Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-09
SOCIETY WOMEN
ENJOY PERiLOUS
BALLOON ASCENT
FAIR PASSENGERS DECLARE
THEY FELT NO FEAR
NO MlsHAPs ATTEND FLIGHT OF
BIG GAS BAG
Postponed Sports of Tournament of
Roses Are Viewed by 10000 Per-
sons-Engllsh Wins Four
Horse Chariot Race

New York and Chicago made a success
full balloon ascension this afternoon,
taking with him Miss Jean French and
her sister-in-law, Mrs. Alvin French,
winter visitors in the Crown City. who
have passed much of their time at the
fashionable watering places of Europe
and America. The balloon left the
earth at 2:55 o'clock and landed about
a block from Casa Verdugo in a va
cant lot at 4:47 o'clock.
SO still was the air when Mr.. Har-
mon pulled the valve releasing the gas
to allow descent the balloon rope, trail
ing 500 feet below, coiled like a snake.
Eager hands quickly seized this rope,
the work being directed by Alvin
French, who, in an automobile had
followed in the direction taken by the
balloon in which his wife was sailing.
1t was but few seconds until the gas
bag, holding $4,000 cubic feet of illumi-
mating gas, was drawn to the earth
and the two women with eXclamations
of delight at their pleasant trip, leaped
quickly from the basket.
TT was simply fine" said Miss Jean
French. II have been high in the air
before, but never have had a pleas
anter time.
frightened. Why should we be? We
We're perfectly safe. No, I was mott
frightened not for a minute. Why,
it's just heavenly, floating in the air
as though one were riding on a cloud. !"
What were the sensations?'
why, that's hard to tell. It's not
like anything else in the world. The
sensation is not similar to going up in
an elevator for then there Is something
with which to draw a comparison. In
a balloon you simply feel the rush.
of air and the earth seems to glide
away from beneath you.
Experienced No Fear
''I have made five other ascensionsi
and 1 do not remember of ever hav-
ing been afraid. Yes. 1 was, though.
The first time I climbed into a bal
loon basket l was half frightened tol
death. 1t took more nerve to get intoi
that balloon basket than it has taken
in all the other ascensions put together,
II could not want for a pleasanter
day than we had today. 1t was just
as clear as it could be, cool but not
too cold, and we could see the coun-
try for miles in every direction. We
did not move very fast at any time
and simply drifted along, whichever
way the wind took us. The basket
was Just as steady as it could be and
the landing was simply ideal, the BEST
] have ever made"
MIS-. fTbICH WcS Just cp DAl
1"It's nv first time to make an ascen-
sion but I hope it will not be my last.
said she. I was just the least little
bit disturbed when we first started, but
7 cot over that in q few minutes and
enjoyed every second of the time we
were in the air. Yes, it did take some
courage to smile those first few sec
onds when we started, but l WASH
so very frightened; no, really,
wasn't.
II would go again even if the weather
wasn't as pleasant as it was today.
for I think there is not the least bit
of danger. I am SO in love with ball
looming that I would like to own one
of my own, but I should be AFRAID TO
attempt to come down. That's where
the skill comes in, I can easily see.
Course of the Balloon
The balloon trip, the first made in
1910 by a woman anywhere in the
world. was rather zigzag in course. |
First the balloon went west for few |
thousand feet. and then it turned due !
north. and it looked as though it would |
go through the Millard canyon gap |
and over Camp Sierra in the foothills, |
as the balloon six did last year.
However before the foothills were
reached the balloon turned almost due |
west and for a few minutes the only |
reasonably rapid time of the fight was |
enjoyed by the five in the car,
on swept the big gas bag, across the /
Arroyo Seco, into la Canyada valley |
and thence northerly toward San Fer
nando Again a shift of wind was
struck and the course became south
ward. Here the crossing of the foot |
hills into the Eagle Rock valley was
made and in a few minutes the big |
basket hung over Casa Verdugo,
The sun was nearing the horizon, |
and so Mr. Harmon, George B. Harri- |
son of the aviation week executive
force Chimself an experienced naVi- |
gator of the air, with half a dozen trips
to his credit, and George Duesler, Mr. |
Harmon's assistant, decided the time
had come to alight Slowly the cord /
governing the outlett valve was pulled, /
and slowly. yet steadily, the big bal /
loon began to drop toward the earth |
An ideal spot, about block southwest |
Of Casa Verdugo itself, was selected |
for the landing. Not miscalculation |
was made and the LANDING was as near |
perfect as it is possible to have one.
While in the air Mr.. Harrison dis
cussed with Mr.. Harmon the question |
Of becoming an international pilot, |
Mr.. Harrison has passed most of the |
requirements and ii is probable that
he will ask the Aero club for a license |
in the near future. Four or five more
aa!Shta. one at night and one by him
self. win complete the requirements |
for membership of the Los Angeles
aviator.
English Wins Chariot Race
In driving finish Revel Lindsay
English of Pasadena won the third and
deciding heat of the Roman chariot |
race at Tournament park, the thou |
sands of people lining the track liter
ally shouting themselves hoarse as the
favorite captured first place by about
six feet. The people were for English
because he is an amateur driver, while
his opponent, fine sportsman though he
is, is a semi-professional. Ed Leven-
good, the loser, took his defeat gra
ciously, and his plucky drive was
heartily cheered as he drove back be-
fore the grandstand after the finish.
The track was n bit heavy, being new
and scarcely dried since the recent
rains. Levengood drew the pole for the
first heat and held it throughout, all
efforts on English's part to force him
ont falling. The first time the two
fours passed the grandstand they were
neck and neck but on the second time
around the half-mile track English was
not able to hold up quite so close and
], I,evengood nosed him out at the finish
by about four feet.
This heat was the slowest Of all |
three, being done in 2 minutes, ~ |
seconds.
In the next heat English had the