The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-18
BALLOON TRIPS,
OUT OF QUINCY
Tom Baldwin Building TWO Big os.es
fer New Workers Who Want to
Take Number Of
Voyages.
FLYING NEXT SUMMER
Aeronaut Writes to Ask What His
Old Home Town Would do it
he Picked it for the
Right Spot.

Quincy may become balloon sta
ton from which point long distance
trips will start next summer, If Tom
Baldwin can influence the New York
ers to select that place. The following
from the Journal, tells of the proposi-
ton:
In all probability Quincy will get
in the limelight in the spring as be-
ing the starting point of number of
trials at record-breaking balloon voy-
ages.
The matter comes up at this time
through letter received by Mayor
Steinbach from Capt. T. S. Baldwin,
the worlds most famous aeronaut, at
present located in New York
The letter, which explains itself,
reads as follows:
Baldwin's Letter.
New York, Feb. IA, 1910.
May Steinbach, Quincy, Ill.,.
Dear Mr.. Steinbach: l have under
course of construction two $4,000 cubic
feet capacity balloons of vulcanized
proof material. which cost $4,000 each.
These balloons are to be used by some
wealthy New York men for long dis.
lance ballooning, and they are very
anxious and DESTROYS OF securing a To-
cation as permanent station to start
from, and it is up to me to locate the
place.
My first choice is Quincy, both from
a geographical standpoint, and place
where good gas can be had. The idea
is to keep these balloons at the sta
ton, and from time to time make long
distance balloon ascensions, purely for
scientific purposes. and there is no
question but that during the season OF
1910 and 1911 we can have all the
worlds records held in America
The point is, these men want to
pay for everything they get, but they
will expect the usual courtesies that
otter cities are anxious to give them
It is necessary to have place, say,
$50 feet square or thereabouts, free
from wires, with at least an eight-inch
main where good flow of gas can be
had. The grounds should be policed.
and the gas should cost not more than
81 thousand, and be able to be had
by giving the gas company, say from
a week to ten days notice. 1t would
also be necessary that the gas COM
pany be in harmony with the project
so that good service could be had.
You have local aeronauts in Quincy
that could take care of the Initiating
and maintaining the balloons when not
| in use.
would suggest that your Chamber
of Commerce of Business Mems associ
alton could greatly assist in carrying
out these plans.
The exhibitions OF starting would be
absolutely free and the only b, ne
!ft the city would get out of it would
be the advertising it would receive
through the public papers.
There are many advantages that
could point out that would be of value
to the city to have these experimental
flights starting from there, but time
will not permit
Will you take this matter up a1t
let me hear from you in regard to il
Or put me In communication with
some of your citizens that would like
ly make the preliminary arrange
ments?
They would in all probability make
their first fight about the 10th O
May, or the first full moon thereafter
With my very best regards to 20,
and the citizens of Quincy, am,
Yours very truly,
THOMAS S. BALDWIN.