The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1911-04-14
BALLOON DROPS 1900 FEET
AT ST. LOUIS, AND AlRMEN ONLY
BRUISED AND SCRATCHED.
They Were Undaunted by the Mishap
and Expect to Try Again-Milllon-
aire Drew Was the Pilot.

St. Louis, Mo.-sThe balloon st. Lous
ILL.,, with Andrew Drew, heir Of the late
millionaire Francis A. Drew, as pilot,
and three other officers of the National
Guard Signal Corps in the basket,
dropped 1000 feet Sunday and landed
in the Frisco Railroad yards. Aside !
from bruises and scratches none OF
the aeronauts was injured.
In the fall the balloon struck the
side of the tall Liggett & Meyers
smokestack, crashed against several
buildings and went hurting over a
mountain of old asphalt, with the bas-
ket bounding roughly. The aircraft
narrowly escaped becoming entangled
in the maze of telegraph wires that
parallels the tracks, and Pilot Drew
skillfully Jumped it over The bal
loon is of S0,000-feet capacity and IS
the property of the st. Louis Aero
Club 1t was known to be "leaky' be-
fore the start, and the trip, which was
the first of a series to be made by the
signal corps, of which Drew is leuten-
ant, was to be of short duration, 1t be-
ing determined to land in the country
about thirty miles out. Drew is dar
ing aeronaut and has had many mar
row escapes in aeroplane and balloon
flights.
Besides Drew there were in the par
ty Lieutenant John ?. Hart. Sergean
Bayard T. Bookman and Sergeant }. A
Obermeyer. 1t was one of DreWs man
4 balloon ascensions, but was the mrs
n time the others had felt terra firm
slipping from them None is daunte'
Il. and each stated that he would be on
of the party for the ascension ne'
Sunday.
I'VE knew the bag was leaky,' sa
Drew, land we intended only to maj
a short flight. | must say that ! ne
err saw men conduct themselves pe''
under terrifying circumstances TN
4 did the three men who were with II
Never for one instant did they 10
their presence of mind, nor made a
effort to leave the balloon until ga
the word. Had they jumped WI
- they could have insured their
safety the leaky balloon would ne
risen again to a great height and
me helpless.
81 knew that we we're dropping,
n that we were dropping at a teri
rate of speed. So fast were we ol
hit ming that | called to Lieutenant t.
to at once drop several sacks OF
10 last. This stopped our descent mon
=, tariIv hut after few minutes CT
'i'e see that we were still dropping
faster than ever.
"The wind was still bearing
westward. Now the great Llgge'
J Meyers tobacco plant appeared 10
. up from the ground and meet us
we're headed directly for it, and t
They was no escaping it, as we were
loung ping at frightful rate
When "The big smokestack was direct
ed 10 our path. Rsaw that we were su
Is OF strike it. We moved back in the
Id LOT ket and allowed it to strike the p
1irsty' bricks with fulF force. Then
ques- bounded against several building
gutter 81 expected the gas bag 10
clear when we struck the chimney ano
ud ap we would slide down its side and
ou. Va ably alight on the roof
olrus "The unexpectebhappened, hoV
ec'ion, and the balloon bounded OF the
H. anu chimney as though it were oa
inuses n at the same the continued III
!, +ba,r cent.
n 'no 1--WE struck the corner OF the
eleas tho building and the basket was
. ,, 800 ,1,ns ed into the air. but all held or
i, 'nn In and no one was jostled out, as "
i ou, . cd we might be- Just beyond "
r ndor II railroad tracks and this huge
'aa to stones. To alight on this was
= Tr,h. with danger. but we managed
cape with slight injuries.
Texas Onion Movement