Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-07-21
FLIGHT
ENDED IN A FIELD
IN SOUTHERN IOWA
Harmon and Post, Who Started
in the Kansas City Race,
Forced to Descend.

Kansas City, Mo, July 12.-Forced t.
:escend from 5000 feet, where they en-
ountered a terrific Thunderstorm an,
yclonic conditions, Clifford b.. Har
non, pilot, and Augustus Post, aide, IL
he balloon New York. were compelled
oday to land after a most thrilling ex
,erience at Fremont, Ia, and give VI
heir place in the elimination race fot
he James Gordon Bennet cup. Boil
men landed In safety and after packing
heir balloon, which was uninjured
tarted with 1t at noon for New York
At about the same time the balloon
Kansas City was forced to land neai
4inby, Ia, having been caught in the
anne storm encountered by the New
1orkers. Capt. II. Il. Honeywell, the
'ilot, and John Watts, his aide. es
aped injury.
At o as far as learned, the other
i've contestants were still in the air
making good progress and travelling IL
4 ~northeasterly direction over Iowa and
illinois.
In a message sent from Fremont
before he and Mr.. Harmon left there
or the east, August Post described
heir experience since leaving Kansai
City.
"The New York sailed until mid.
light last night in a northeast d.
'ection," said Post. Then we entered
I terrific thunderstorm. The balloon
'ose to 5000 feet and the temperatur,
dropped to 80 degrees. A cycloni,
rortex sucked us, into it's crater. ant
Ne were lost in the clouds with light
ling playing all around us.
"The thunderclaps shook the bas'
ret and the vibration felt like a hug,
iledge hammer was striking It. AT tn,
upper surface -f the storm enter the
balloon was twisted and rossed like s
'ork in the Niagara rapids. Harmon
md l had to hold on to the sides q
he basket while 1t dropped and ros,
Sith ~frightful rapidity.
Our ballast was SOC exhausted
Ind we were carried down withoui
being able to check the balloon. We
decided to make a landing, although
I was 3 o'clock at night and so dark
We could not see. We were dragged
nearly II mile before being able (.
allow the gas to escape by the rip
,annel and valve. Greatly shaken WI
stopped on the property OF Petei
Oeutschle, at Fremont, la.
Harmon M l are all right excepi
'or a severe shaking UP. Our balloon
VAS packed and shipped this morning
we are leaving at noon for New York
Fremont Is 1853 miles northeast o.
Kansas City.
Had Best Starting Position.
Great interest conferred around tbs
balloon New York because II held the
pest starting position-the last, and be,
:ause Augustus Post, who assisted Altar
z. Hawley pilot the America II. to vic'
Ory in the James Gordon-Bennett cur
race last yea was aide. The New
York was a new balloon.
In a telegram to the Associated
Press Captain Honeywell said:
After a perfect ascent we Travelled
:apidly northeast. Conditions wer,
perfect except for tho Eeot OF the sur
at the start. A--ou- Z O'clock we
sighted lightning and wind storm. wa
Tried to avoid it, but at 1:15 a. IN. W.
vent into it. For an hour we strug.
:led with the elements, all the while
iurling out our ballast. Finally, how.
Yer, we had to give up anC we land.
d with 80 sacks of ballast left. we
lept in the basket until daylight
leave for Kansas City this morning.
The Kansas City drew the poores!
tarting position in the race 1t haS
o ascend first while the hot sun was
,eating down on the bag. Captain
honeywell. before the start, feared tn,
.eat would force him to descend. Hill
lid, John Watts. of Kansas City, had
yever made a balloon trip before.
Libby, the town where the Kansa.
Ity landed, is approximately $50 mile.
forth of Kansas City. 1t is just acros.
he county from Fremont, where thu
New York came down.