The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-19


 Indianapolis, September 1S.-Only two balloons which started from this city in two contests yesterday have landed, according to reports received here late tonight. The two which have dropped out of the race are the Topeka at Washington. Pa., and the Drifter at Uniontown, W. Va. both entered in the frse-for-a contest.
 The Drifter piloted by Albert Holz of Cincinnati had been declared win ner of the race by A. B. Lambert of- ficial starter on the ground that the three other entrants in the event were not ready at the scheduled time.
 The Il balloons which have not re- ported landing are:
 America II, Miss Sophia, India II. Million Population Club, Pennsylvania, Centennial, Hoosier, Buckeye and New York, all of the entrants In the cham pionship race. and University City and Luzerne in the free-for-all event.
 Pittsburg, September 1S.-At least three of the 13 balloons which ascended from Indianapolis between and 6 o'clock yes- terday afternoon passed over the en- virons of Pittsburg late this afternoon and at dusk tonight were reported as still pursuing a course east by north at a rate from 10 to 12 miles an hour In the 24 hours since the ascensons the aeron- auts have covered about 400 miles. In addition to these three definitely sighted dozens of conflicting reports came in, one from Wheeling, w. Va, reading:
 One near Martins Ferry. O., four over NTf- -II-l. Ta A1l one near Moundsville at noon.'
 The only landing reported was from Washington, Pa, this evening. The To- peka had come down at 3 o'clock this afternoon, seven miles south of Washing ton, owing to shower. Pilot R. H. Cole and his aid. F. M. Jacobs, of Topeka. Kan, reported that most of the night they had travelled so closely to the oth- CTS of the big aeronautic party that they could talk from basket to basket. The Topeka was entered in the free-for-all event.
 Eastern Ohio, West Virginia and west ern Pennsylvania were all balloon hunt ing today All afternoon local newspaper offices were advised from outlying dis tricts that three balloons sailing high and separated by about 10 minute intervals had been sighted. The first report here came from Washington, Pa. The ball. looms had been sighted there at o'clock and the third had passed at 1:5O p. m. They were all over 1000 feet high, but Sheriff John Murphy who reported their progress, said he distinguished the forms of two men in two of the baskets and three men in the car of the third bal loon.
 At Cannonsburg. just northeast of Washington, the balloons were sighted by hundreds of people, and one man got so excited he turned in fire alarm. Over the junction of the Monongahela and Youghiogheney rivers the aeronauts evidently encountered trouble with the lower air currents and avoided them by mounting to the height of nearly a mile. At this altitude they sailed up the Mo- nongahela valley, over the fire and smoke of numerous steel mills.
 Between 2 and 3 o'clock the balloons were sighted from the southern suburbs of Pittsburg, at McKeesburg. Carrick and Mt. Olive. At that time one of the balloons had a 20-minute lead on the other two and the latter were so close together that 1t seemed as if they would bump. At the extreme height it was impossible to identify the balloons, and as dusk closed in they were reported barely visible as they proceeded north easterly along the course of the Ale heney river.
 During the afternoon showers threat
 
 rain fell here, but at that hour no re- port has been received of any of these three balloons landing. The wind held steady at about 12 miles an hour as 1t had all day. The local weather bureau reported that during last night the aero nauts could not have had a wind much better than four miles an hour, but at daybreak 1t was more brisk.
 Wheeling, w. Va, September 1S.-Four of the balloons which started from In- dianapolis yesterday crossed the Ohio river over or near this city today, and a fifth landed at Uniontown, w. Va Three of the balloons were seen north of the city, one flying so low that It's number, 6. was plainly visible. The balloon which landed at Uniontown was the Drifter, with Albert Holz, pilot and George R. Howard, passenger The aeronauts said they encountered three storms while fly ing at an altitude of about 23O0 feet and crossed the Ohio river three times.
 Their big gas bag was literally soaked and made so heavy by the rain that they were forced to descend
 Charleston, W. Va., September 1S.-The balloon Buckeye, which ascended at In- dianapolis yesterday, passed over this city ct o'clock this evening
 Indianapolis. September 1S.-It is report ed here that the Luzerne. piloted by Dr. . o< n v>Ao l.,