The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-30
Three Sky Pilots Landed Near
Barre After AIl-night Trip
COVERING ABOUT $50 MILES
Starting from Pittsfeld, Mass, at 1t:4o
Saturday Night, They Landed Three
Miles from Barre Yesterday
Morning at $40 O'clock.

After an all-nght trip, during which
they covered about $50 miles, three bal
loonists, Jay Benton of Boston, H. H.
Clayton of Canton, Mass. and John G
Peltret of San Francisco, landed three
miles from this city, on the East Barre
road, yesterday morning, having been in
the air for nine hours and having had a
most delightful trip, although they We're
| tended destination, which was Rhode
Island
The three aeronauts left Pittsfieh
Mass, at ll;40 Saturday night in the
balloon Boston hoping TO travel to
the state southeast Of them, but when
they got up in the air they found con
trary currents of air, which switched
them directly opposite, and so they took
their involuntary trip into Vermont.
Starting from the extreme western
part of Massachusetts, the balloon tray-
eled almost straight northward, crossed
the boundary line Of the two states
shortly after midnight and making good
time. The aeronauts were not positive
about the places over which they passed ,
but they are inclined to think they
passed Mount Ascutney in the southeast
ern part OF Vermont, and they also
thought they passed over the village of
Woodstock in their northward fight.
Toward daybreak they found them
selves slipping along above ridge of
mountains and hills and veering with the
wind toward the northwest. With the
breaking of day yesterday, the lowly
inhabitants of the earth first became
cognizant of the mir vehicle passing over
their heads. The balloon was then about
over Chelsea in Orange county and head
ing toward Barre
The air vehicle was so high that the
people could do little more than specu-
late as to It's size; but presently. as the
light became better, they could see
dark object rise in the balloon and then
disappear below the edge Of the basket,
This object they took to be a human
being, which observation proves to be
correct as sfter-events proved.
Courageous Boy Gets Dragged.
Presently the balloon began to lower
and when passing over the village of
Washington the pilot apparently was
trying to effect a landing in opposition
to strong currents of air lie failed at
Washington and swept on towards East
Barre Reaching that village. the bal
loon had dropped SO low that the per-
sons in the basket were discernible, and
then the shouts of the passengers were
made out, as they called to the wonder
ing witnesses below to catch hold OF
the rope
Hearing this, Leon Hutchins, aged 10
and more nimble than the others. ran
and grasped the dangling rope and at
once found himself yanked along, as
the balloon refused to come down with
his weight. The young man held on for
a time and was dragged through the
fields until he decided that the better
part of valor was to let 90.
Thus relieved of some weight, the bal
loon went upward for short distance
and sailed over East Barre into the val
ley toward this city. The section is well
wooded and in a short time the bal /.
loonsts found themselves caught in some
trees, where they experienced much diff |
Guilty. Then disengaging their vehicle
from that obstruction, they went upward |
again and skinned the earth until they |
lodged against another clump of trees !
near the Spring house. three miles from /
Barre. Meanwhile, an excited crowd of /
people had run from East Barre. and on |
arriving at the scene of the landing as I
sisted the aeronauts out and helped to I
anchor the balloon until the pilot pulled /
the rip cord. which brought the balloon I
Town as dead canvass.
The landing was effected at $40 a. M /
and was not attended by mishaps, and |
The balloon was not damaged, The three |
men who had traversed two states in
heir wonderful night trip hastily packed
he balloon together and engaged pass
,ge to this city, arriving here with their
baggage just in time to have hurried
breakfast at the hotel Otis and catch
he l;40 train to return to Pittsfield.
Their stay in Barre was so short that
hey had little chance to describe their
rip, but they expressed themselves as
we'll pleased with it, saving it was a
splendid trip" They said there were
10 remarkable features to tell about
he weather was mostly fine where they
yere-at times 1000 feet in the air-and /
ne nrSU tneN knew tn0t the ram was
alling on The earth was when water be-
ran to drip off their balloon bag as they
through the clouds. The moist.
IRE then was not enough to cause them
ny discomfort They carried 500 pounds
# ballast, and they lightened the bal
Don only once, throwing out one bag OF
he sand.
Asked why they Travelled by night,
ather than by day when they could
njoy the scenery, the sky pilots said
hat the travelling was much better ia
he nighttime. because during the day
he suns days beating on the balloon !
ag interfered with the gas inside.
Two of the aeronauts are well-known {
Nplorers Of the sky Mr.. Benton of Bos- {
on having made large number of as
ensions and balloon voyages throughout
lew England. while Mr.. CLAYTON also
! no novice in dealing with the air cur. I
ents of New England But this was |
heir first visit to Barre in this manner.
Benton Meets Schoolmate on Landing.
An unexpected feature of the landing
'as that Pilot Benton ran into a school. !
late, DIR. Z. G. Sprague of Barre. for :
he first time since they were in school | :
Aoathar |