The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-07-10
|THR|LL|NG TRIP
|. IN AIR IS TOLD
Ohio Balloon Wins the EIimina.
ton Race.
FLYER TELLS OF EXPERIENCES
Aid Of Kansas ". Describes Flight
Leak In Craft Threatened Them
With Disaster While They
Were Passing Over Lake.

Kansas City, Mo, July 7.-Unofficisl
figures on the landing places Of the
four balloons in the national elimina-
ton race made by aero club officials
give first place in the race to the
Goodyear bag of Akron, o., which land
ed at West Branch, Mich, an estimated
distance Of $50 miles from Kansas
City.
While John Watts, pilot OF the Kan
sas City H., telegraphed he had flown
$50 miles, to Goodrich, Mich, aero club
officials figured his distance at $50
miles. giving him second place.
Third place is accorded to Captain
Honeywell in the Kansas City Post
balloon, which landed at lockwood.
Mich, and last place TO the Million
Population club of st. Louis, which
came down at Manchester, Mich, a
distance estimated at $50 miles.
All of the balloons encountered
storms near the great lakes.
Pen Picture Of Balloon Trip. ..
The following are the experiences OF
George Quisenberry. aid OF the bal
loon Kansas City H., as telegraphed to
Kansas City.
''The balloon Kansas City H., John
Watts, pilot, and myself. aid, landed on
the farm of Riley Hill, one and one
half miles north of Goodrich, Mich,
T3o miles from Kansas City. A farm
er's boy told Us the location of our
landing. 1t was the first definite knowl-
edge we had of our course, and we
were not sure whether we were in I'LL
nois, Indiana or Michigan, or In Can
ada, as we hoped.
About nine O'Clock at night we
sighted storms OF lightning and thun-
der to the west. Soon they worked
around to the east and the north, and
the heavens were filled with crashing
flames and roarings.
We drove on, instead of dropping
down to trail them out, as balloonists
usually do.
Pass River and Big City.
we passed large river about mid |
night, which we took to be the Mis- |
sissippi, some place on the eastern |
edge Of Iowa An hour later we sailed |
over a city we thought was Rock |
Island. ILL.,, and at six O'Clock we came |
out from the clouds long enough to |
see lake front and a huge city ahead |
Of US. II was either Chicago or Mil |
waukee, and we sailed out over Lake
Michigan ....
AT 6:35 we sailed over Lake Mich |
A. lok a. a
the crossing, a rip almost a foot long
in the side of the bag developed. and a
few minutes later a second.
I'VE heard them pop as the re-
strained gas rushed out and we
couldn't tell whether 1t was a rip or
one Of the netting strands had broken.
Either was dangerous. II the netting
was broken the increased strain on the
remaining strands might pull them
apart and let the basket drop.
We were in the basket and 1t was
1000 feet to the surface Of the lake.
Watts said nothing. He sought the
cause and found that two small holes,
repaired before the balloon had left
Kansas City. had broken again. They
were in the lower part Of the fabric |
where the strain was the least.
b. But 1t was only a question of time. |
We threw ballast all the morning when |
the expansion Of the gas caused by |
the sun should have carried US. and in |
the afternoon we had none left At |
2:o5 O'Clock we descended. Two hours !
later the balloon, rolled up and on a
wagon, was being brought to Good |
rich
Asoends by Mistake.
New York, July IA toy Of the
winds IN rudderless and incomplete |
dirtgtble balloon for more than an hour |
and half. travelling alternately fast |
and slow, as the air currents dictated, |
in an altitude OF from 5000 to 1000 |
feet, George NJ. Gay, twenty-five years
old, assistant OF Frank Goodale, avia.
tor az the Palisades Amusement park,
finally dropped with the balloon into |
Long Island sound He had not ex-
pected to ascend. but had entered the |
air crafts basket only to At the ballast
bags, when the balloon broke loose.
Flyer Lands After Long FIiaht,
Milwaukee, July Leaving Milwau-
kee, flying through the air during the |
entire night. C. Livingston Virgins
was unable to land until dawn, when
he was within 20 miles of his starting |