloon. scrambled through tho scuttlC
holes Of the roof expecting to find orr
rangIed corpses / never saw such
surprised and delighted men IN nv
Ire as they were when they found m,
absolutely unframed
U IL NJ