Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-19
interesting Story Of Two
And 0ne=half Hours in
The Air With Pilot Van
Sleet, Starting at Pitts
field, Mass, and Landing,
After Delightful and
Thrilling Journey, at
West, Springfield===he Is
Enthusiastic Over Sport.

1.-THE delights of sky sailing on a
fair day in a great big old-fashioned
balloon in command of good pilot
are beyond description and comprehen-
sion to anyone who has not experienced
this novel pleasure" said Mr. w. II.
Gannett, who is member of the Aero
Club Of New England and who returned
home safely Wednesday from Berk-
shire Hills, going to Pittshcld, Mass,
Monday last to take his initial trip
in the air in company with Mr.. Charles
J. Glidden Of Boston.
Monday evening Mr. Glidden gave
the Pittsfied Park Club d rare treat
by delivering an illustrated lecture of
his $4,000 mile automobile trip around
the world, also relating his experiences
in balloonirg. These trips have cost
him 100000 and are graphically de-
scribed and profuscly illustrated.
Mr.. Glidden is very careful and
unusually cautious man, 80 speed OF
fifteen miles an hour just suits him,
either on land or in the air. Tuesday
morning when the wind showed We
locity of twenty miles an hour 1t was
decided to defer the ascension until
late in tho afternoon in the hone OF
being favored with a more moderate
air. at 3 p. NJ. everything was made
ready and finally at 3.45. after con-
su,ting several times by telephone with
the weather bureau at Albany, n. y,
it was decided to turn on the gas. |
wired home that we would ascend at
and land at 7.30 p NJ, so when the
wind freshencd up a bit and Mr..
Gliddcn decided he would not risk q
landing with his 225 lbs. of avoirdu-
pois in that breeze. which would per-
haps give him bump that would pre-
vent his delivering his lecture which
was to be given for charitable pur
poses in Nashua, n. H., the following
evening. it rather looked as though 1t
was left fer me either to take the reg
ular club pilot, Mr.. Van Sleet, and go
on, or else remain on the ground. |
naturally wished to incur no unreason-
able hazard and still wanted to keep
my word just sent by wire.
Dr. S s. StoweIl and Mr.. oscar r.
Hutchinson, both of whom had made
several ascensions. We're anxious to
make the trip, and so. with William
Van Sleet as pilot, we decided on Mr..
Glidden's assurance that he thought
everything would come out all right in
the end, to let the big bag free,-to
go up and take what chance there
might be in coming down. For my
own part I felt that if we wanted to
get anywhere | could not see much
use. in going off at a much less speed
than twenty miles an hour as long
as the general weather indications
seemed to be favorable
a few years ago ] saw dozen bal
looms go up at one time in forty
mile race in London. several of them
carrying ladies. and 20 miles was
about the-velocity of the wind at that
time. and they all made good landings,
az fortunately we did.
Only having been up in captive
balloon thousand feet, of course had
no idea just how it would effect me tn
reach a very high altitude so the pilot
and passengers all promised to be
guided by my feelings as to how high
we should go. The balloon "MaSsaChu-
SETS" in which we sailed. is large
enough to easily carry four people and
a good supply, IA bags. 700 lbs of sand.
To give a comparative idea of the bal
looms size. the entire outfit is about
Is or so feet high and at its greatest