Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-19
FLOCK OF BALLOONS FLYING
Big Fleet Of Gas Bags Moving Toward
the North.
MESSAGES ARE DROPPED ENRoUTE
NaviRators of the AIR Hover over the
Fields and Towns of Illinois
and wisconsin During
the Day.

ST LOUIS. oct. 1S-The ten balloons
which left here late yesterday afternoon
competing for the James Gordon Bennett
cup and cash prizes in the international
race are believed 70 be over Lake Michi-
gan this morning. Reports received show
seven OF them passed over northern Illinois
and southeastern Wisconsin between and
s o'clock.
! MILWAUKEE, wis, Oct. 1s.-Early
users today sighted a balloon passing over
Milwaukee, and at 1880 a woman brought in
the following message:
ITO the Associated Press: Balloon Ger
mania, travelling northeast in i,4OO-foot
level. Thirty bags left. Time, a. m.
over Milwaukee. We will cross the sea.
won AvERCRON, Pilot.
"BLANCKERTs, Aid"
The reference Of the sea, Of course,
means Lake Michigan.
MILWAUKEE,, oct. 1s-A second balloon
passed over Milwaukee at Sis this morn
ing in a northeasterly direction, apparently
1900 feet slSyward The big bag is white in
color and is making for Lake Michigan.
The name of the air craft Is not learned.
ZION CITY, ILL.,, Oct 1s,-The balloon
Isle de France, going E. N. f., at height
OF tOV Aeelf passed mere at u'oV d. H. luudSs
six Hundred Feet High.
SOUTH MILWAUKEE,, Wis, oct. IS
The balloon, Harburg III, one of the Ger
man entries in the international balloon
race, passed over here at 6:35 a, m, 1t was
going in a northeasterly direction at a
height of 800 feet. Lieutenant Leopold Vogt
is the pilot and w. f. Ashmann his aid.
RACINE, Wis, Oct. 1s.-An unidentified
balloon thought to be one OF the St. Louis
fleet passed over Franksville, Wis, five
miles northwest of here, at 7:15 this morn
ing, headed northeast. The balloon was
sailing 400 or 500 feet above the earth and
owing to the smoke and fog was just visi-
bic.
RACINE. Wis, Oct ia telephone
message reports the landing of an uniden-
titled balloon about six miles north Of this
city.
SPRINGFIELD, Wis, Oct. 1s-The fol-
lowing message was dropped here;
Balloon No. 2, travelling northeast in
4OO-foot level Fourteen bags left Time,
5;38 a. m. Approaching Lake Michigan. In
doubt If we can cross account angle we
are travelling.
IS. LOUIS Won PHUL, Pilot
JOSEPH NJ. O'REILLY, Aid"
ascertained that another unidentified bal
loon passed over the heart of the city at
about $50 this morning. 1t was up about
400 feet and headed east, passing out over
the lake.
Three I'm n Bunch.
GAINESVILLE, Wis. oct. 1s-Three Of
the balloons which started from st. Louis
last evening passed over GAINESVILLE be-
tween 5 and s o'clock this morning. One
OF the balloons. the America II, was about
1000 feet high The other two were too
high to communicate with. The occupants
of the America II shouted down that they
were feeling fine, All three air crafts were
sailing in northeasterly direction.
MOLINE, ILL.,, Oct 1.-two balloons
which assembled at st. Louis Yesterday
passed over WATERFOWL. ILL.,, this morning.
The occupants communicated with guards
at the Western Illinois hospital, but did
not give the names of the air craft. The
moon shone full and a good view was OBJ
tainable. A black balloon passed at 1:45
and a yellow at 2:O5 Both Travelled 200
feet from the ground, twenty-five miles
an hour and were going due north.
Pass over BeIOit.
BELOIT, Wis. oct. 1S.-At least three Of
the big balloons in the international bal
loon race passed over Beloit and vicinity
this morning. Some of the gas bags were
so high as to be little more than visible
and others were only about $500 feet above
the earth.
Robert HALEY of the township of
Newark, ten miles west of here, reports
he saw three balloons. The America II
passed over his door yard at $50 and one
OF the men in the basket asked what time
1t was, He was about 200 feet above the
earth. Mr.. HALEY saw two others one at
and another at o'clock. He could not
distinguish the names.
At 7:B one of the balloons, estimated to
be 1000 feet high, passed directly over the
city. Three were seen over Alton, five
miles north. One Is said to have passed
over Fort Atkinson at o'clock, so low
that the anchor was dragging. Ballast was
thrown out, however, and the balloon then
assembled. 1t was so dark no names could
be made out.
Won PhuI Lands.
RACINE, Wis, oct. 1S.-Because they
had but eight bags of sand left with which
to cross Lake Michigan, s. Louis Won
Phul, the pilot, and J. M. O'RieIly, his
aid, landed their balloon, The Million
Population Club six miles north of here
at 7:25 this morhing. The balloon was
brought to this city and the pilots left inn
mediately for st. Louis. Their flight Is
estimated at 355 miles
III we had had fifteen bags II sand we
could have made the trip across. but with
only half that number and the wind in the
southwest, blowing the long way Of the
body of water, We decided it best TO drop
where we did" said Won Phul
ST. LOUIS. Moo oct 1S.-Veteran bal
loon pilots here when they heard that Won
Phu had but fourteen bags of ballast left
at 5:SS o'clock this morning, predicted that
the aeronaut would not attempt to cross
Lake Michigan. They said it would be sui
eide. As soon as the sun strikes his gas
bag today the gas will expand and force
the aerostat 10 a higher level, and after
the sun sets, they say, he would go down
in the water, as he has not enough ballast
to throw out.
May Go Across Lake.
The balloons with more than twenty
bags OF ballast left this morning are eX-