The Columbus journal., 1910-11-09

Erie Canal for . convenient landing
place. The Atlantic was making ter.
rife dips downward. She neared the
treetops until Wise, Who Vas in charge
Of the ga valve, shouted:
For Gods sake, heave over any.
thing that you can lay your hands on,
LaMountain!'
LaMountain prepared to cut loose
the heavy boat, yet hesitated, for the
balloon Was swinging north, again and
out toward Lake Ontario. He drop
ped . final $50 pounds of ballast.
The Atlantic shot up even in the face
of . terrific wind, and her crew hoped
to make the Canada shore.
In this extremity everything went
by the board. First went the carpet
bags and personal belongings of the
voyagers, and finally their valuable
and heavy scientific instruments were
sacrificed to the waters. The Atlsnt.
ic would rise only to sink upon the
rough surface of Ontario. The balloon
swooped upon the turbulent water, and
finally its boat crashed against the
waves, breaking it into firewood.
BE easy, gentleman" said LaMoun-
tain, calmly, II would have her afloat
in another moment"
lie succeeded in cutting the boat
away, and the Atlantic swung into the
air again. The wind continued to
sweep the balloon along at a fearful
rate, the halfdistended gas bag serv.
ing q IN enormous sail which carried
it along at the rate of seventy miles an
hour.
It keep above the water, however,
and the four men knew that they stood
. good chance of being blown upon
the east shore of Lake Ontario. Fiji.
teen miles offshore was . small steam
boat, evidently bound from Oswego to
Kingston. When its captain saw the
peril of the aeronauts he put about and
followed in the wake of the Atlantic.
But he was soon left far behind, and
the big balloon swept upon the shore
and over the treetops of the forest,
while her dangling anchor hook tossed
against its highest branches. When
the hook finally caught . treetop, the
Atlantic's speed was such that the inch
and . quarter iron instantly snapped.
The balloon, thus freed, continued in.
land for another mile, crashing and
breaking down trees until finally its
basket caught in the crotcbed limbs of
. tall elm. The men had saved them.
selves by climbing high into the rig
ging Of the craft.
The tree held the airship captive for
nearly minute; then it too gave way
under the strain, and high in the air
went balloon, basket and the greater
part of the tree. This last load Was
too much for the Atlantic, and hardly
had she risen before she settled down
into another tree, her attachments in.
extricably tangled, but herself as lit.
tie injured as her crew.
The balloon was soon after cut down
from the tree and carried to Water
town, the nearest large town, where it
was exhibited in the public square
there to the great throngs of admiring
country folk. 1t had attained its first
great reputation, for of it could now be
said that it had beaten all aerial rec
ords for the time and speed.
Despite the fame that came to them
for having made an almost unreach-
able record, Hyde and Greager had
had enough of balooning, and return.
ed to their home. Mr.. Wise was call.
ed back to Lancaster, but the intrepid
LaMountain found . new companion
in aeronautics in John A. Haddock, a
country editor, then engaged in print
ing the Watertown Reformer. Had
dock was . daring sort ola fellow, and
had already returned from a trip into
the most impenetrable Labrador re-
gion. He assisted LaMountain in re.
pairing the Atlantic, and she was soon
rs good As new, although it was deem
ed best to reduce her size one third.
The two men said that they would |
sail from Watertown to Europe. A
excitement over balooning be-
came at fever height again when it was
known that the great Atlantic, with
'uch . tremendous record already won,
would 50 soon set out to beat her own
record. Another great throng gather.
ID in the public square at Watertown,
md at just twenty-seven minutes be.