The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-06-16

back towards the Berkshires once
more.
Sunrise in a balloon is always a fas-
cinating thing to watch, and this was
no exception. The crescent moon
had been growing fainter and fainter
as it rose in the air and finally from
the starting point at the horizon
came steamers of light and finally
the great bloOd-red sphere which
came up into view and cast its light
over all the country. The whole
earth had seemed like a shallow bowl
with every object flattened down but
when the sunlight came strong and
true black shadows sprang into view
all over the landscape and told plain
ly where the hills and mountains
were to be found.
These shadows grew smaller as the
ballon went up and at last the bar
ometer indicated that the Massachu-
sets had reached a stable equilibrium
1900 feet above the ground. Glanc-
| ing upward in the air il was easy to
see how the gas in the bag had ex-
| UnAuEn until AlN AAVAn wac UhAAth OuN
and pressed close against the network
from which the basket hung.
While watching the sun rise the
| balloonists had the innovation of eat
ing breakfast more than a mile above
the ground and having piping hot cot
| fee to go with it, too. 1t is out OF the
/ question to think of building a fire
| in a balloon or even OF scratching
match there where there is so much
inhammable gas escaping with every
puff OF wind, but science does not
mind a thing like that. An ingenious
invention makes 1t quite possible to
MI a lunch basket in Boston, add the
hot coffee the last thing before leav-
ing the city and have It warm and
welcome for the aerial breakfast.
AS the waxed paper cups, another
sanitary convenience for travellers
were tossed over the basket and cir
cled down like tiny parachutes TO the
forest far below one felt impelled to
exclaim, We'll the twentieth century
Is a pretty good time to live in, after
ALL"
For a long time the balloon 1oated
about in a leisurely fashion high
above the hills and then gradually II
dropped until it was Just below the
rim OF long ridge that extended for
miles to the northward ending at the
valley through which the Fitchburg
railroad ran from the Hoosac tunnel
to the Hudson river The railroad
tracks, with the moving freight trains
and the little villages, could be watch
ed far below. but there were more in
teresting things closer at hand. The
hillside along which the Massachu
sets sailed were covered with trees
from bottom TO top and down a thous
and feet below the basket was Still
more OF the unbroken forest Tn,
rustling Of the leaves IN the mornini
breeze and the dashlng OF the brooks
down the mountain side furnished thu
frs' sounds that had been heard sine,
the descent from the high air an,
brought one back TO a RELATIONSHIP
with the earth once more. Out Of
, the hillside moved the black SHADOW
, Of the balloon. now no longer a mer
, dot on the landscape, but presenting
the full shape OF the aircraft with II
, basket and its passengers shown Il
, full relief AT times the hillside an
the shadow seemed so near that on
! might have almost reached out tn
/ hand and touched IL but in reality
, was some quarter OF mile away.
! Then came rustic OF leaves dow
/, underneath. and looking down Il wa
: apparent that the long trail ropes ha
dropped TO the treetops and wer
4 brushing along from one TO another
/. Landing In midforest FIVE miles ava
from the valley was not 10 be though
OF when there was n good supply q
, ballast stored away in the basket an
. therefore a quantity OF sand was sea-
!. tered overheard, falling in n dust
shower TO the ground and siftin
, through the leaves. Up went tn
= balloon straight in the air agar
! skimmlng clear over the top of IN
= hill and bringing the full length q
! the valley into view.
For the first time the comparativ
\ position of the village was made al
! parent and Pilot Van Sleot knew II
stantly where he was.
. AMhlf 4 NMAiNl llf NNililiNtA
= "and there's North Pownall An
over there, behind that mountain
= Bennington Wen keep straigt
ahead"
|, He had no intention OF landing 1
:. the valley after that and THROWN
out more ballast, he caused the ba
loon TO start of TO the northwar,
: where the dark outline Of Mount Al
thony was the most prominent oble,
Z In view.
Looking closely towards It's SUNNI
: one fancied that a tall. granite shaI
was perohed there. but that was merl
ly an optical Illusion for the monl
: ment was the memorial one at Bel
nington which CHANGED 10 be Just
y line with the course which the Mass
chusetts was taking, In n short tim