The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-12

- AiSo1 aAedO- L Ielt myself los
ing strength and suddenly a terrible
pain went through my chest. I dou-
pled up In pain. All I could think of
was letting out the gas and coming
back to EARTH
Then I thought of the rip cord
the cord that is attached to the valve
that opens up one side of the balloon
ana lets the gas out suddenly. In the
same breath, so to speak, 1 thought
OF what 1t would mean to rip the gas
nag TOO wide, and in the rush of air
ana gas allow the entire valve to be
torn out and what it would mean in
the rush to earth.
50 climbed up into the rigging of
the balloon up over the basket and
high enough to get an angle view of
the INSIDE or the gas bag and the rip
NaIVe- Wnen could see the end of
the valve gave a slight jerk. It tore
open about eight inches
At any minute 1 expected the gas
would tear out the entire rip. We
were still ascending and my body
seemed to be swirling and dancing
with the balloon. I began to feel that
sleepy and groggy sensation felt by
emerson know from the rate we
We're travelling upward that we were
air.
THE air was bitter cold. And still
the sun was flaming hot. This is
what saved Emerson. When he had
dropped down into the basket in the
shade, the atmosphere was cold The
temperature dropped to about 20 de-
grees. This revived him and jumping
to his feet he saw me high above him
with my hand on the rip cord.
I gave the cord another jerk. 1t
tore the big valve open several inches.
The effect was sudden. We stopped as
cendlng and in second we were fall
ing even faster than we had ascended.
Il dropped back in the basket and
with Emerson we threw sand out from
our ballast box. For a few minutes
we noticed no difference. The sand in
stead of dropping to earth, flew up the
sides of the basket, brushed against the
sides of the balloon and flew IN our
eyes and faces. We were falling faster
than the sand that we threw from over
the side of the basket.
THE first Thousand feet we fell in
seven seconds The balloon above us
tapped anG roared. AT any minute we
expected the valve to tear out and the
entire canvas flap ND against the net
of the balloon. At times this will form
a parachute and save the passengers.
Then of course, there is a chance Of it
not doing this.
Threw Out Everything.
After a minute of this absolute drop
to earth We recovered. The speed slack
ened-but still not enough to make
landing safe. We realized then that it
would be necessary to throw every
thing overheard. Grabbing the Ratchet.
Emerson chopped big pieces out of the
blower and threw them to the ground.
We threw over all our water and food
and our cooking utensils. Then over
went our suitcaSes and books.
This regulated our descent. When
within about 1 900 feet of the ground we
hoated easily and q current of air took
US merTily to the east. 1t was with
great relief that we felt once more like
ms n r0Sci11la
We kept in the air so that we could
make every mile count in the race. At
last we saw a pretty meadow and
threw out our drag rope and anchor.
We landed easily in the field without
any harm to the balloon
Then we looked at our faulty valve
and found that the valve rope was lift
ed over the wood shutter. Nothing
could open it from below. We don't
know how this could have happened
How the Storm Was DOdged.
The lodging Of the terrific thunder
biggest danger to balloon
lists was executed cleverly by Aide
Emerson while Pilot Jacobs was sleep
ing in the bottom Of the basket.
Carl Dienstbach, a writer of inter
national lame and a man who has made
a study CT air conditions and aero
work, is enthusiastic over the manner
in which the aide jockeyed around the
storm Monday night. Dienstbach, who
handles aeronauticS for the Scientific
American Magazine and writes for sew
eral American leading magazines and
will make a special fea-
lure of this storm and the flight of the
Topeka. IT. in an article soon
1t seems that the storm came up
directly in the path of the Topeka II
late Monday night The New York
and the Kansas City and the Topeka
II were travelling together when the
storm came I'D
''At first I saw the clouds and felt
the stuffy atmosphere said Aide
Emerson. ''Then saw heat lightning
followed by flashes. Finally the light
ming developed into the fork stage and
the thunder rOared up at our altitude.
AT first I attempted to rise above
the storm, but to no avail. Then l
tried to get out of its path. Still,
couldn't make it. At ali this time the
storm was raging ahead of me and |
could see it was coming my way 1t
began to spread and in a few minutes
it was on all three sides-with only a
small alley way of light ahead.
"At this point Pilot Jacobs woke
UP. He had been sleeping and [ hated
to wake him. But the thunder was
too much and he jumped up from our
sleeping porch and inquired the
cause of all the noise. At once he
saw the struggle I had been making
to keep from the storm.
L don't know how to explain the
rest. I know that we kept our bal
loon in one spot as near as possible
in a perfect calm. I knew that if
we went nearer the storm it would
suck us into the wind and soon we
would be mixed up with rain, light
ming and wind.
by staying in the calm we escaped
the storm. It ragged below us, at the
side of US and above us-but we stood
floating in that one calm. The wind
wasn't strong enough to suck US into
the storm and when I thought that
the elements above had broken I
threw threw out ballast and as ma
jestically as a queen we slid up the
wall of the storm, around its vertex
and into still air.
Carl Dienstbach said. i'll speaking of