The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-26
BALLOON AID FOR
SALT LAKE CITY
Aero Club Promises Residents
of Zion Some Spectacular
Sport.
FIRST ASCENSION TO BE
MADE SEPTEMBER THIRD
Start to Be Made From Main
and Ninth South
Streets.

The people of Salt Lake will have
their first cast at ballo0ning as sport
Oh Sunday, September 3. On that day
the first of series of balloon trips
will be made from this city under the
auspices of the newly-organized Aero
club. The club starts off with four
= charter members, and its promoters look
for some rare sport.
The club has contracted for the de-
livery of balloon of 10000 cubic feet
gas capacity by September 3 at the lat
est II the balloon docs not arrive until
the latest specified date, the trip will
he made Monday, September 4. Labor
day. The members Of the club. how
ever, have reason to believe that their
balloon will reach Salt Lake in time for
the Sunday air excursion.
The balloon will be brought from St
Louis by II E. Hunnewel. licensed
pilot Mr. Hunnewell will operate the
balloon on its first two or three trips.
meanwhile instructing the Aero club
members in the nrt Of navigation.
Arrangements have been made with
the Utah Gas & Coke company for in
flating the gigantic bag The gas com
pany promises to deliver approximately
10000 feet of gas per hour. Thus 1t
bag 1t is the plan to start the work OF
initiation early In the morning. so that
the start may he made by 9 o clock.
The balloon will be inflated and pre-
pared for the flight on the ten-ncre
Walker plot. Ninth South and Main
streets, known AS the " circus lot, The
balloon will be, when filled, eighty
feet in height, and of the spherical
type. 1t will he non-dirigible and Its
destination, therefore, will not be def
initely fixed at the time OF starting.
Away Up in the Air.
1t is possible, say the promoters, that
the balloon will be permitted TO rise
$4,000 feet, "iust to give the Passen-
gers the experience of rising above the
clouds" as one of the balloon club
men put it yesterday The distance
from the earth at which the trips
ordinarily are 10 be made will be from
1000 to 5000 feet, the height being de-
termined amost entirely by the air cur
rents and conditions above the sur"
face of the enrth. 1t is possible that,
if the day be fair. and the air calm,
the balloon will hang over the Great
Salt Lake valley all of Sunday. The
view from the height promises to af-
ford those fortunate enough 10 make
the trip magnificent sight.
The car attached TO the bag will be
capable Of accommodating seven pas
sengers. The personnel of the party
that is TO make the first trip has not
vet been decided upon, but soon will
be announced The seats in the car
are so arranged that they may be let
down. permitting the passengers to lie
down when they are tired of sitting
up
The balloon and the expenses Of the
first two trips, II is estimated, will
cost 5000
1t is not the purpose of the new Aero
club TO operate the balloon for revenue.
Instead, the project is one that is
divided between civic welfare and pure
sport. AS means of boosting Salt
Lake. the Aero club men say the balloon
method has no superior, for, being
highly spectacular. it will attract wide
spread attention. The balloon, on its
eighty feet of height and its gen
erous breadth, will bear the words in
Lake City
To Extend Field.
As soon as the first few trips have
been made from Salt Lake. il is the plan
of the Salt Lake Aero club 10 promote
similar organizations in Denver. Los
Angeles and San Francisco, and TO ar
range match races between the differ
cnt cities. 1t is said that, with the
trip of September 3. Salt Lake will
hold the distinction of witnessing the
first balloon trip ever made west of
Kansas City. There have been balloon
ascensIons, of course, in almost every
city, but balloonipg as n sport has
never penetrated the west beyond the
Missouri river.
Pilot Hnnnewell. who will be here
with the big balloon. is a director of
the st. Louis Aero club, and has made
l59 successful balloon trips. II is said
by the promoters of the Salt Lake Aero
club that three-f0urths of the balloons
manufactured In this country are made
in ST Louis, and that St Louis is also
q central manufacturing point for air.
ships and aeroplanes. All this dis.
tinctiou has been brought TO st. Louis.
II is asserted. because of the interest
taken In acronantics. stimulated by the
efforts of the ST. Louis Aero club. II
81. Lonis can do these things, fhe pro
meters ask. why can not the same sue.
cess come to Salt Lakei
1T is the hope of the members of the
local club that the people of this CITY
and this state will become enthusiastic
balloon sportsmen and that the sport
VIII take rank as the foremost pastimc
nf the age Certainly it is tremen.
dously exciting and exhilerating, ac.
cordng to the testimony of those who
have seen the clouds from the top side.