The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1913-07-25
Balloon Goodyear Officially
Announced the Winner Of
National Championship Race

81 which found a resting place seven
hours later In northern Michigan, ano
lowered out the rope again Upsor
4 says this was about the hardest job
4 he ever tackled, and it was a "ticklish'
one too, for as we were still in very
4 unstable atmosphere, he would have
i TO stop every few seconds to watch
the instruments The sun was just
breaking through the clouds to the
far east, and we know that we would
shortly be we'll up in the air. We
let the balloon come down a little as
we went along in a northeasterly
| course and after repeated hallooing
4 to the farmers below, we finally found
at 6:25 that we were five miles north
lof Mineral Point, Wis.
There were clouds all about us, but
/ the sky just above was clear. The
balloon ascended as the gas heated up
| and Upson called to me to take read
/ ings of speed as we assembled This
kept me busy for the next hour, when
he called my attention to a large city
/ below us. This we knew from the cap
itol to be Madison, Wis. We were then
at 7:40 going due east in fine shape at
~ miles an hour fast approaching the
| upper cloud layer, and at $3.50 passed
over. its edge. The cloud sea was so
| dazzling white that we were glad to
put on the heavily smoked glasses we
| mad obtained for this condition. This
cloud sea was wonderfully beautiful,
extending almost level for miles
around with good sized cloud peaks to
the north and south. In few minutes
we could hear the steamer whistles at
Milwaukee, and little later down
through riffs in the clouds were the
waters of Lake Michigan. At 10 o'clock
we could see the land again, though we
did not see either shore of the lake
we had crossed. Just before noon we
reached our highest elevation of nearly
$4,000 feet. Here the balloon shaded,
US from the sun, and we quickly real
led that 1t was winter at this alti-S
tude. Before this while above the
clouds, had been watching the instru-
ments from an improvised paper tent
in one end of the basket, as l had lost
my sun hat during the storm and tho
heat while the sun was shining on us,
was intense.
Mountainous clouds were piling up
above the level cloud layer to the
south, and as this probably meant a
thunder shower Upson let the balloon
come down slowly to take advantage
or the more northerly currents at low
er attitudes. At 500 feet, we stopped a
little while just above the lower cloud
layer which was beginning to break
up. The upper cloud layer had dis
appeared just before we came down.
we did not, stay long above the lower
layer as we could see behind us a big
tunnel-shaped cloud, and the air at
this elevation seemed very unstable
once we ran into a little whirlwind,
which turned the balloon around rap
idly three or four times. 1t was in
terest1ng at tais height to look down
and see the shadow of the balloon on
the clouds below, surrounded by
bright rafnbow-like ring.
descending through the lower cloud
layer was very interesting. We did not
go INTO the cloud at all but seemed TO
slide down the side of this huge bali of
mist with the ground in plain sight
Just over its edge We were uncer-
tain as to our whereabouts before de-
scend1ng through this cloud layer. but
inquired that we were somewhere in the
vicinity of Saginaw bay. Once below
the cloud, however, land was visible
TO the horizon.
The unstable atmospheric condi-
mons We're fast using up the gas and
batlast, and we realized then that it
was only question of pushing the
goodyear as far as we could toward
the lake, $50 80
THE. country below was not partic-
ularly inviting as with few exceptions
1t was covered with tall stumps and
streWn with. dead, broken trees, the
cut timber district of northern Michf-
gam '@.,. s.ss ) -
f BY O'Clock our ballast was all
gone, and, soon our empty sand bags.
camp stools, water, milk cans, and
most of our provisions were also, gone
Reserving a little for landing, we look
cd ahead for smooth spot and finally
alscerned a. little spot of fairly smooth
ground which We endeaYored to reach.
We hit little short of it, narrowly
missing a tall dead tree, but bounced
up again and succeeded in dropping
the balloon directly on little plot
which proved to be buckwheat patch.
Considering the strong wind blowing,
Upson made an exceptionally fine
landlng, as we were not dragged over
the ground at all. and did not damage
the@balloon in the least
me greater part of the population
or that section of the township was
soon on hand asking the usual ques-
tlons. They We're quite educated in
pallooning, however, as two years be-
lore balloons in the International race.
from st. Louis had passed over this
same town of West Branch Mich.
We soon realized now that we had
mad no sleep and hardly a bite to eat
during the race. After a vigorous a.
tack on the remaining provisions, we
left the balloon practically as it was
and tumbled into bed at the nearest
farmhouse for good fifteen hours
sleep.
After packing up the next day it
devehoped there was no train soush till
a. m. Not until we boarded this
train, and picked UP paper in the
smoking compartment did we learn
that we had won the balloon cham
pionshfp of America
This race not only decides the ma
tional championship, but is also for the
purpose OF choosing Americas repre-
sentatfves for the international Raj 4
loon trophy for free balloons, or more
commonly Known as the Gordon BEN
nett cup. The International race viii
probably be held early in the fail.
starting from the Garden OF the Tuil
cries. Paris, France.