Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-07-05
An Equal Number of Compel
itorS Meet Disaster Before
or Soon After Starting from
Field on Trial Aerial FLIGHT
PROTESTS AGAINST
TWO CONTESTANTS
"BaIyn ASSman Rips His ST.
800 Gas Bag TO Pieces with
Pocket Knife After It Fails
Him Second Time,
tOy uossHo Iousssl SPECIAL lrAsso w'asI

fuf MORNING JOURNAL hftelAA AtAtAp hiHtl
Kansas City. July f-Four of the
eight racing balloons scheduled 10
start in the national race TO choose
Americas representatives for the
james Gordon Bennett trophy contest
in France this fan. are in the air to-
night They are:
The Kansas city IL, entrant of
the Kansas City Aero club.
Million Population club, st.
Louis.
THE Goodyear Akron, O.
"Tho Kansas City POST
Against two of these balloons. the
Kansas City Post and the Kansas city
H.. official protests by Robert Il. Nol-
kcr. president of the 81. Louis Aero
club and r.. J.. Greene. Of the Aero
club of Illinois Chicago, Will be tele-
graphed to the contest committee Of
the Aero club Of America, New York,
Mr.. Nolkers telegram follows:
Contest Committee. Aero club Of
America, New York.
Protest balloon Kansas City Post
and Kansas City H. were taking gas
after Mr. Berry and Mr. NonHoffman
were over an hour In the air.
(signcd) "ROBERT E. NOLKER.
President, ST. Louis Aero club. '
Mr.. Greene's message read.
Protest balloon Kansas city Post
Took gas after legal time
Pilot Honeywell Of the Kansas City
Post. appraised of the intended pro-
test before he arose, denied the
charge, as did PILOT Watts, of the KAN
sas city H.
1t was a disastrous day for balloon
ing. Two Of the great bags were de-
stroyed by "a stiff wind that swept the
aviation field, q third withdrew at the
last moment on account of defec-
tive valve ana the overland with
r. T.. Donaldson ana r. T.. Lanning,
Of Springfield, III. aboard narrowly
escaped falling into the Missouri riv-
er and was forced to make landing
a few miles from the starting point.
A thirty-milc wind that swept
across the field delayed the start more
than two hours, ana threatened for
time To- drive every contestant from
the race. Not q balloon on the iield
escaped without some damage.
The balloon Miss Sophia, II, which
was TO have flown the colors of the
Missouri Athletic club of st. Louis
suffered similarly. The entire valve
was torn out by the wind. William
Assman, who was 10 have piloted the
bag. was in tears when he discovered
the extent Of the injury
Boys. I'm through, he said, turn
ing to officials on the field Last year
/ got out Of a sick bed to come here
for the race and my balloon was put
out Of business a few minutes before
the race this year the same thing has
happened. Come here, boys, I'll give
you something to remember Billy
Assman by, anyway" and the st.
Louis man took his jack knife from
his pocket and cut the balloon TO
pieces The bag was worth $500.
Hamilton, Mo, sixty-nine miles
northeast reported two balloons pass
ing there at SIZE O'Clock. They were
unidentified.
The Million Population club" bag
was seen by passengers on train No.
So, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
railroad The bag was travelling high
and seemed to be well filled with
gas.
Near Lawson, thirty-three miles
northeast the Goodyear" and the
Kansas city H. were close enough
together so that the pilots and aides
chatted with each other as they went
over the town. The two bags went
sailing together from Lawson, scarce
~ five feet dividing the sides of the
balloons.