Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-05
Dartmouth and Williams Lose
For Duration and Distance.
Thrilling Story Of Trip in Storm
OF The Philadelphia Il.
Covers Distance OF lis Miles In
About 7 Hours -The Prizes.

Peabody, Mass, June university
of Pennsylvania, it was learned today
| is the winner of the first intercollegiate
| balloon race in the history of aero
nautics, having defeated Dartmouth
| and Williams for distance, and dura-
ton in the race that began at North
| Adams yesterday afternoon. The
Pennsylvania balloon, Philadelphia II,
landed at West Peabody at 1899 last
night. after covering a distance of lis
miles in little over seven hours.
| The occupants of the Philadelphia
| II, a. +. Atherholt, the pilot and
George A. Richardson, of the Univer-
sity Of Pennsylvania, reported today
that they had landed last night in the
woods on the estate of Charles San
ders in West Peabody. The descent
was made in a heavy thunderstorm
which forced the racers to remain I'M
der cover in their basket until this
morning The greatest height reached
by the Pennsylvania entry was 10000
| feet, over Fitehburg.
The three contestants left North
Adams yesterday afternoon, shortly
after 3 O'Clock. The Dartmouth bal
| loon, Boston, piloted by Jay B. Benton,
with John w. Pearson as passenger
was the first to land, coming down at
$50 z. NJ. in West Pelham. Mass, Al
miles from North Adams after 3 hours
and - minutes of air travelling. An
hour and a quarter later the Williams
balloon, Stevens No. 81, with II. p.
| Sherman for pilot. and KIT. Price, as
passenger landed at Paxton, Go miles
in an air line from North Adams. All
the big gas bags had $4,000 cubic feet
| capacity.
The crew of the Philadelphia ii re-
ported today that after leaving the
ground in North Adams, they struck a
| cross current which carried them in
a northeasterly direction. The wind
soon shifted and at sunset was driving
the Pennsylvanians towards the Mas
sachusetts coast.
Goiag over Fitchburg their instru-
| ments showed them to be at a height
OF 1900 feet. Dropping TO lower lev
| ell, they were startled by a lash OF
| lightning. 1t mad become so dark that
| they could not tell where they were
| and mstook the flash for a lighthouse
on the coast. In some alarm they pull
ed the throttle and risked "a chance of
/ Il ldlI IdUulHS Ill the uttIh. IttEliiS bul
! over the basket, the aeronauts saw the
dark shadow Of a forest leaping up to
meet them 1t was too late TO check
| their rapid descent and they held their
breath in fear of being hung up ON
the tree tops for the night. when their
air craft picked out small clearing
in a dense woods and after few
bumps along the ground brought up on
a little stretch of greensward.
In the meantime a heavy thunder
storm had broken. No lights We're TO
be seen in the neighborhood, but. MAX
ing a tent out of their basket and some
coverings they spent the night in the
open until morning, when they found
their way to the Sanders residence,
| where they were given a hearty vel
come. The balloon was later packed
and shipped on To Philadelphia
Pilot Atherholt stated that the wind
of yesterday was exceptionally tricky
eve We're driven in all directions
said he, land threw out some ballast
but could have stayed up all night il
we had wanted to-"
Three principal prizes We're offered
for the contest. Two cups were tor the
best distances covered, the one fol-
the long distance being offered by Fl
A. Scholle and Clifford r. Black. New
York, alumni of Williams College. Foi
the second longest distance a cup was
; given by the city of North Adams
where the race started. For the balloon
remaining longest in the air. the In
tercollegiate Magazine has presented
another cup. In addition six prizes. of
fered through the Aero Club OF New
England for various requirements, ar,
; oper to the intercollegiate contestants